EASTON, PA—The First In Math staff is excited to announce that Suntex International and Novus STS, a company that enhances global education through technology, have entered into an agreement to introduce the First In Math® Online Program to schools in India. Our partners at Novus are energetically meeting with school officials in Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai and many other cities throughout the country.
Left to right - Part of the Suntex India Team: former teacher Monica Patel; Suja Narasimham; Suntex V.P. Barbara Asteak and Systems Analyst Suhasini Gudiseva.
Pundi Narasimham and his wife Suja, founders of Novus STS, discovered First In Math (FIM) through a business colleague in their hometown of Atlanta, Georgia, whose elementary-school child was captivated with FIM. Deciding that they wanted to know more about any program that could spark such interest, they arranged to visit Suntex’s home office in Easton, Pennsylvania. Several weeks later, after visiting schools using the program in the Atlanta area, both became committed to bringing the program to their homeland, India. In honor of their undertaking, FIM creator Bob Sun named a Bonus Game after them (Pundi's Puzzle).
“When I saw the excitement for math FIM created in the schools I visited, both for students and teachers, I couldn’t wait to get started with our project in India,” reports Suja. “We are being met with great interest here because of the many success stories in the U.S”
In the spring of 2010, Suja and Suntex V.P., Barbara Asteak, visited India to introduce the program to schools in several cities. “It was a quite a whirlwind tour,” exclaims Asteak. “We met with many enthusiastic educators, eager to participate in a program with a proven record of success with children of all ability levels.”
Throughout the summer, both Novus STS and Suntex made extensive preparations for FIM’s introduction to India by building a team of technology experts and educators dedicated to firstinmath.in. Systems analyst, Suhasini Gudiseva, works on updates and modifications to the Indian version of the site. Originally from Hyderabad in southern India, Gudiseva says that children in India are generally good in math, but will still benefit from the added Deep Practice on FIM. “What FIM brings to table is fun and challenge, which makes math more likable and interesting.”
“The time and energy devoted to practice must be multiplied by three times that of teaching in order to master math,” according to the newest member of the Suntex team, Monica Patel. “From an educator's standpoint, I think children greatly need First In Math, as it is the only practice tool I am aware of that fully engages and excites them enough to get the required practice time.” Patel should know. Her son, Shonak, was the #1 FIM player in the U.S. in 2006, and she was the FIM “anchor” of St. Joseph the Worker School, the #1 FIM School in the U.S. for the 2009/2010 school year. Born, raised and educated in Mumbai, Patel came to the U.S. in 2001 to obtain her Masters Degree in Elementary and Special Education.
To date, schools in the Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry, Karnataka, and Gujarat are participating in the First In Math program.