Mickelson ExxonMobil Academy teaches excitement about math and science

The Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academy provides an informal atmosphere for elementary school teachers to learn math and science principles designed to interest students.

More than 1,400 U.S. teachers now have new ways to build young students’ interest in math and science – and to shape a brighter future for humankind.

Teachers see the third, fourth and fifth grades as a window of opportunity. It’s when children are learning fast and forming opinions that will shape the rest of their lives.

Given the right encouragement, some could enter educational paths that would lead them to become engineers, scientists, computer technicians and physicians. Indeed, these young students could be the sources of scientific breakthroughs and technological innovations needed to support human progress in the 21st century.

The trouble is, not enough children are getting that chance because they lack interest in studying math and science.

The impact of this trend is reflected in the fact that U.S. students are not scoring as high in math and science as their international peers. If left unchecked, the consequences for the nation’s ability to compete in an increasingly technology-based world will be significant.

Reversing the trend
Enter the Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academy, a professional-development program sponsored by golfer Phil Mickelson and ExxonMobil to not only stem the trend but reverse it.

“Along with ExxonMobil, my wife, Amy, and I created the academy to help elementary school teachers learn new ways to inspire their students about math and science,” Mickelson says. “If kids learn math and science, they can achieve almost anything.”

Launched at ExxonMobil’s conference center in Fairfax, Virginia, in 2005, the academy involves an intense five-day program for elementary school teachers, grades three to five. To date, more than 1,400 teachers from schools nationwide have been trained. Academies are now conducted in The Woodlands, Texas; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; and Jersey City, New Jersey, at the Liberty Science Center.

The curriculum is developed in conjunction with the National Science Teachers Association and Math Solutions, a company that provides math training and instructional materials for teachers. 

“Elementary teachers have to be masters of all trades,” says Truman Bell, ExxonMobil’s senior program officer. “They teach everything. It is rare to see an elementary teacher who specializes in math and science. The academy is a professional-development program to help improve their skills in this area.”

A real joy
Participants are selected from schools in major population centers where ExxonMobil has a business presence and from areas near where Mickelson competes in Professional Golf Association tournaments. Schools in a wide geographical range from Anchorage, Alaska, to Miami, Florida, have been represented thus far.

For 2009, the process was further expanded nationwide via the new sendmyteacher.com Web site. Students, parents, fellow teachers and others nominated educators to attend, and the response was overwhelming. Enrollment from the Web site was set at 100, with nominations closing this past October.

When educators return to the classroom, the tools and techniques they’ve learned at the academy are passed along.

“Teachers bring back their own personal growth and insight,” says Dr. Ramona Chang, director of curriculum for the Torrance United School District in California. “They share that enthusiasm with their colleagues, so the influence spreads. For me, professionally, that has been a real joy to see.”

The activity in Torrance is part of a national emphasis within the United States to promote Science, Technology, Engineering and Math – what educators refer to as the STEM curriculum.

The STEM program received a bipartisan boost when the U.S. Congress passed the America COMPETES Act of 2007. Dr. Chang was one of several who testified before the Committee on Education and Labor this summer to report the progress in her district.  

“We are beginning to see a change in the classroom,” Chang says. “Our students participate in conversations differently now when they talk about math and science.”

Fortune500 treatment
Most teachers who attend say the success of the academy is due to the quality of the instructors. Chang agrees, but she also credits the way it is run.

“From the moment you walk in, you’re treated as though you work for a Fortune 500 company,” Chang says. “The organizers make sure your accommodations are attended to, all meals are provided and every comfort is anticipated. The outside distractions found at other conferences have been eliminated, so that all the teacher has to do is stay focused and participate.” 

When teachers walk away, many say that what they have learned and the connections they’ve made have changed them as professionals – and that, says ExxonMobil’s Bell, is the goal of the academy.

Academy graduates are encouraged to keep in touch and share ideas. In Chang’s district, an original group of nine elementary school teachers who attended the first academy has grown to a committee of more than 30. They represent a span from kindergarten through high school calculus.  

“One change that soon surfaced from our communications with each other was the realization that we needed to focus more on preparing all of our students to be proficient in algebra by the time they complete the eighth grade,” Chang says.

“The basis for that ability needs to start in kindergarten,” adds Chang. “The greater strides will come as our youngest ones who started a couple of years ago advance into middle school, but we are already seeing an encouraging change.”