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CME Group Foundation, the charitable foundation that supports nonprofit organizations primarily in the Chicago area, today announced it would provide nearly $3 million in contributions to help young children from Chicago's low-income communities improve their math skills. The funds will be distributed through four grants as follows:
- $1 million over four years for Erikson Institute Early Mathematics Education Project;
- $1 million over four years for Ounce of Prevention Fund Early Math Initiative;
- $750,000 over three years for Big Shoulders Fund Early Childhood Math Intervention Program; and
- $33,000 in 2010 for Chicago Children's Museum Playful Approaches to Learning in Math.
Through its contributions to these educational programs, CME Group Foundation hopes to enable young children from Chicago's low income communities to become proficient at math at the appropriate grade or developmental level. The programs will impact nearly 800 Chicago educators and 15,000 Chicago students.
"We are extremely pleased to be able to partner with these esteemed organizations to address early math education, a critical need among American school children," said Jack Sandner, CME Group Foundation Chairman. "All young children have the capacity to learn and become competent in math, but many times, that potential is not realized in the early years of schooling, particularly for low income children. Math education has risen to the top of the national policy agenda to meet the demands of international competition in the 21st century that require a workforce competent in math. Through our Early Math Education Initiative, CME Group Foundation hopes to make a difference in changing the direction of mathematics learning while ultimately serving as a model for future programs."
The CME Group Foundation Early Math Education Initiative is intended to provide young children with high-quality math instruction to serve as a starting point for later learning and to help address inequalities in educational outcomes. The grants will focus on the professional development of early childhood teachers as it relates to math education and the collaboration among educators to align curriculum.
"Erikson's program in early math has already proven itself to be effective in increasing the math skills and knowledge of children who enter preschool behind in mathematics learning. Now, thanks to the visionary leadership of the CME Group Foundation, we are able to extend those benefits to the elementary grades in the Chicago Public Schools and beyond. By supporting our efforts, the Foundation will have an impact on the field of early mathematics education as a whole," says Samuel J. Meisels, Erikson Institute President.
"The Ounce appreciates the opportunity to partner with the CME Group Foundation to promote the early math development of young children who are most at risk of school failure. This important new collaboration will significantly advance our shared vision of ensuring the educational success and future well-being of low-income children across Chicago," says Diana Mendley Rauner, Ounce of Prevention Fund Executive Director.
"This partnership with the CME Group Foundation will allow for our youngest learners in underserved neighborhoods of Chicago to reach their full potential in mathematics and beyond. It is these types of comprehensive and longitudinal programs that have the greatest impact in the lives of the inner-city children we serve," says Joshua Hale, Big Shoulders Fund Executive Director.
"Chicago Children's Museum is committed to supporting the needs of teachers and students, and is excited to partner with the CME Group Foundation and the Illinois Network of Charter Schools to provide our Playful Approaches to Learning in Math and Science programming," said Jennifer Farrington, Chicago Children's Museum President and CEO.
