Sun Prairie seventh-graders are brushing up on their math skills with the help of local professionals who have strong math backgrounds and a love for this often difficult subject.
Every Tuesday during the school year, actuaries from General Casualty Insurance Companies visit Craig Brandl's seventh grade classroom at nearby Prairie View Middle School. They started in April with nine volunteers, and now have 13 signed up for next school year.
"Every Tuesday the kids look forward to seeing them, and some students have developed relationships with their mentors," Brandl said. "If one week the actuaries can't make it, all day the kids are asking where they are." He said the team's work with his classes have allowed them to tackle larger projects that wouldn't be possible with only one adult supervising. More adults in the classroom also mean more one-on-one time for each student. Plus Brandl doesn't need to spend prep time getting the volunteer's math skills up to speed, since actuaries use math every day
One of Brandl's students attributes her most recent test grade - the highest grade she's ever gotten in math - to the test-review game led by the actuaries.
The mentors are also helping kids beyond the confines of their classroom through Brandl's after-school math club. And mentoring team leader, Andy Doll, who is also General Casualty's chief actuary, has connections with the Actuarial Foundation that helped secure a two-year, approximately $30,000 grant for club activities, teacher time and supplies.
"With math club activities we can take kids outside the classroom, show them how math applies to the real world, and answer the popular question: 'Why are we doing this?'" Brandl said. Some math club activities this year included bowling and keeping score by hand, calculating discounts and taxes on shopping trips, and painting the playground's basketball court. With the painting activity they measured the lines on the basketball court and calculated the amount of paint needed to cover them.
"Everyone wins in this situation, especially if we can positively impact at least one child's life," Doll said. "These kids are really at a critical stage in their education. I think the timing of this program, seventh grade, is perfect to help prepare the kids for future requirements."
Their efforts were recently recognized when Doll was awarded the Sun Prairie Education Association's annual Friend of Education Award on May 15 for his group's involvement.
"We love math," said Michelle Morrow, General Casualty actuary. "This gives us the opportunity to share that with kids."
For more information please contact Anne M. Smith.