UC Irvine grant will aid schools

Briefly in the news

October 2, 2002

Students who attend school on Costa Mesa's Westside will soon benefit from improved math and science education courtesy of a UC Irvine grant.

UCI found out Monday that it received a five-year, $14-million grant from the National Science Foundation for a new math and science education patnership program called FOCUS.

The record grant is the largest the university has received from the NSF. The school was the only one in the Western United States to receive the comprehensive award.

The foundation distributes the awards to unite the activities of higher education and elementary, middle and high schools.

The FOCUS program's goals include developing quality math and science curricula for underserved students and recruiting and training better teachers.

"We are excited, eager and prepared to expand our already successful UCI Science Outreach Center to provide seamless opportunities for the children of our communities to learn science and mathematics," Ronald Stern said in a press release. Stern is dean of the UCI School of Physical Sciences, a mathematician and the lead researcher for the project.

The FOCUS program will serve more than 100,000 students in three high-need Southern California school districts: Compton, Santa Ana and Newport-Mesa.