By Riley Hill
Canadian Oil Sands Limited, an investment company, has recently launched Math Minds, an initiative aimed at making math more accessible to elementary students. By creating a network where teachers can share the latest research in math education, instruction and strategies for student learning, Math Minds hopes to strengthen teachers’ understanding of math instruction.
The initiative was unveiled on Nov. 26 at St. Rita Elementary School. The event included University of Calgary research chair in mathematics education Brent Davis and four-time Olympic gold medalist Hayley Wickenheiser.
The initiative is in partnership with the U of C faculty of education, as well as a number of other educational organizations, including the Calgary Catholic School District, Calgary Public Library and the Boys and Girls Club of Calgary.
Math Minds places improving mathematical literacy as its number one priority. It is hoped that, through this initiative, Alberta students will be more competitive in their future bids for employment.
In a U of C press release, president and chief executive officer of Canadian Oil Sands Limited Marcel Coutu said he felt math was important to Canada’s economic future.
“In order for Canada to remain globally competitive, it is imperative that our society places high importance on early math literacy,” said Coutu. “Canadian Oil Sands Limited is excited to champion Math Minds and empower children by becoming math literate through a long-term, collaborative, foundation-building approach.”