Mike Hauser Algebra Academy expands to Sebastopol, Rohnert Park – The John Jordan Foundation contributes $50,000 for the program

The Mike Hauser Algebra Academy, a program of the Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce, is expanding enrollment for the 2015 summer program to include Sebastopol and Rohnert Park area students in cooperation with the Sebastopol Chamber of Commerce and the Rohnert Park Chamber of Commerce, bringing the total number of participating Sonoma County students to 190.

Last year’s program increased enrollment from 60 to 140 students, and for the first time included students in the Healdsburg area through a similar collaboration with the Healdsburg Chamber of Commerce.

“The ultimate goal is to reach 300 students, or 25% of Sonoma County’s ELL eighth graders, each summer,” said Jonathan Coe, President/CEO of the Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce. “If we can do that, then we have a real chance at moving the needle and improving graduation rates.”

The John Jordan Foundation has made a donation of $50,000 to help fund this year’s Algebra Academy, which runs June 8th through June 26th. This significant contribution helps strengthen the program’s objective of encouraging students’ interest in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) careers through early exposure to opportunities in those fields.

“The John Jordan Foundation is pleased to work with the Chamber, teachers and Sonoma County businesses to expand the Algebra Academy and provide a valuable summer program that will excite youth about careers in the STEM fields,” says Lisa Wittke Schaffner, Executive Director of The John Jordan Foundation.

The Mike Hauser Algebra Academy aims to strengthen the algebra skills of English Language Learner (ELL) students entering the ninth grade by engaging them in interactive, hands-on learning guided by local teachers, engineers, and technical experts. The three week program is held at area businesses where students are able to learn algebra standards and their application to high-tech real-world situations, interview engineers and technical experts, and participate in activities related to each host business.

The increase in the program’s student participants will also necessitate an expansion in the number of businesses to host the program. Outreach for Rohnert Park and Sebastopol area companies to host the program is currently being conducted.

“The Mike Hauser Algebra Academy is a great example of what collaboration between local businesses and education can do,” said Fred Van Milligen, Vice President of Research and Development at JDSU and Chair of the Santa Rosa Chamber’s Workforce Development division. “This year having students from Rohnert Park and Sebastopol participating furthers the reach of the programs’ two clear goals: 1) support ESL students in graduating from high school, and 2) encourage them to consider a path that leads through college to a career in technology. It is a program that JDSU is very proud to support and that I have felt honored to be part of from its inception.”

Launched in 2008, the Algebra Academy was the vision of the late Mike Hauser, former CEO of the Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce. He understood the importance of ensuring an educated and trained workforce for the businesses in Santa Rosa and realized that, if we fail to increase the graduation rates of students for whom English is a second language, we will lose their talents and any real hope of maintaining and growing our workforce.

Since one of the key precursors for high school graduation is mastery of algebra, he reasoned that giving students for whom English is a second language a head start with a summer program that combined algebra with real world experience in local companies would help us improve that graduation rate.

Programs such as the Mike Hauser Algebra Academy exemplify the Chamber’s ongoing commitment to workforce development and its importance for our member businesses. Our business community’s future success is dependent on the workers’ skills, and the Algebra Academy is one means for the Chamber to directly and dramatically improve the skills of our future workforce.