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Allentown Branch
Contact Person: Lesley Lojko , President
Email address: llojko@ptd.net
Allentown has been working on Let’s Read Math as a collaboration with the Bethlehem branch. Branch member Jan Seaman has been leading the project with Allentown, but the big story is the benefit of collaboration. [Read Bethlehem writeup, below.] Lesley Lojko, Allentown branch president, reports “It has been a nice cooperative project with Allentown and Bethlehem members working together.” In Bethlehem’s June 2009 report about their progress to date, it says: “The cooperation with Allentown has formed a bond between our branches which has never existed before. In addition, there is now an exciting project for the many retired teachers in both branches, plus others that are yearning to teach. |
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Bethlehem Branch
Contact Persons: Cinda Jensen
Email address: CindaJen@aol.com
Linda Robertsion
Email address: LCRob123@ptd.net
Cinda Jensen and Linda Robertson from AAUW-Bethlehem first expressed an interest in Let’s Read Math in early fall 2007. On October 27, they attended a Let’s Read Math parent-child workshop at the Yardley Library to see how a typical workshop was conducted. The branch decided to move ahead, so Graham and Claire scheduled a training for the branch on January 25, 2008. A total of 21 volunteers attended the training: 15 from Bethlehem, 4 from Easton and 1 from Allentown (representing a committee of 5 Allentown members interested in the project). Three books were chosen initially: The Greedy Triangle, Grandfather Tang, and How Big Is a Foot? |
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In summer 2008, Bethlehem launched the program at the Marvine Elementary School in Bethlehem, with 60 ESL students (English as a Second Language).
Other principals in the area expressed an interest in the program and the volunteers got to work! As of April 2009, a total of 20 volunteers from the two branches have presented Let’s Read Math lessons in five different elementary schools, reaching over 400 children. |
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The volunteers have spent an estimated 310 hours preparing and delivering lessons. Sample comments from classroom teachers included:
- Keep up the GREAT WORK and thanks for the fabulous lesson ideas!
- Please know that your time and commitment are truly appreciated.
- You are my heroines!... Today’s children really need you.
In June 2009, the volunteers were getting ready to present three new books over the summer, first with ESL students in a summer program in Bethlehem, then with a science museum camp and the public library in Allentown.
In February 2009, the Bethlehem president reported: “Locally, we remain busy with Let’s Read Math, a project that obviously speaks to our own long-standing awareness of, sensitivity to, and willingness to work on community need issues, this time involving diverse populations of elementary school children.”
In June 2009, a branch member added this comment:, “A lot of us are retired teachers and have not lost our love of the classroom. Engaging with the children once or twice a month as our schedules allow is keeping us excited.”
Notably, in May 2009, the branch received a STAR award from AAUW-PA for their work with Let’s Read Math. Their award-winning project was entitled: “Let’s Read Math: An Interbranch Collaboration to Build Positive Attitudes About Math.” |
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Butler Branch
Contact Person: Barb Wheatall, President
Email address: bawheatall@zoominternet.net
In November 2008, Butler arranged for a District I presentation about Let’s Read Math for representatives from five AAUW branches in Western Pennsylvania. The branch is planning to implement the program in 2009, to promote math in the elementary grades. |
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District I (Western Pennsylvania)
The Butler Branch of AAUW hosted a training on Saturday November 8, 2008. Thirteen participants attended from five different branches:
- North Hills-McKnight
- Fox Chapel
- Beaver Valley
- Coraopolis-Sewickley
- Butler
Butler President Barb Wheatall reported to the state AAUW co-presidents: “All left the workshop with great enthusiasm for the program. I’m optimistic that we’ll be seeing Let’s Read Math events taking place in Western PA in the near future. Graham and Claire presented an excellent seminar!” |
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Eastern Delaware County
Contact Person: Nancy Maclay, Treasurer
Email address: donmaclay@comcast.net
In spring 2006, Graham Boose and Claire Passantino did the first “official” Let’s Read Math information and training sessions for members of the Eastern Delaware County Branch of AAUW, in Springfield PA. Members did their first Let’s Read Math workshops at the YWCA in July 2006, and also one in a local school, where recently retired teachers enjoyed being back in the classroom. |
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Easton (PA) Branch
Contact Persons: Sharon Trimble, President
Email address: strimble@aauweastonpa.org
Fran Kennedy
Email address: franhkenn@yahoo.com
Four members of the Easton Branch attended a Let’s Read Math training session in Bethlehem in January 2008. In July 2008, they ran three programs at their local library. On September 16, 2008, Claire Passantino attended the branch’s first session of the year, to give a LRM orientation to the entire branch. Then Fran Kennedy and another branch member, Barbara Garrison, reported to their branch about the work their Let’s Read Math committee did at the library over the summer, as part of the library’s summer reading program. They said they have had requests from other places who want to schedule LRM programs.
