Held in more than 10,000 schools, Math-A-Thon has raised nearly $400 million for St. Jude since 1979
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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – Memphis, Tenn. – St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® has joined Scholastic Inc. to make Math-A-Thon® a more valuable resource for teachers as they prepare students for standardized testing. Beginning with the 2009-2010 school year, new Math-A-Thon Funbooks will contain colorful, engaging activities developed by Scholastic that support National Standards and are aligned to the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) focal points for each grade level from K–8. Math-A-Thon allows students to build and practice essential math skills while they raise funds for kids battling cancer at St. Jude, one of the world’s premier pediatric cancer research centers.
Math-A-Thon works in the following way: Teachers serve as volunteer coordinators for Math-A-Thon at their school. Participating students solve math problems in a printed or online Funbook. Students ask family and friends for donations in support of their participation in the Math-A-Thon. All donations are sent to St. Jude, where no child is ever turned away because of a family’s inability to pay.
Now in its 30th year, Math-A-Thon is one of America’s largest education-based fundraisers. More than 10,000 schools across the country participate in the program. Math-A-Thon is also one of the most successful fundraising campaigns for St. Jude, having raised nearly $400 million since its inception.
“Each year, the money raised by Math-A-Thon helps St. Jude doctors and researchers as they work to unlock the mysteries of childhood cancer and other deadly diseases,” said David L. McKee, chief operating officer and interim CEO of ALSAC, the fundraising organization of St. Jude. “We are thrilled to partner with Scholastic, a company that shares our focus on improving the lives of children. With Scholastic’s help, the Math-A-Thon program will reach new levels as an educational tool for teachers and a fundraising tool for St. Jude.”
The enhancements to the Math-A-Thon program come at a time when the need for resources aimed at math skills development is high. Sixty-one percent of American fourth graders and 68 percent of eighth graders scored at or below the “basic” level on the 2007 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Mathematics test. The recent Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) data show that American students ranked 14th out of 24 participating countries, behind much smaller nations like Finland and Singapore.
According to Jennifer Prescott, Scholastic Editorial Director of Custom Media, “Scholastic is delighted to join with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital on the Math-A-Thon program. Our team of expert curriculum developers is inspired by the opportunity to help thousands of students build and practice essential math skills through the revised Funbook and online activities, while helping to raise critical funds for the patients of St. Jude.”
To learn more about participating in Math-A-Thon, visit mathathon.org or call 1-800-FUNBOOK.
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