Gigi Drent, a mathematics instructor at Kaua‘i Community College, just finished the 2011-2012 academic year, and lost little time getting her summer plan under way: to lead high school students toward a college education. Teaming with Kathryn Bailey, a Kapa‘a
Gigi Drent, a mathematics instructor at Kaua‘i Community College, just finished the 2011-2012 academic year, and lost little time getting her summer plan under way: to lead high school students toward a college education.
Teaming with Kathryn Bailey, a Kapa‘a High School math instructor, and two KCC students — Roxanne Carvalho and Jameyia Shamia, who served as mentors — Drent hosted a Math Readiness Camp for under-prepared high school juniors and seniors in preparation for their entrance to college-level mathematics courses, states a KCC release.
The Kapa‘a High students, applicants to the KCC Running Start Program, brushed up on their skills in preparation for a COMPASS re-test with classes at both Kapa‘a High and KCC in late May and early June to prepare them for STEM classes — science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
“The goal of this program was to give students a head start at college so they will have an easy transition into college and consider majoring in the STEM-releated fields of study,” Drent said.
KCC joins the University of Hawai‘i system and the nation in its push to increase the number of students in STEM fields based on the importance of STEM to the nation as reported in a March edition of U.S. News and World Report, the release states.
With the support from government, business and education, the collective goal has been to bring STEM to the forefront as a necessary focus for a successful and competitive workforce and economic development and to encourage growth in STEM initiatives.
KCC Math Camp is one demonstration of the college’s commitment to this concept and confidence in what its students can achieve.
During Math Camp, students were pre- and post-tested daily to determine individual study needs.
Drent discovered that students all pre-tested in the 20 to 40 percent range, finishing in the 60 to 85 percent range in post-testing, some even attaining perfect 100 percent scores.
“Students are really excited about their opportunity to take college courses during the next semester, and most of all, they are very happy to have actually learned some math,” Drent said. “One student even said, ‘It’s so much fun to really understand,’ and that in itself makes all the difference in the world.”
The project was funded through a grant from Hawai‘i Pacific Islands Campus Compact, of which the UH system is the largest body; HPICC is an 18-campus membership of colleges in the Pacific region.
KCC also received a donation from the International Test and Evaluation Association Mid-Pacific Center on Kaua‘i.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@ thegardenisland.com.
