| About NMSI |
The National Math and Science Initiative was formed to address one of this nation’s greatest economic and intellectual threats - the declining number of students who are prepared to take rigorous college courses in math and science and equipped for careers in those fields. To flourish in the 21st century, the United States must continue to generate intellectual capital that can drive the economic engine of our future prosperity. This crucial project was initiated as a public-private partnership, led by private donors such as Exxon Mobil Corporation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation.
Mission Critical: American students are falling behind in the essential subjects of math and science, putting our position in the global economy at risk. The mission of the National Math and Science Initiative is to help provide the ideas, inspiration, and resources to close the gap. Why? Math and Science are now, and will increasingly be, the universal languages of the global marketplace. It is imperative that America maintain a leadership position in technology, medicine, and scientific innovation. To be truly successful, our country must ensure that all students, no matter what their financial circumstances, race, or gender, have access to careers in the promising fields of science, technology, and engineering. How? We don’t reinvent wheels, we find the best ones - and roll. That is, we find ideas and programs with proven effectiveness and quantifiable results, and scale them up nationwide. We monitor results for effectiveness and require that milestones be reached every step of the way. Who? Our efforts are directed to improving the current and future math and science teachers in the K-12 system and to raising the achievement of American students from the first grade through college. These teachers and students hold the keys to our collective future. |