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Location: Carbon-Lehigh, Pennsylvania/ Teachers impacted: +35
Grade levels:
Focus: Professional Development Series – “Reimagining Math Instruction with Innovamat.”/
Collaborating since: 2024
In the Carbon-Lehigh Intermediate Unit #21 (IU21) Pennsylvania, educators are reimagining how math is taught— and how students experience it.
Through a close collaboration with Innovamat, IU21 has launched a dynamic Professional Development (PD) series focused on transforming instruction with strategic, student-centered practicesmaking math more engaging, more inclusive and more joyful.
The goal? To reinvigorate math programs across the region and give both teachers and students the tools they need to fall in love with math again.
At the heart of this PD initiative is a focus on teacher empowerment—providing strategies that teachers can immediately apply in their classrooms, regardless of the curriculum or program they use.
“Our vision at CLIU21 is to help those districts who are struggling with math to really reinvigorate their math programs. A lot of students might hit a brick wall because they don’t like math. We really try to help teach strategies on how to bring them back and make math exciting, practical— to show them how to apply those skills.”
— Dr. Gregory Koons, Executive Director, Carbon-Lehigh Intermediate Unit #21
Innovamat’s approach blends hands-on activities with pedagogical insight, encouraging teachers to explore new ways of engaging learners— through methods like breaking apart numbers, rethinking multi-step problems, and encouraging out-of-the-box thinking.
Educators from IU21 describe how the PD experience reshaped their perception of what math truly is. The program has helped them reframe math as a creative and relational process— one rooted in connections, problem-solving, and real-life application.
“Since we’ve started with Innovamat, I’ve used some of the hands-on activities and some of the out-of-the-box thinking— using some of the break-apart methods for multiplication, addition, multi-step abilities, and also with problem-solving, having the students see it in a different way.”
— Brian McNeil, Teacher, Northampton Area School District
By viewing math as a form of thinking and discovery, teachers are now better equipped to bring out the creativity in their students and foster deeper engagement in the subject.
What makes this initiative stand out is the depth of partnership and the support offered through Innovamat´s PD. Teachers not simply attending sessions— they are part of a professional learning experience that listens, evolves and respects their day-to-day realities.
“Innovamat is really thoughtful of the process that teachers are going through— what they’re sharing with teachers and how they share it. That type of partnership isn’t just a simple exchange… there’s true support in the way that has worked.”
— Eric Lech, Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Educational Technologies, Carbon Lehigh Intermediate Unit #21
This ongoing relationship ensures that districts feel confident with what they’re bringing back to their schools, knowing it aligns with both student needs and long-term instructional goals.
Perhaps the most transformative outcome of the IU21-Innovamat collaboration is theboost in confidence— for teachers and students alike. Teachers have expressed how this PD has improved their practice, helped them approach curriculum differently, and allowed them to connect with students on a deeper level.
“It’s not only about the math skills, but it’s about how you teach those math skills and how you connect with students… helping them to build that confidence and, ultimately, their math skills.”
— Dr. Gregory Koons, Executive Director, Carbon Lehigh Intermediate Unit #21
This Professional Development series is part of IU21’s larger mission: to support districts that may be struggling with math and to bring energy and innovation back into math classrooms.
“We want to make sure that the professional learning they’re receiving is agnostic of those programs. That we’re really focused on the individual, the strategies that they’re using, the tools that they can bring to the classroom and apply and supplement with into their programs and resources that they have.”
— Eric Lech, Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Educational Technologies, Carbon Lehigh Intermediate Unit #21
With a focus on equity, accessibility, and educator empowerment, the IU21-Innovamat partnership is building a future where every student sees themselves as a mathematical thinker— and where every teacher has the confidence to guide them.
