The RAMP-UP (Recognizing Accelerated Math Potential in Underrepresented People) is a five year, $2.5 million grant program funded by the National Science and GE Foundations. The program is a partnership between the North Carolina State University Colleges of Engineering and Education, Shaw University’s Department of Natural Sciences and Mathematics and the Wake County (NC) Public School System. The program consists of 35 undergraduate and 5 graduate fellows in science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) or math education partnering with nearly 50 teachers in grades 3-12 at eight Wake County schools. Partner schools include Bugg, Combs, Dillard, Fuller and Washington Elementary; Carnage and Centennial Campus Middle; and Southeast Raleigh High School.

RAMP-UP goals target three stakeholder groups: K-12 students, the university undergraduate and graduate students (Fellows) and mathematics teachers in grades 3-12. The overall goal of increasing the number and diversity of students who enroll and succeed in higher level math courses, specifically Algebra by 8 th/9 th grade and calculus by 12 th is supported by stakeholder specific goals

For our K-12 Students, RAMP-UP will enrich learning experiences by:

• increasing the number and diversity of students pursuing the advanced math track
• providing university students as role models and mentors
• working with teachers to decrease the achievement gap between all groups of students
• assisting in improving the mathematics aptitude identification process
• forging a deep partnership with teachers of mathematics in Wake County and beyond

For our university undergraduate and graduate Fellows, RAMP-UP will:

• improve communication and teaching skills for Fellows
• develop Fellows as both formal and informal teachers of STEM disciplines
• enable Fellows to place K-12 education in context with their own career goals of university teaching, research or working in industry, with the goal of encouraging life-long involvement in K-12 education

For our K-12 Teachers, RAMP-UP will:

• improve content gain, comfort level and professional development opportunities
• strengthen pre- and in-service teacher understanding and ability to use inquiry as a teaching tool in mathematics and other areas
• strengthen understanding of engineering as a career and how mathematics (and science) relates to it through it's daily application of theory to real world problems