Wolfram Research, Inc. has announced the grant recipients in the 1997-98 Mathematica High School Grant Program. Now in its third year, the grant program is designed specifically to support the efforts of teachers who are developing computer-based classroom materials using Mathematica–materials that can be shared among high school teachers at academic institutions throughout the world.

1997-98 Mathematica High School Teacher Grant Recipients

• Mitchell Alves
  Mayfair High School, Lakewood, California
• Ruth Dover
  Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, Aurora, Illinois
• Gail Kaplan
  The Key School, Annapolis, Maryland
• Michael Lach
  Lake View High School, Chicago, Illinois
• Paul Maiorano
  Framingham High School, Framingham, Massachusetts
• Curt Minich
  Wyomissing Area High School, Wyomissing, Pennsylvania
• Randy Scott
  Troy High School, Fullerton, California

As more and more educational resources become available through computers, the role of technology in high school education continues to expand. By encouraging and supporting educators in their efforts to explore new teaching methods, Wolfram Research continually takes an active role in fostering educational excellence within technical and scientific disciplines.

An increasing number of high school teachers have found that incorporating Mathematica into the curriculum dramatically improves their effectiveness in the classroom. Mathematica is commonly used to teach courses in mathematics, science, and subjects that involve data analysis, visualization, and modeling. Students who take Mathematica-based courses are spared the drudgery of performing tedious and repetitive calculations by hand, and they find that using Mathematica helps them better understand underlying concepts. In addition, instructors are able to present real-world problems that give students a better grasp of how to apply mathematics to all kinds of projects.

Wolfram Research provides each grant recipient with a scholarship for Mathematica training, copies of Mathematica for the grant recipient’s school computer lab, and courseware development support.