P E O P L E
Teachers
Ms. Huey-Chiang Huang 黃惠姜, Director
Ms. Huang began teaching abacus and mental arithmetic as a hobby; she wanted to share the skill with her then elementary-age daughter and her daughter's friends. Witnessing the positive impacts of practicing mental math in her own child, she decided to start PowerMath in San Jose, CA in the early 1990s. Her goal was to share abacus and mental arithmetic as a skill and learning tool for young children, in addition to introducing new generations to Chinese cultural heritage.
She had taken courses in abacus and mental arithmetic in her schoolgirl days growing up in Taiwan, and her interest in the subject never waned. Determined to further develop her skills, she returned to Taiwan as an adult to take courses with experienced educators there and to research varying curricula and teaching methods, all culminating in her own unique and upbeat approach to teaching today.
In 1996, she and a group of like-minded peers started the Chinese American Abacus Association in the San Francisco Bay Area as a medium for further community outreach to raise awareness about the benefits of learning how to use an abacus and mental arithmetic. Under her leadership, CAAA developed relationships with Bay Area public schools and introduced abacus and mental arithmetic programs into some elementary schools. As a veteran instructor, she created the curriculum for and heads the teaching staff for CAAA's biannual Teachers' Training Courses.
As a caring educator, she encourages her students to take part in volunteer activities, and they have been seen participating in Chinese school performances, regional cultural activities and so on and so forth.
She is currently serving a term as President of the Chinese American Abacus Association.
Ms. Huang teaches at the Milpitas location on Mondays and Saturdays, and in Fremont on Wednesday and Fridays. In addition to PowerMath, she also teaches during the culture class hour at Berryessa Chinese School in San Jose.
Administrators
Office Manager: Ms. Kai-lei Hsu
"Thanks to Mrs. Huang's and other teachers' undying passions to educate the art of the abacus, people all around the world are able to benefit from Power Math. After many years of learning the Power Math, my two sons' are easier to put focus upon and have better concentration on all areas. When Mrs. Huang asks for help, I felt it is necessary to give some back and assist Mrs. Huang to let more people learn about Power Math."