Great Lakes to continue support for Prepare2Nspire program

CovingtonClarksonLGreat Lakes Community Investments has granted the Prepare2Nspire project a continuation to further provide mathematics “mentutors” to eighth and eleventh graders in the Minneapolis area.

Prepare2Nspire is an innovative, cascading, multi-grade mathematics tutoring and mentoring opportunity that will include graphing calculator technology.

Principal Investigator Dr. Lesa Covington Clarkson, associate professor, has a history of working in urban schools with diverse populations in the Twin Cities. “Too often, underrepresented students aren’t served in our urban classrooms,” she said, “This program will provide additional time and tools to support students in their mathematics learning.”

As University undergraduate students are tutoring and mentoring eleventh grade algebra 2 students in the program, the eleventh grade cohort is tutoring and mentoring eighth grade algebra students. Graphing calculator technology supports students’ development of algebraic thinking and their preparation for postsecondary study.

Every student profits from this model, according to Clarkson. Tutors are developing mathematics communication and reasoning skills as they explain content in which they are recently engaged and at the same time they are developing roots in mathematics that are fundamental to their current study. Middle school participants are receiving individualized tutoring and mentoring services designed to meet their unique challenges in the mathematics content studied. Simultaneously, grade-level skills will be continually addressed through mini lessons at weekly meetings.

Read more about the project:

http://www.uroc.umn.edu/press/stories_tutors.html