Non-Profit Spotlight…

Top Banana Education Foundation

Address: 56 Winchester Street, Newton, MA 02461
Contact Information: (888) 411-5437 (KIDS); www.topbananaeducation.org
2011 Referral Program Mission Statement:
Top Banana Education Foundation is dedicated to helping stu-
Help Us dents become better learners. We have developed a curriculum

BIGGER!
and program for teaching math that engages, encourages and in-
spires our students. Our mission is to bring that math program
to schools all across the country, to give every child the opportu-
GET nity to experience the satisfaction and rewards of academic suc-

BETTER!
AND
Newton-Needham Chamber members who help the Chamber successfully recruit*
one (1) new member in 2011 receive:
• Free admission to a networking event
(After Business Hours or 5 Minute Networking)
Newton-Needham Chamber members who help the Chamber successfully recruit*
three (3) new members in 2011 receive:
• Free admission to a Small Business Seminar Series event
• Free business card size advertising in INBusiness
The Newton-Needham Chamber member who helps the Chamber successfully recruit*
the most new members (minimum of 5) in 2011 receives:
• A Member Spotlight article in INBusiness
• Free admission to one of the Chamber’s Big 3 events
(Spring Seasonings, Golf Outing, Achievement Breakfast)
• Free Chamber web site advertising for one month
*Successful recruitment requires member name listed as sponsor on application.
cess.
Background:
Alex Seriy, a computer scientist by education and an engineer
by trade, used mathematical models to help technology compa-
nies troubleshoot processes and improve product development,
delivery and support. While Alex Seriy
practicing math with his then
6 year-old son, Seriy began to think about us-
ing a similar approach to teach kids mathemat-
ics. He developed a fun, engaging curriculum
emphasizing mental math as a means to build
analytical skills, logic and working memory. Seriy currently teaches children at the
Top Banana Newton center in classes ranging from 7 to 12 students.
Program Highlights:
According to Alex: “We’re using an after school format that teaches kids to enjoy
math, and even love it. We offer instructions that click with young children. The
instructions are aligned with how young children think in general and how they
think about numbers. Math is usually perceived as a hard subject but Top Banana
students enjoy it. They’re enthusiastic about it.”
The Top Banana instructional approach replaces tedious study with math-ori-
ented playtime, and makes learning mathematics fun for kids.
“We turn studying numbers, which is dry, into playing with numbers, which is
inherently colorful and diverse,” says Alex. “When study becomes play in any sub-
ject, especially math, we are able to engage students much better.”
According to Alex: “Math has been a paper and pencil subject. We bring talking
into the classroom, and it goes along with the mental math piece. We teach kids how
to verbalize their thoughts and how to manipulate numbers. We shift focus to men-
tal math so we give them the tools to practice more and more meaningfully. They
can do math on the go, while swimming, or on the basketball court. They can crunch
numbers when they shop with their parents. It becomes a daily practice, and a lot of
fun.”
Annual Budget: $300,000 (projected for 2012)
Staffing: 1 teacher currently. Next year between 2 and 4.
Founder and President: Alex Seriy
Contact Information: Website: www.topbananaeducation.org
Board of Directors: Alex Seriy, Jonathon Friedmann, Dr. Lawrence Kaufman,
Richard Tuck.
Each month, INBusiness spotlights one of the Chamber’s non-profit organizations.

18 • INBusiness • Newton Needham Chamber of Commerce 617-244-5300 • www.nnchamber.com