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The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded a $12.5
million grant to a La Salle University-led partnership involving
13 colleges and universities, Pennsylvania Intermediate Units
and other nonprofit organizations to improve mathematics and
science education within 46 school districts in Southeastern
Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey.
The partnership, known as the Math Science Partnerships of
Greater Philadelphia (MSPGP), will potentially impact over
117,000 middle and high school students over the next five
years.
“The size and complexity of this partnership represents
a new and extraordinary regional collaboration uniting dozens
of institutional partners and nonprofit organizations and
scores of professionals who have acquired a tremendous expertise
over the years,” said F. Joseph Merlino, Director of
the MSPGP. “All will be working together to implement
state-of-the-art curriculum and instructional strategies to
improve math and science understanding for young people and
enhance the preparation of future teachers.”
Partnering with La Salle in the MSPGP program are Arcadia
University, Bryn Mawr College, Cedar Crest College, Haverford
College, Lehigh Carbon County Community College, Lincoln University,
Moravian College, Northampton Community College, Muhlenberg
College, Villanova University, West Chester University, Widener
University, and 32 Pennsylvania school districts and 14 New
Jersey school districts.
The Math Science Partnership of Greater Philadelphia (MSPGP)
is one of 13 new NSF awards totaling more than $216 million.
The MSPGP was selected from a nationwide competition involving
over 260 proposals that were merit reviewed by teams of panelists
from around the country.
“The end result of this five-year project will be to
provide young people with the sophisticated reasoning, skills
and judgment necessary to better function as productive and
responsible citizens in this fast-paced, technology driven
21st century,” said Merlino.
The National Science Foundation Math and Science Partnership
program is part of a national education strategy enacted.
The Math and Science Partnerships link elementary and secondary
teachers and administrators with collegiate science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics faculty. The partnerships focus
on enhancing the quality, quantity and diversity of science
and mathematics teachers, raising student achievement and
offering challenging curricula at all grade levels.
"The Math and Science Partnerships are about reinvigorating
mathematics and science instruction and strengthening curriculum
across the United States," said Dr. Judith A. Ramaley,
who leads NSF's Directorate for Education and Human Resources.
"These awards are an investment in the talent pool of
the nation's future scientists, engineers and mathematicians."
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