Congratulations to PUSD and Cleveland Elementary Teacher Jeffrey Bracamonte for Being Named a Raytheon Math Hero

Twenty-seven middle and high-school math professionals are being recognized by Raytheon as “Math Heroes” for their creative and interactive techniques to make math real and relatable for their students. The Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) program provides winners with a $2,500 award and a matching grant for his or her school.

“My first method that I believe really gets my students to buy into their learning is through the use of models and tools,” said Raytheon Math Hero Jeffrey Bracamonte, a math teacher at Cleveland Elementary School in the Pasadena (CA) Unified School District whose ideas include using Lego Mindstorms and iPads to teach math to his students. “They often do not even realize how much more engaged they are until the end of the lesson, when they are willing to stay in through their recess to finish projects.”

Raytheon Math Hero winners are nominated by students, parents and school administrators and selected based on the effective and creative ways teachers work with students in math, drawing on new and advanced approaches.

“Math Heroes challenge students to discover how math shapes their world – breeding curiosity and confidence in the subject,” said Pamela Erickson, Raytheon’s vice president of Corporate Affairs. “We are thrilled to recognize the dedication of these passionate professionals.”

Excerpts from the winning individual’s applications are posted on www.raytheon.com. This year’s winners are:

• Alan Androski, James Madison Preparatory High School, Madison, Fla.

• Jeffrey Bracamonte, Cleveland, Pasadena, Calif.

• Su Jin Choi, Ronald Reagan High School, San Antonio, Texas

• Duc Dang, Louis Lake Intermediate School, Garden Grove, Calif.

• Gilbert DeLeon, J. Frank Dobie High School, Houston, Texas

• Elizabeth Denzin, Lake Mills High School, Lake Mills, Wis.

• Lauren Dufner, North Andover Middle School, North Andover, Mass.

• Hikmet Erdogan, Coral Academy of Science, Las Vegas, Nev.

• Christian Garate, John I Leonard High School, Greenacres, Fla.

• Michael Hall, Los Angeles Math Circle, Los Angeles, Calif.

• Andrea Hanson, Lincoln High School, Lake City, Minn.

• Jennifer Illiano, Loch Raven Technical Academy, Baltimore, Md.

• Sarah Juarez, Mission Middle School, Bellevue, Neb.

• Gregory Lamothe, Charles E Brown Middle School, Newton, Mass.

• Alison Leslie, Harford Technical High School, Bel Air, Md.

• Tyrie Mitchell, Tomorrow Aeronautical Museum – National Society of Black Engineers, Compton, Calif.

• James Moonan, Pierce Middle School, Milton, Mass.

• Margaret O’Connell, Creston Middle School, Indianapolis, Ind.

• Emre Ozturk, Harmony Science Academy, Houston, Texas

• Laura Peet, Dundalk High School, Dundalk, Md.

• Leoner (Lenny) Perez, Da Vinci Science High School, Hawthorne, Calif.

• Tara Pugh, Clinton Middle School, Clinton, Okla.

• Douglas Scott, Natick High School, Natick, Mass.

• K. Glynn Smith, Dr. Jack Cockrill Middle School, McKinney, Texas

• Gayle Warmbrodt, Long Middle School, Dallas, Texas

• Philip Yasskin, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas

• Christopher Yeh, McAuliffe Middle School, Los Alamitos, Calif.

Nominations for the 2015 Math Hero awards program will open in January 2015. Please visit www.MathMovesU.com for more information about MathMovesU® scholarships.

About MathMovesU

Raytheon’s MathMovesU® program is an initiative committed to increasing middle and elementary school students’ interest in math and science education by engaging them in hands-on, interactive activities. The innovative programs of MathMovesU include the traveling interactive experience MathAlive!®; Raytheon’s Sum of all Thrills™ experience at INNOVENTIONS at Epcot®, which showcases math in action as students design and experience their own thrill ride using math fundamentals; the “In the Numbers” game, a partnership with the New England Patriots on display at The Hall at Patriot Place presented by Raytheon; the company’s ongoing sponsorship of the MATHCOUNTS® National Competition; and the MathMovesU scholarship and grant program. Follow MathMovesU and other Raytheon community outreach programs on Facebook and on Twitter @MathMovesU.

About Raytheon

Raytheon Company, with 2013 sales of $24 billion and 63,000 employees worldwide, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, security and civil markets throughout the world. With a history of innovation spanning 92 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration and other capabilities in the areas of sensing; effects; and command, control, communications and intelligence systems, as well as cyber security and a broad range of mission support services. Raytheon is headquartered in Waltham, Mass. For more about Raytheon, visit us at www.raytheon.com and follow us on Twitter @Raytheon.