Coldwell Banker Gundaker, Volunteers Celebrate Math Fact Scholars’ One Year Anniversary

It Takes a Village: Working Together To Impact Mathematics Achievement of St. Louis Area Students

Every Tuesday evening at 5:30 p.m. during the past 12 months, kindergarten through 6^th grade students from 40 different area schools rush into CBC High School in Town & Country and get in line to take math tests for the next 30 minutes.  The students always arrive with a sense of excitement and enthusiasm, knowing that their efforts during the next half hour will bring them closer to earning another math achievement award, as they progress through the seven (7) levels in the Math Fact Scholars program. The students in the program advance their math skills from basic addition, subtraction, multiplication and division facts to working with fractions, decimals and percentages. 

As students line up awaiting the first round of math testing to begin, parent volunteers, Coldwell Banker Gundaker Town & Country agent volunteers and high school student volunteers move into their volunteer positions…ready to begin grading math tests, managing the testing room, and filing graded tests during the 30 minute testing session.  Every week, 12-14 volunteers are present to help implement this low-cost, weekly math testing program. 

"I enjoy the diversity of ages, heritage, personalities, and skill sets of the Math Fact Scholars children in the program,” said Wayne Deen, a Town & Country Coldwell Banker Gundaker agent who has volunteered almost every week during the past year.  “It’s like being in a one room school house where everyone is receiving a valuable education at their own pace. I’m personally rewarded every time I volunteer at one of the sessions.  I’m rewarded with the smiles on the children’s faces, their enthusiasm for math and the joy and sense of accomplishment they feel as they work through the program. It's a fun environment for everyone." 

Elizabeth Kayser, a parent volunteer, says “I volunteer each week and enjoy grading the fraction, decimal and percent level tests for the children in the program.  It is remarkable to witness each child’s determination to pass each test, only to move on to an even more challenging math skill test.” Kayser added, “It is such a positive and encouraging environment, you even hear the kids encouraging other kids to press on and give it another try.” 

Kayser enrolled her son, Jack, in the Math  Fact Scholars Community Mathematics Program when it first started in February, 2011. Now in 3^rd grade, Jack is already half way through the 4^th level in the program working on multi-digit computation using the addition, subtraction, multiplication and division quick recall skills he developed in the first three levels of the program. 

The program is made available to the community thanks to the sponsorship of the Coldwell Banker Gundaker’s Town & Country office and CBC High School in Town & Country that provides testing space for the weekly math testing sessions.  In the first year, 130 math achievement medals and trophies have been awarded to students in kindergarten through 6^th grade. 

“The Math Fact Scholars program was created so that all students, regardless of skill level, grade level or financial limitations, would have the opportunity to advance their math skills and help to create a solid foundation for learning more demanding math concepts in middle school and high school.” says program creator and Math Fact Scholars President, Diana Dunbar.  “This program is typically provided in a before-school format in elementary schools.  However, thanks to the Town & Country office of Coldwell Banker Gundaker, CBC high school, and our parent volunteers, high school student volunteers and CBG agent volunteers, the program is helping hundreds of students advance their math skills in the St. Louis area.”

For more information, visit www.mathfactscholars.com or call Diana Dunbar, President – MATH FACT SCHOLARS at 314-852-9080 

Watch MATH FACT SCHOLARS YouTube Video.