Featured News

Young people who succeed in algebra are better prepared to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields, but University of Arizona research shows students must begin mastering math fundamentals that lead up to algebra as early as the fourth grade.

The Helios Education Foundation has awarded a $49,926 grant to Improving Fifth Grade Students' Understanding of Rational Numbers, a project instituted by the University of Arizona College of Education.

The statistics are staggering: among 30 developed countries, the U.S. is ranked 25th in math and 21st in science. Literacy is the number-one predictor of a child's ability to succeed in school. In fact, the majority of kids who read below grade level in first grade will most likely still read below grade level in the fourth grade and may never catch up. Now, a new documentary film dares to shed light on the country’s educational system and hopes to spark a social action wave aimed at ensuring a quality educational system for every student in the country.
Other Headlines

Helios Education Foundation has funded a $430,000 planning grant to support the development of a new teacher education program for STEM (science, technology, engineering, & mathematics) middle school teachers at the University of South Florida College of Education (COEDU).

Collaborative Tackles Key Factors Preventing Children from Learning to Read
With a new national report showing that children who don't read well by third grade are four times more likely to drop out of high school, three Arizona foundations are leading a statewide collaborative to tackle the underlying issues preventing children, especially low-income children, from learning to read at grade level.

It's clear that the ages of birth to five represent the most critical stage in the growth and development of young children, forming the building blocks for a child's future success from pre-school through postsecondary education. Since 2006, Helios Education Foundation has invested over $10 million in strategic partnerships across Arizona and Florida focused on better preparing early childhood educators and practitioners and on increasing the number of high quality early learning environments in child care centers and family child care homes. Click here to view our interactive report on efforts to transform early childhood education in Arizona and Florida.



