Students Pave Pathway to New Math Levels During JEM

Over 600 10th- and 11th-grade students participated in GEAR UP 4 LA's first in-person Jaime Escalante Math (JEM) program since 2019, challenging students to take an accelerated math class in four weeks and get ahead in their math courses and pave a pathway toward taking AP Calculus before they graduate. Of those who completed the program, 81% – an increase of 7 percentage points over last year's virtual program - passed their Algebra 1, Geometry or Algebra 2 course with a C or better, advancing to the next level of math for the 2022-23 school year. "I will definitely say it hasn't been easy, but it has been fun," GEAR UP sophomore Christian Guerrero said. "I've met new people and it's been a good experience. I really enjoyed JEM. The teachers and staff were very awesome!"