Moreno Valley Math League Expands with $20,000 Grant

Moreno Valley Unified middle school math students have a new number to work with: 20,000. That’s the amount of money the Moreno Valley Math League was awarded through a California Teachers Association Institute for Teaching (IFT) grant that recognizes teacher initiative. The Moreno Valley Math League is a math competition program now spread across all six MVUSD middle schools. It creates a student-centric learning environment that reinforces students’ mathematical thinking and problem-solving skills with the aid of technology. The program creates teams of sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders to compete against one another several times a year in a fun, fast-paced environment that promotes learning and teamwork. Teacher Deepika Srivastava, who created the Math League with the support of 11 middle school teachers, won a smaller version of the IFT grant last year. “That smaller grant allowed us to create a Math League of 360 students and hold three rounds of competitions,” Srivastava said. “This $20,000 grant will allow us to expand the Math League to all middle school students and their families.” IFT Grants are awarded to teachers who show initiative in taking on school-related projects meant to improve student achievement. Educator grants are awarded to individuals or small teams of teachers in amounts of up to $5,000. Chapter grants, like the one awarded to Math League, are awarded in amounts up to $20,000. “Moreno Valley Math League is a wonderful program that engages students with math in a fun way,” said Assistant Superintendent Dr. Martinrex Kedziora. “It’s great that California Teachers Association recognizes teachers who go well above what they are asked to do in order to better serve students.” The Moreno Valley Unified School District is the third-largest school district in Riverside County, serving more than 34,000 students in grades K-12 at 40 schools. The graduation rate exceeds the state and national averages.