Fluor Foundation recently donated $150,000 to the MIND Research Institute to bring an innovative blended learning math program to 2,286 students at four schools in Irvine, and 1,518 students at three Texas schools.
The charitable branch of the Fluor Corp., an engineering and construction company, has made gifts to support MIND’s ST Math program in local schools since 2007.
This grant marks a 10-fold increase in giving from Fluor’s previous gift, expanding Fluor’s support of ST Math to include Texas, where Fluor is headquartered, and elevates Fluor’s partnership with Irvine-based MIND to the national level.
“MIND Research Institute’s ST Math program provides meaningful, measurable impact on educational outcomes for students, making MIND an ideal partner for Fluor,” said Torrence Robinson, president of the Fluor Foundation. “We want to make a difference in children’s lives today and help build an innovative workforce for tomorrow. ST Math helps us do that.”
Fluor is among several donors providing funding to help the Irvine Unified School District roll out ST Math to all 30 of its elementary schools.
Fluor’s grant specifically benefits four Irvine elementary schools: Culverdale, Northpark, Springbrook and University Park.
In Texas, the grant benefits KIPP Legacy, KIPP Sharp in Houston and Uplift Heights Preparatory in Dallas.
The grant provides the schools with access to ST Math, as well as training to prepare teachers to successfully incorporate the computer-based games into their existing math curriculum as part of a blended learning environment.
Additionally, schools receive year-round support from MIND’s team.
Last year, the Business Roundtable, a group of CEOs of leading U.S. companies including Fluor, reviewed more than 100 educational programs, seeking those with the best potential to prepare students for college and the workplace.
BRT named five proven and scalable programs that its members could help scale up, and that list included ST Math.
Developed by neuroscientists, MIND’s ST Math instructional software provides visual, computer-based math games that support deep understanding of concepts covered by state math standards at each grade level.
The self-paced games are designed to be as accessible for children struggling in math as they are challenging for gifted children.
A recent study of students across California using the program found that when an entire grade level fully implemented ST Math, it increased the percentage of students scoring proficient and the percentage scoring advanced on the California Standards Test.
The program also includes teacher training on how to connect the games to their classroom math curriculum, and year-round educational support.
“We’re grateful for Fluor’s longtime support of MIND Research Institute, and particularly for this new gift that solidifies their commitment to solving the nation’s math crisis,” said Matthew Peterson, CEO, co-founder and senior scientist at MIND Research. “Fluor is impacting a socially, economically, and geographically diverse group of students and teachers, and all of them will benefit from deeper, more conceptual learning thanks to this grant.”
– Submitted by MIND
Research Institute
