Project ACCELERATE

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About the Program

The Project ACCELERATE (A Child-focused Collaborative Expanding Learning through Engagement with Relevant Activities and Technology-based Education) is an afterschool math program administered through The Children's Museum of Houston (CMH), Texas. This program takes place in viable computer labs at local public and private schools, community technology centers, and youth-based community organizations in Houston, including a 21st Century Community Learning Center. Youth in 2nd to 6th grades participate in this program to learn standards-based math principles through 25 hands-on and Internet-based activities. The afterschool educators called "caregivers," who implement this program are offered periodic training and mentoring opportunities from CMH and work collaboratively with CMH staff to adapt themselves to these math activities and to increase their confidence and expertise in facilitating Project ACCELERATE on their own.

The Goals of This Program:

• To encourage youth to learn math through a variety of active ways that embody the concept of Howard Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences
• To develop critical thinking and problem-solving abilities which improve long-term academic achievement of youth

Program Activities:

"Each hands-on activity contains a complementary online component that reinforces the same math concept. For example, in an activity called 'The Cat, the Mouse, and the Magic Beans', a group of participants work together for problem-solving. After finishing the hands-on activities, they go to the computer lab, play a series of the web-based educational games or research on relevant websites to enhance the same concepts of the hands-on activities. Not only do the young people learn the basic computer skills, but also they start understanding the computer as a 'learning tool'. They play the game but also learn from it because the Internet-based activities are well chosen by educators."

Funding Sources:

• Institute of Museum and Library Services
• MetLife Foundation
• SBC Foundation
• ExxonMobil Foundation