The Public Education Fund of Charlottesville-Albemarle recently launched a new program, "Odyssey: 2025," aimed at helping local students better understand the critical areas of math and science.
The program is a collaboration between city and county schools and one in which several University professors will be lending a helping hand.
"Regionally, we want to promote an educated workforce, and that certainly makes for a better community, educationally and economically," said Cass Cannon, Charlottesville City Schools community relations specialist.
The program will involve a summer academy that allows teachers and students from both school systems to test different types of math and science learning strategies, according to John Gersuk, executive vice president of The JASON Project, an educational initiative aimed at motivating students and working in conjunction with Odyssey: 2025. The best elements that result from this summer academy will be implemented in both school systems, Gersuk said.
To achieve the best results, the program is geared toward fifth-graders in an effort to ensure students' maintain an interest in the math and science fields.
"National research has found that if children aren't excited about opportunities in math and science by that age, we lose them," Gersuk said.
University professors will also be involved with Odyssey: 2025 and are already collaborating on training teachers to work with kids in math and science, Curry School Dean Robert Pianta said.
"We have a number of relationships with the local schools that involve various activities," Pianta said. "We are hoping this will be one of the activities we can help facilitate," he added, noting that many faculty members are looking forward to helping with the program.
In addition to Odyssey: 2025, local schools are currently in the process of implementing The JASON Project. Founded by Dr. Robert D. Ballard, who discovered the RMS Titanic in 1985, the project aims "to get the kids and the whole community excited about discovery," Cannon explained.
Cannon cited "Monster Storms" as an example of a JASON Project program, where students analyze weather patterns with some of the world's leading meteorologists.
The JASON Project "exemplifies the kind of things that Odyssey: 2025 will not only profit from, but also can even duplicate: the excitement of great discoveries and great learning," Cannon said.
-- Max Hall contributed to this article
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