Graniterock Hosts Fourth Annual Algebra Academy

Contributed by Graniterock

Graniterock will expand its popular and successful Algebra Academy program this year, by hosting over 100 middle school students from six area schools for an innovative, week-long math course at its Corporate Office in Watsonville.

As part of its continuing community outreach program, Graniterock will partner with California State University Monterey Bay (CSUMB) and now also with the University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC) for this summer's Algebra Academy to help provide students with the skills and confidence to succeed in math courses in high school and college. 

Bruce W. Woolpert, President of Graniterock from 1987 to 2012, believed passionately in the power of mathematics. In 2010, he and Graniterock Corporate Counsel Kevin Jeffery teamed up with CSUMB Professor Hongde Hu to bring the Algebra Academy to students at Watsonville’s Rolling Hills Middle School. Since then, the Algebra Academy has grown to include five additional middle schools in San Benito and Santa Cruz Counties and professors from UCSC. A new website, www.algebraacademy.net, provides more information and background on the program and includes details on how members of the community can give additional support.  

Many middle school students struggle with algebra, but this week-long intensive study course gives students an extra boost by bringing together college mathematics faculty, middle school students and teachers for intensive immersion in the subject. The experience includes an exposure to college and business environments where students discover how mastering math can be the ticket to success in higher education. Students also listen to young professionals who explain how they use math in their business or technical careers. They will spend the last day of the Academy touring the CSUMB campus and working in the university's math department classrooms, getting a brief insight into the college experience. 

This year's event, sponsored by Graniterock and Little Mendelson P.C., will be hosted at the Graniterock Corporate Office in Watsonville, California, Monday, August 12, 2013 through Friday, August 16, 2013, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.