Project SEED was a tremendous confidence builder; but not only did it build confidence, it sustained... confidence in my later life as well.
Jackie, 6th grader, 1996, Dallas Project SEED student
(Letter - at left - written in 1996)
I, Jackie G. a student at H.S.Thompson, would like to tell you what I feel about Project SEED. Project SEED is a very fun way for us as children to learn colledge (sic) math. My teacher tries very hard to let us learn and have fun at the same time. We learn summation problems, Power problems, and many more! If you ask me I'll say I like the summation problems the best. It makes me proud to be able to teach my mom what I have learned in Project SEED. I am glad to be in a Project SEED class, and I hope I can continue to be in one.
I went on to graduate in the top 15% of my class of about 1,000 students. I was awarded an academic scholarship to Southern Methodist University. Upon graduation, I worked as a programmer developing artificial intelligence programs.
My job as a programmer would not have been possible if I had fears about graduating from a prestigious engineering school. I would not have been able to succeed in engineering school if I had fears about mastering the curriculum placed before me. I would not have been able to master the engineering curriculum if I had fears about being adequately prepared for college through my high school classes. I would not have taken calculus and other non-mandatory math classed in
high school if I did not know that I was already capable of doing the work. All of this is true because I had an invaluable seed sown into my life through Project SEED.
Now I teach math to seventh graders and I sow the same seeds into my own students that were given to me; a love for math and the belief that they are capable of doing it all!
Project SEED not only taught me calculus but it gave me discipline, confidence, and self-awareness that has helped me succeed in my personal and professional life. I owe many thanks to Project SEED.
The instructors from Project SEED blew into our class with an enthusiasm like I had never seen before. Their enthusiasm embodied a love for math, teaching, and most importantly the belief that we could learn anything they placed before us.
After the first class I was hooked because a very important seed was planted in me that day that continues to grow and thrive inside me to this very day. I realized that there was nothing in this world that I should be afraid to try and that I should expect success when I do. That seed became an integral part of my way of living.
Project SEED makes math really fun, but what I really like about it is that it showed me I'm smart. I mean, I used to think I couldn't learn some stuff because it was too hard, but now I know I can learn anything I want to.
David, 6th grader, 1996, Dallas Project SEED student
(Letter - at right - written in 1996)
We learn many things like 12 grade problems and fun sheets and 11 grade problems or 12 grade problems that are called the summation problem and stuff like 2 to the power of 4 equals and the summation problem is like this "the summation of 2 to the power of l as l goes from -1 to 4 equals". ... Then we had a challenge: it was, "The summation of two to the power of gamma as gamma goes from one to three equals two to the power of one plus two to the power of two plus two to the power of three equals fo(u)rteen." And then we had a big problem but it was ease (sic). It was, "the summation of three to the power of omega as omega goes from one to four equals."
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