‘Do the Math’ call-in tutor program and live television show set to  begins 16^th season on September 12        

For the past 15 years, Kern County 4^th through 12^th graders in need of a little extra help with their math homework have tuned into “Do the Math,” a call-in math tutoring program and instructional television show. The program is produced live two afternoons a week during the school year inside a studio at the Kern County Superintendent of Schools office.

Free, phone-in tutoring is available to students from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays by calling (661) 636-4357 or toll free at (866) 636-6284. From 4 p.m. to 5 p.m., “Do the Math” host and executive producer Michael Cushine and several math tutors take problems from callers and work them out live on air. Special guests and contests supplement the math instruction.

“We are constantly evaluating how we can keep the show fresh and relevant,” said Cushine. “In the past two seasons we have implemented several new features and have more planned for the 2017-18 season.”

Last year, the program began a new segment called “Math in the Real World,” wherein live remotes at local businesses, organizations and other community locations demonstrated practical applications of math concepts.

“The idea is to get young people to understand that what they are learning in school will serve them well when they get into a career later on,” Cushine said. “How many times have you heard a young person question why they have to learn something? We show them by taking them behind the scenes with local professionals.”

“Math in the Real World” provides a natural segue to feature other careers in STEM-related fields. So, this year, the program will periodically showcase local professionals who will discuss how they use science and engineering, along with math, in their everyday jobs.

Also new this season will be the “Science 4 Kern Challenge.” Once a month, the Challenge will feature teams of elementary and middle school students given a real-world engineering challenge and the basic raw materials to build a solution.

“Students will explore conventional and unconventional methods in a hands-on approach to creating their own solutions,” Cushine said. “Their creations will be featured live on the program with expanded coverage on our social media sites.”

“Do the Math” is part of 60-plus hours of weekly K-12 educational programing aligned to state standards that is available through KCSOS’s Kern Education Television Network (KETN). “Do the Math” can be seen on Spectrum Ch. 15/15.1, Charter Cable Ch. 19 and Ch. 180 in California City, Rosamond, N. Edwards, Boron, Mojave and Ch. 19 in San Luis Obispo.

For more information, visit www.dothemathonline.net. You can also follow “Do the Math” on social media: Facebook: @dothemathbakersfield and Twitter: @dothemathbako.