Mathe-Lite's back door is now open
Anyone who seriously wants to know about the Project will look for a MatheLite web page on the internet. All Connected Media is developing a professional version as the "Front Room" that is to be be our "open house" for access by the general public. The "Back Room" is where all of the Project operations happens ... basically for "workers only" access by Council members, volunteers, contractors, visitors who must sign in when they visit. Prospective Council members, collaborating organizations, funding contributors, etc. must have access to "inner sanctum" information that is not appropriate for exhibit in our "hospitality suite."

Although the newly openedwww.mathelite.org website is an unpolished "workroom" , it hopefully will enable our present corps and prospective associates and supporters to learn whatever they need to know about the Project. This "back door" is presently open to the general public. After our GRAND OPENING of the Front Room, visitors from the general public will have to obtain keys and permission, before visiting the "back room"
A demonstration MatheLite Movie is on the air
The way to help the math-suppressed is to provide them with the right kind of MatheLite Movies. Prospective Council members, volunteers, staff, contractors, donors, and financial sponsors need to see what a MatheLite Movie is ... and how it differs from curricular math instruction. Our first demonstration video is on this website's Overview page at http://mathelite.org/Overview.htm . The YouTube shortcut to the movie is http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=qKauAVGkNjk Many thanks to "The Grizzle Girls" who filmed it. It needs some editing, but it does help to get the message across.
The Depository is now open
The MatheLite Project now has its own bank account for receipt of donations and awards. The "donate" buttons on the sidebar lead to alternative modes of providing financial support. Among those, electronic payments through PayPal are automatically transferred to the MatheLite Bank account.

Next to get in line: can you help?

The first publicity campaign is about to begin
Now that a website is open, it is time to begin "marketing" the MatheLite Project. What we are trying to "sell" is shares in the MatheLite Rainbow vision ... of how the Project will help thousands of under-educated Tulsans, their communities, their schools, and the socioeconomic well-being of the Tulsa area. Our "buyers" are all who are willing to contribute toward pursuit the MatheLite mission: (1) collaborating with the Council, or assisting it; (2) providing volunteer or contractual services; (3) contributing supportive materials: facilities, equipment, supplies, etc.; and/or (4) providing financial support.

Promotional steps pending: (1) The first Project flyer is on this website at http://mathelite.org/pdf-flyer-1.htm . (2) It is intended primarily for use in personal contacts for recruiting other organizations or individual to cooperate with, and support, the efforts of the Council. (3) Local press releases will be sent out as soon as an underlying strategy has been chosen. (4) Regional and national publicity is aimed at generating a widespread network of math-education leaders who are interested in the evolution of "the Tulsa model". A directory of such persons ... and the log of activities with them ... will be of use in future requests for grants. (5) Although local "town meetings" are on the distant horizon, they are not yet in the planning stage.(6) Any other "marketing" ideas?

Recruiting Advisory Council Members
The Advisory Council should become quite large, so as to represent organizations, agencies, institutions, foundations, communities, and populations who have substantial stakes in the Project's success ... or who can help lead the Project toward its goals. At that size, it will need an Executive Board to guide its evolution and operations. But Council membership should be selective. The need is for some Council members who can make things happen, and some are voices of the right communities and organizations.

The Council must become the driving force for acquiring local funding. So it is imperative to begin the Council's expansion, ASAP. One priority is to get members who represent other non-profits and agencies who serve our target populations and can recruit our "scholars" for the Project's free Math Fitness Clinic and its Adult-And-Child Math workshops. Another is to get members who represent major employers that can help support the effort. There also are several avenues for reaching community leaders, at least some of whom will want some ownership of the Project, Your help is needed for inviting of the above.

Operating funds
It presently is costing almost $2000 per month just to keep cover past and present expenses ... without paying for staff services. [The Project has been mobilizing for over a year, with almost no receipts.] Its survival is financially at risk. Fund-raising must become the top priority. Without the demo-movie, the website, and the depository, no fund-raising campaign could be launched. Local publicity and the recruiting of more Council members should help generate operating funds.

Direct contact is the key. Who can you invite to share in our Rainbow? ... by helping to raise the needed funds, or by directly supporting the effort? [If you want an MSWord version of the flyer, for your printing and circulation, just drop an e-note to office@mathelite.org ]. Who do you know that cares enough about the educational plights of our disadvantaged families, communities, and schools ... and about Tulsa ... to help patronize the Project by tithing affordable regular monthly donations? Access info about how to donate funds ... from the sidebar or from here.

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Jan 5, 2012

Highlights from 2011

Creation of the Project's Community Advisory Council
Initiated collaboration with universities
Alerted mail list of collegiate adult-ed teachers of remedial mathematics
Occupation and use of facilities at Green Country Events Center
Initiation of the MatheLite R&D Mathematical Fitness Clinic
First production by a Children's Math Theater group: "Zoogebra 1"
Creation of the "back room" website, www.mathelite.org
First steps in developing a volunteer services program
Initial draft of first "Kitchen Fractions" demonstration video; "Bisections of Pie(ces)"
Creation of Project bank account and paypal system for electronic donations

Goals for 2012B

Websites: open "front room" website: lock "backroom" for limited access by registration
National Council: expand to 15 math-ed leaders; initiate collaboration toward grants
Publicity: get Project visible through mass media; info to local organizations
Tulsa Council: expand to 100 members; recruit volunteer staff for Council; conduct first convention
Liaison: develop network of local NPOs & firms & agencies who share our concerns
Funding: launch programs for continual funding of the Project; obtain "activation" grants.
Movies: produce at least 3 Kitchen Fractions draft-videos; set up with videographers & thespians
Clinic: develop system for using Clinic to draft MatheLite videos; recruit "scholars" for the Clinic; produce!
Workshops: begin test-piloting draft versions of MatheLite videos
Demonstrations: conduct public forums for exhibits/discussions of natural basic-literacy mathematics
Regional alerts: circulars and presentations to regional organizations