The Center for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Education (CSTEME) based at UCCS will share in a $1 million grant to provide professional development for secondary school math teachers in Eagle County Schools.

The three-year grant was provided by the Colorado Department of Education with funds from the U.S. Department of Education. The award includes the Eagle County School District and the Consortium on Reading Excellence, Berkeley, Calif., in addition to the UCCS center.

Dave Khaliqi, director of CSTEME, said the award will build on efforts with teachers in the Pikes Peak region to improve math instruction through the Pikes Peak Math Teacher's Circle.

"The program teaches teachers how to have fun with numbers, and pass that enjoyment onto their students" Khaliqi said. "In that process, we look at how to implement problem-solving and critical thinking skills and how to move both teacher and student past the text book."
Beginning late this spring and continuing into June, UCCS facilitators from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the College of Education will work with a 30-member group of Eagle County teachers. Each year, a new group is planned, with a goal of 90 teachers receiving seven days of professional development training.