During 2008-2009, the branch did two additional programs at the Easton Library, for home-schooled children. In spring 2009, they did a program at the Spring Garden Children’s Center in Easton, and a writeup and pictures were put in the Children’s Center newsletter. Three additional AAUW members joined Easton’s Let’s Read Math committee. This summer they are scheduled to do three more programs at the library and at the children’s center. Grant funds were depleted, so the branch works with the library to find the necessary books, and they work as a committee to develop the materials they need for doing presentations. |
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Huntington (PA) Branch
Contact Person: Susan Rumbaugh, Co-President
Email: bill@johnbrownfuneralhome.com
Right after West Chester received the AAUW EF grant to spread Let’s Read Math, Huntington reviewed the materials and asked to be included if/when State College branch has a training session. Although State College is planning to start a program in June 2009, there was never a formal training session for the State College Branch. |
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Johnstown Branch
Contact Person: Sara Barron, Program VP
Email: sbarron2@atlanticbb.net
Jo Romani
Email: Jo17Sanzio@comcast.net
In September 2007, Johnstown expressed an interest in having a training session that would include Indiana, Greensburg, Clearfield, and Punxsutawney. Since then, key people involved with launching Let’s Read Math have moved from the Johnstown area, so the project has been on hold. The branch hopes to proceed in 2009-2010. |
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Lebanon Valley Branch
Contact Person: Cathy Wieland
Email address: cathywielandaauw@verizon.net
Several dates for a training in early 2009 did not materialize due to schedule conflicts. We hope to schedule a training day with Lebanon Valley during the 2009-2010 school year. |
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Makefield Area Branch
Contact Person: Claire Passantino
Email address: cbpass@aol.com
Claire Passantino, founder of the Let’s Read Math project, is a member of the Makefield Area Branch. The first LRM workshop was held in October 2004, and several others followed in Spring 2005. Claire received a two-year Community Action Grant from the AAUW Educational Foudation in July 2005 to establish the Let’s Read Math website, and start spreading the program to other AAUW branches, to other libraries, and to other community groups such as girl scouts. Verizon and Wachovia awarded additional startup grants, to spread the program to YWCA day camps and school districts in the region. Graham Boose from the West Chester branch became interested in Let’s Read Math and a program was started at a YWCA in West Chester, which allowed us to test the replicability of the program. Claire decided to establish an LLC called “Projects in Education” to move ahead with the publishing of Let’s Read Math materials to support the program, both within AAUW and outside AAUW.
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In April 2008, Claire received the Susan K. Nensteil Humanitarian award at the AAUW-PA state convention. The award honors a Pennsylvania AAUW member whose personal commitment to AAUW extends to her branch activities and community contributions.
