The Unity Committee is an offshoot of the Community Forum for Economic Development and was formed as a joint project of local trade unions and social justice advocates. During the 2007-2008 academic year, the Unity Committee chose to pilot several educational initiatives including the Architecture, Construction, and Engineering (ACE) program for high school students and a career exploration program at Dickenson Intermediate Center.
The Riverbend Community Math Center participated in the career exploration program at Dickenson Intermediate Center. Working with Robin Forsythe and other members of Plumbers and Pipefitters Local Union 172, we helped to design and lead a series of activities exploring careers in the building trades while showing the real-world relevance of various math topics that students learn in school.
The Riverbend Community Math Center has subsequently shared these activities with many groups of teachers and students.
In the spring of 2010, we are collaborating with the Community Forum for Economic Development to present components of the career exploration program in three South Bend intermediate centers.
