Project S.T.O.M.P. Brings Local High School Students to Baylor University for Math and Fun

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WACO, Texas (June 11, 2012) - More than 90 high school seniors are deliberately using algebra this summer--for fun.

This week, Waco and LaVega Independent School District students are participating in Project S.T.O.M.P. (Summer Travels Opening Mathematical Possibilities) at Baylor University. In its sixth and final year, Project S.T.O.M.P. gives students an opportunity to apply mathematical concepts in the real world exposing them to various career fields that support their learning of mathematics.

"Project S.T.O.M.P. provides engaging hands-on mathematics activities for students allowing them to make connections to science, technology, careers and more," said Dr. Trena Wilkerson, associate professor and Math Initiative project director and grant co-principal investigator in the Baylor School of Education.

This year's activities include a human scavenger hunt, building a Sierpinski Triangle, traveling to Texas Instruments in Dallas and participating in a special exercise called The Sound of Music.

"During The Sound of Music activity, students will use mathematics to identify music notes from tuning forks and then to play a song from water bottles based on their math knowledge," said Dr. Rachelle Rogers, senior lecturer in curriculum and instruction in the Baylor School of Education. "We will close out the program with S.T.O.M.P. Fest where students will present the activities from the week."

The project is supported by the GEAR UP Waco Grant funded by the U.S. Department of Education. GEAR UP Waco (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) is a comprehensive, collaborative initiative focused on preparing at-risk students academically and socially for college. It is funded by a six year, $11.3 million grant that involves partners Baylor University, Texas State Technical College Waco, Making Connections with Youth Count, INC., City of Waco Academy for Educational Development and the Waco Independent School District.

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Baylor University is a private Christian university and a nationally ranked research institution, characterized as having "high research activity" by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The university provides a vibrant campus community for approximately 15,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating university in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 11 nationally recognized academic divisions.