Math and Science Secondary Teaching Launch

The Math and Science Secondary Teaching Initiative was launched on August 25 with a barbecue at Selvester’s Café by the Creek. The launch was designed to attract students into secondary level teaching careers in math and science. LaDawn Haws, Mathematics, gave a keynote speech. Practicing teachers details positive aspects of teaching careers and provided hands-on math and science activities to give attendees a glimpse into the fun to be had in the classroom.

The initiative is a response to an expected crisis in education: Approximately 200,000 of secondary science and math teachers will retire or leave the profession in the next 10 years.

CSU, Chico is joining other CSUs and UCs to alleviate this crisis by doubling the number of math and science teachers in the state by 2010. Chico was one of nine CSU campuses to be awarded a Math Science Teacher Initiative grant. The $70,000 grant is directed by Deborah Summers, Education, and William Fisher of the Center for Mathematics and Science Education.

—Kathleen McPartland