SILICON VALLEY EDUCATION FOUNDATION RECEIVES $50K FROM WALMART FOR MATH PROGRAMS

The Silicon Valley Education Foundation has received a $50,000 grant from Walmart to continue its successful summer algebra programs for underserved students in Santa Clara County in 2014.
The money will go toward SVEF's key summer math program -- "Elevate [Math]," previously known as "Stepping Up to Algebra."  The program helps underserved middle school students improve their math skills before entering high school.  Funds will also go to SVEF's school-year math support program held on Saturdays.
More than 5,000 students have benefited from the programs since they began in 2008.
Elevate [Math] is a 4-week intervention program that targets middle school students who score at or below grade level in math and need help to succeed in rigorous high school math classes to go on to college.
Elevate [Math]'s special focus is on reaching for college, with students treated to field trips to Stanford, Santa Clara and San Jose State universities to experience a college campus first-hand. Students also are offered time in a computer lab to work on math problems.
The free summer program is part of SVEF's initiative on STEM - Science, Technology, Engineering & Math - aimed at improving academic skills for struggling students and helping to close the achievement gap.
The $50,000 grant will go toward funding direct program services, including curriculum development costs, classroom materials that align with new Common Core Standards, student testing, analysis and evaluation, college field trips and parent information nights.
For more information, visit www.svefoundation.org.