Hundreds of Students Participating in UA Algebra Academy
Jazmin Marshall and Niessa Villarreal, both students attending Desert View High School, work on a rocket during the Algebra Academy. (Photo courtesy of Sumaya Frick)
Students spend their time during the Algebra Academy learning about various concepts. At the end of their experience, the students must launch water bottle rockets to see which performs best. (Photo courtesy of Jaime Tadeo)
The four-week program the UA holds in collaboration with several partners is an attempt to draw more low-income students and people of color into college.
Hundreds of southern Arizona high school students are learning how to use their math skills during The University of Arizona's Algebra Adacemy.
The academy involves about 200 students who have spent the last three weeks at respective schools – Cholla, Desert View, Pueblo, Sunnyside and Tucson – working on hands-on projects and other activities to become more familiar with algebraic concepts.
Fourteen local teachers have worked to design a curriculum where students build water bottle rockets. The fourth week – this week – culminates with the students coming to the UA to launch water bottle rockets. The students also explore and attempt to control variables to get their rockets to hit a ground and hanging target, as well as trying to achieve the greatest distance possible.
The summer academy is in its second year and attempts to impact success in high school Algebra, which is a critical indicator of future college enrollment.
The first test launch occurred at Bear Down Field on Monday, June 23 where students had a chance to make adjustments in preparation for the final launch at Bear Down Field on Wednesday.
On Wednesday, the furthest distance a rocket traveled was 249 feet away. The second furthest landed after flying 232 feet.
The final events are the Academic Showcase and Student Recognition Ceremony.
The showcase, which will be held at the UA's Bear Down Gymnasium on Friday. During the showcase, students will display academic poster boards that present what they have learned and achieved while participating in the program. During the ceremony, students are recognized for their work and completion of the academy.
The Algebra Academy was initially funded and continues to receive support from the Lumina Foundation for Education. This year’s initiative has also received support from the Tucson GEAR UP Project, a partnership grant serving the cohort of incoming 9th grade students at the above mentioned high schools.
The University of Arizona’s Provost’s Office, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, College of Education and the BIO5 Institute have also contributed financially from their Technology and Research Initiative Funds, or TRIF. The support for the Algebra Academy allowed the program to extend its enrollment beyond last year’s 60 students to 200 students this year.
et cetera
- Extra Info |
The Algebra Academy is coordinated by the UA Office of Early Academic Outreach in partnership with the Sunnyside Unified School District and the Tucson Unified School District.
The UA office's mission is to increase the number of ethnic minority, low-income, and first-generation college-bound students who are eligible to enter a degree program at a university.
To learn more, visit the office's Web site.
- Contact Info
Media ContactRudy McCormick
Office of Early Academic Outreach
520-626-2300
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