UC Irvine grant will aid schools...

Oct. 2, 2002 12 AM PT

UC Irvine grant

will aid schools

Students who attend school on Costa Mesa’s Westside will soon

benefit from improved math and science education courtesy of a UC

Irvine grant.

UCI found out Monday that it received a five-year, $14-million

grant from the National Science Foundation for a new math and science

education partnership program called FOCUS.

The record grant is the largest the university has received from

the NSF. The school was the only one in the Western United States to

receive the comprehensive award.

The foundation distributes the awards to unite the activities of

higher education and elementary, middle and high schools.

The FOCUS program’s goals include developing quality math and

science curricula for underserved students and recruiting and

training better teachers.

“We are excited, eager and prepared to expand our already

successful UCI Science Outreach Center to provide seamless

opportunities for the children of our communities to learn science

and mathematics,” Ronald Stern said in a press release. Stern is dean

of the UCI School of Physical Sciences, a mathematician and the lead

researcher for the project.

The FOCUS program will serve more than 100,000 students in three

high-need Southern California school districts: Compton, Santa Ana

and Newport-Mesa.

South Coast Fine Art Festival debuts

The Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort will host the first South

Coast Fine Arts Festival, which will showcase various works of art by

a diverse group of artists and help Orange County children in the

process.

The art displays will include paintings, ceramics, photography,

woodwork, glassware and jewelry, all of which will be available for

purchase.

Proceeds from the event will go to the South Coast Children’s

Society, a nonprofit organization in Costa Mesa that provides homes,

care and treatment to abused and neglected children in Orange County.

Aside from the art displays, the festival will also include artist

workshops and demonstrations, an arts and crafts workshop for

children, live entertainment and a cuisine catered by the resort.

The festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Oct. 12 and

13. Tickets are $5 per day. The resort is at 1131 Back Bay Drive,

Newport Beach. For more information, call (949) 729-DUNE or visit