Got Math?

“Learning is my responsibility when I take ownership for what I am learning.”  

The 21st CENTURY COMMUNITY LEARNING CENTER (CCLC) program at the Polk County Florida public schools was a successful project helping families, students, and staff improve their math, writing, and reading skills and documenting their progress as a blueprint for other school districts.  I Remember and Got Math? are two books published by Universal Write Publications that capture the result of these programs. Both titles are available free to schools and libraries.

Got Math? is a shining example of some of the groundbreaking work at Polk County, Florida, school system. Six school sites developed strategies to see how kids would perform as math teachers, using math vocabulary from past Kaplan and FCAT tests that seemed to stump inner-city kids. The project garnered a remarkable side effect: high self-esteem, a sense of accomplishment and ignited the initial flame of thinking outside the box.

I Remember draws on participants’ background of interests to help find their voice to engage in the process of writing that will leave a legacy of who they are for years to come. “Building Creative, Fun, and Engaging Writing Projects into Afterschool” is a hands-on, highly interactive approach to teaching community stakeholders to write and share their stories.  

All students, parents, and teachers will benefit from lessons learned through these books’ unique and creative learning practices.

Got Math?, and I Remember are not for sale. As a tribute to Dr. Brenda Kearse (deceased)—a pioneer, visionary and intellectual scholar—these works for, by, and with children in Polk County, Florida, will be donated to schools and libraries with approval from UWP. Teachers and educators will learn to:

• help students, parents, and staff publish their writing in a variety of genres and content areas through school projects
• use grants to develop community outreach programs for parents and students
• build confidence and opportunities for professional development 
• create teaching formats for community building
• understand the concepts involved in problem-solving

To submit a request, please submit the following information to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.:

• The name of your institution, library, afterschool program, non-profit organization, or special event 
• Information about any specific projects in which you will use these books for teaching and learning, 
• A syllabus(if available)
• A copy of the flyer/brochure for events if applicable.

To use these materials in your programs, events, or advertising, you must include the UWP logo, name, or image in all your related advertising media or platforms.