St. Vrain MESA Represented at Joint Education Committee Meeting!

Dulce Gonzales and her daughters Andrea and Ericka

On March 28, Colorado MESA had the opportunity to take the Math Engineering and Science Achievement (MESA) story to the State Capitol. Members of the Joint Education Committee heard first hand from students, an alum and a parent just how much MESA has assisted them and how much it has meant to them. St. Vrain MESA's presence was significant and reflected the power of collaborative partnerships in the following ways:

Dulce Gonzales, the Head Start Parent who was instrumental in initiating the idea that MESA should become a part of Head Start, was a key speaker.

Dulce became aware of MESA while participating in a Latino Parent Leadership Training Project Class sponsored by El Comité, Boulder Community Action Program, and St. Vrain MESA.

Dulce's cousin, Lydia Delgato, translated her speech. Lydia was a Longmont High MESA student and is now a CU student.

Tanya Ramirez, a former Frederick MESA student, recognized her MESA advisor, Linda McCarthy as the person who inspired her to become a part of MESA and to enter the engineering program at CU.

Debbie Trujillo, former Pueblo MESA student and Amgen Biologist, spoke about her work with Spangler's MESA students.

Representative Judy Solano, former Erie Elementary teacher, recognized St. Vrain MESA for its role in promoting math and science within St.Vrain.

Text of Speech Delivered to Colorado Representatives and Senators at the Joint Education Committee on 3/29/06 by Dulce Gonzales

First of all, I want to say thank you for giving me the opportunity to express my thoughts, as a mother of a child who attends Head Start.

For myself, mathematics and sciences are very important because we use them in our everyday lives. We use them for measuring the correct ingredients when baking a cake or cutting it in correct and equal pieces, and do not realize that we use mathematics for giving the correct amount of change to a cashier at the store.

When I was a little girl, my father taught me how clouds are formed, and without knowing, he planted a seed of curiosity that later made me questions the how and why of things. Today because of this, I know how some anthills function, I know how to solve for x in an algebraic equation, and I know how the HIV virus develops.

Children ages 0 to 4 have brains that are more receptive and absorbent to learning mathematics and sciences. As first educators, I think as parents and teachers of Head Start, we should give children the tools to apply mathematics and sciences at an early age. Children will grow with this seed and will have better opportunities at achieving higher education.

Statistics indicate that a high percentage of Latino children who begin elementary school get low scores in mathematics and science and don't reach their high school graduations.

Because of this, it is imperative that the children of Head Start have access to MESA's program so that they can reach the university level with excellent scores in mathematics and science. Thank you.

Primero que nada, quiero decirles gracias por darme la oportunidad de poder expresar mis pensamientos como madre de una nina de Head Start.

Para mi, las matematicas y las ciencias tienen una gran importancia, ya que las usamos en muchos aspectos de nuestra vida, ya sea para medir los ingredientes para hacer un pastel o bien para partirlo en partes iguales; aun sin darnos cuenta damos el dinero exacto a la cajera de la tienda.

Cuando yo era nina, mi padre me enseno como se forman las nubes, y sin saberlo, el sembro en mi la semilla de la curiosidad que despues me hizo investigar el porque de las cosas. Ahora, por esta razon, puedo decir como funcionan algunos hormigueros, como despejar la x en un problema de algebra, y tambien como funciona la enfermedad del SIDA.

Los ninos de 0 a 4 anos, tienen su cerebro mas receptivo y absorbente para aprender las matematicas y las ciensias y pienso que si los padres y los maestros de Head Start como primeros educadores, les damos las herramientas para aplicar desde una temprana edad las matematicas y las ciensias, ellos van a crecer con esta semilla, y van a tener mejores oportunidades de lograr llegar a la escuela superior.

Ya que las estadisticas indican que un alto porcentaje de los ninos Latinos que comienzan la escuela primaria sacan bajas calificaciones en las matematicas y las ciencias y ademas, no terminan la escuela preparatoria.

Por eso es impresindible que los ninos de Headstart tengan acceso al programa de MESA y puedan llegar al nivel universitario con exelentes calificaciones en las matematicas y las ciencias. Gracias.