"As a Site Coordinator for the 21st Century Community Learning Center Grant (Building Bridges program), it gives me great joy to observe the excitement of our students working on a book that stems directly from their individual creativity. The proud behavior expressed through the students’ actions as they used literary and creative skills to complete each section proved that children took their education seriously, and are committed to learning. All children have the capacity for high achievement if teachers are willing to guide and supervise as they did through the Got Math? Publication."

- Johnnie Thomas: Snively Elementary School Teacher,
21st CCLC Afterschool Program

“I am floored by the enthusiastic comments from students working on the math problems for Got Math? Everyone really enjoyed Mrs. Kearse’s positive attitude in administering the pilot tests and her dedication to children and education. Thanks for sacrificing your time; we have so little of it these days to solve real world problems. ”

- Kara Holt: Bartow Middle School Teacher, 21st CCLC Co-Site Coordinator

“With Mrs. Brenda G. Kearse as Senior Coordinator of the 21st Century Community Learning Center Program, the program blossomed inspiration into a bright light enhancing many opportunities for growth. She has given me the outlook on the future possibilities and improvements that could be achieved for 21st CCLC, the lives of the children positively affected and in life. It’s been my pleasure to serve under the leadership of Mrs. Kearse and look forward to the continued enhancement of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program.”

- Kathy McKean: Secretary III, 21st CCLC

“On a classroom visit, I was able to show the students how to use practical relevant examples to their lives like video games, going to the movies and music, to understand how that correlates to math, using the artistic and creative methods Kearse implemented, and the light bulbs went on. Kearse and the 21st CCLC Grant Program truly understood and met the need of the children…that’s what has been lost.”

- Isaac Rosier, Jr.: IRJ Financial Services,
College Planning and Financial Educator

“On a brief informal interview with some of the ESE students who participated, we found a sense of pride. Students stated that they understood more about how math is used in elections and how important numbers can be and how they are now realizing the relevance in Math in places like the polls on Election Day. Some students stated that writing a math problem was harder then they thought because they had to make sure the information given could be used to come up with a solution, and that writing a math problem also made them think of the steps one has to take and in what order to be able to solve the problem correctly.

On a personal note, from a teacher’s perspective, I think this project made the students realize that they need to pay attention to how a question is being asked as well as to what is being asked. The joy of watching them understand and be able to explain what the concepts involved in the problem were and why they had a difficult time coming up with some of these answers were amazing. We need to raise the bar in approaching what we require of our students and incorporate higher level thinking problems.”

-Nidia Cruz: Westwood Middle School,
Math Teacher Trainer/ Co-Site Coordinator