Approximately 15-20 Makefield branch members have participated in Let’s Read Math since its inception in 2004. Each year, approximately 6-8 members help to run a series of parent-child workshops at a local library. After four years at the Yardley-Makefield Branch of the Bucks County Free Library, in 2008-09, the branch introduced Let’s Read Math to a second library, the Morrisville Free Library. |
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| A grant from West Chester University’s Institute for Educational Excellence and Entrepreneurship (the “3E Institute”) allowed us to purchase several sets of the children’s books for the library, run four Saturday workshops and an independent reading program. In addition, branch members did workshops in four temporary classrooms where students in Morrisville were housed for several months due to an explosion at their school. The LRM committee will meet in May to decide program activities and venues for the 2009-2010 school year. You can see they were working very hard as they planned this workshop about combinations, based on The Sundae Scoop by Stuart Murphy. |
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Using funds from AAUW-PA and the local Inter-Branch Council, there are videos available about this and other Let’s Read Math workshops.
Contact us if you would like to view them as a way to envision what it would be like to run your own Let’s Read Math program. |
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Hope Lutheran Church Day Camp
Stephany Priest, the college student who helped us videotape our Let’s Read Math workshops during 2007-2008, surprised us in summer 2008 by taking Let’s Read Math to the Hope Lutheran Church Day Camp where she worked as a counselor. |
She spent one week with children in grades K-1, and a second week with children in grades 2-4. There were about 15 children involved each week, and she presented lessons on three books each week.
She plans to work there again in summer 2009. Stephany’s email address is stepiano@aol.com. |
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North Hills-McKnight Branch
Contact Persons: Peggy Garbooshian
Email address: hgmg@comcast.net
North Hills-McKnight attended the District I training sponsored by the Butler branch in November 2008. Since then, branch member Peggy Garbooshian has been testing out the program by visiting her grandchildren’s classrooms! She did two lessons for Alex’s third grade class (on Grandfather Tang’s Story and Sam Johnson and the Blue Ribbon Quilt), and a lesson in Noah’s Kindergarten class (on The Greedy Triangle ). Peggy’s daughter is a teacher and is passing Let’s Read Math lessons to her colleagues. In January 2010, Peggy will do a presentation to her branch about her experiences with Let’s Read Math. |
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Northeastern Montgomery County Branch (NEMCO)
Contact Persons: Shirley Osborne
Email address: Oshirlock@aol.com
Brigid Heydt
Email address:
brigid.heydt@heydtsolutions.com
NEMCO had their first Let’s Read Math training on Saturday November 1, 2008, practiced during the week, and had their first parent-child workshop on Saturday November 8 at the Upper Moreland Library. Two others were held on Nov 15 and 22.
Nov 8: The Greedy Triangle
Nov 15: Alexander Who Used to Be Rich Last Sunday
Nov 22: Grandfather Tang’s Story
There are approximately 12 people on NEMCO’s LRM committee. On October 10, there will be a training to see new workshops so the group can do these new workshops at the Upper Moreland Library in November2009. In Spring 2009 the branch voted to give the Upper aMoreland Library a”Gateway to Equity” award for hosting the Let’s Read Math events. The group is exploring expanding their outreach to the Wyoming Avenue Branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia.
Shirley Osborne writes: “I’m very pleased that we are going to continue with this project. Its purpose – to make math fun and less forbidding for some kids- seems, to me, well worthwhile. ” |
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Philadelphia Branch
Contact Persons: Maia An
Email address: maiaan2005@gmail.com
In December 2007, an introductory training session was held in Center City Philadelphia at AAUW’s Academy House offices, with branch members and local educators in attendance. Approximately 15 attendees saw three Let’s Read Math workshops modeled: The Greedy Triangle, Grandfather Tang’s Story, and The King’s Commissioners. Since then, the branch has been exploring ways to initiate or support Let’s Read Math programs in Philadelphia. “We would like to organize a training for the teachers/trainers/volunteers of a local organization (such as a community center or library), as well as provide ongoing assistance with the program implementation and possible fundraising.”
Simultaneously, Claire Passantino has taken initial steps to work through the School District of Philadelphia and local universities. Successful networking and partnerships will be key to a successful outreach in the city. |
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Reading Branch
Contact person: Judy Druckenmiller
Email address: Drucky@aol.com
In October 2007, branch president Fran Malley contacted Graham Boose to see if a training could be held for at least four AAUW branch members and some other volunteers from the community who currently work with young children. About 12 participants attended the workshop on December 1.
The branch scheduled their first three workshops in July 2008 at the West Lawn-Wyomissing Hills Library. Another AAUW member went ahead and did the same three workshops again, at a different library location. As of February 2009, the branch was starting a second round of workshops at the West lawn-Wyomissing Hills Library and making tentative plans to move ahead in summer 2009. |
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State College Branch
Contact Person: Candace Davison
Email address: CCDNUC@engr.psu.edu
Candace Davison joined the State College branch in early 2009 because of her interest in Let’s Read Math. She has mobilized a branch committee to start doing Let’s Read Math at a local library in summer 2009 and, if all goes well, to continue the program in fall 2009. They are planning to do workshops for parents and children together. The plans for summer include doing 3 evening workshops and 3 Saturday workshops, so that parents have two options for when to attend. (The same workshops will be offered twice.) |
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Valley Forge Branch
Contact Persons: Anne Odenweller
Email address: anneo@verizon.net
Contact Persons: Sue Norris
Email address: sue.norris@verizon.net
In October 2007, branch member Anne Odenweller attended an AAUW presentation about Let’s Read Math in Reading, PA. Since then, the Valley Forge branch has been discussing various options for doing the program on their own. In May 2009, Sue Norris announced that they have made arrangements to work in Norristown during 2009-2010. They will be working with girls in grades K-4, as part of a new after school program being run by St. David’s Church and St. Augustine Academy. Their initial plans are to do one workshop a week for 8 weeks, with a committee of six AAUW branch members. |
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West Chester/Chester County (WC3) Branch
Contact Person: Graham Boose
Email address: GDBoose@comcast.net
Shortly after Let’s Read Math began in the Makefield Area branch and received the 2005 Community Action Grant from the AAUW Educational Foundation, the West Chester/Chester County Branch of AAUW decided to replicate the program at the Summer 2005 Enrichment Program of the YWCA of Chester County. The branch has continued to run this program every summer since summer 2005. Children are from grades K-5 with junior counselors who are from middle school. Approximately 40 children take part, many of whom are ESL (English as a Second Language/English Language Learners). In summer 2008, several students from the College of Education at West Chester University served as Let’s Read Math interns, working side by side with the AAUW volunteers. The college students enjoyed the experience and plan to reference Let’s Read Math on their job resumes.
The successful replication of Let’s Read Math in West Chester prompted branch President Graham Boose to apply for and win a second two-year “Community Action Grant” from the AAUW Educational Foundation, to continue work begun during the first grant.
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The purpose of the second grant, awarded in July 2007, was to spread Let’s Read Math to other branches in the Mid-Atlantic Region, in cooperation with “Dr. Claire” from the Makefield Area Branch.
The write-ups that you are reading are a result of the outreach resulting from this grant. |
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Honey Brook Library. In summer 2006, West Chester branch member Paula McGinness, in her role as director of the Honey Brook Community Library, started to present Let’s Read Math lessons to children at her own library. In summer 2008, a more elaborate program was introduced using library volunteers. Seventeen children registered for the program, which consisted of nine one-hour sessions. Approximately 10-12 students attended each week. The library volunteers presented their lessons as desired.
As part of the program, the library packaged the sixteen Funbook 1 books in traveling plastic envelopes, and cataloged each kit for public access in the Chester County Library System. Any supplies associated with the crafts or learning devices related to the book are placed in the envelope, along with the book. These packaged “kits” can then be borrowed by users outside the summer program.
Plans for summer 2009 include packaging all the Funbook 2 books in a similar manner. The library is considering doing Let’s Read Math presentations during the school year, and they are interested in exploring the possibility of developing a Let’s Read Math series of programs using preschool books and activities. |
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