With a sandwich in one hand and a pencil in the other, I would prepare myself for the 20 or more algebra students who inevitably come to my classroom during lunch for extra help. Despite their high skills, strong work ethic and (mostly) positive attitiude, many of these young teens struggled with the concepts and algorithms of Algebra 1 - and 30 minutes was never enough, nor was one math teacher ever enough to meet the needs of these determined kids. With no real viable or consistent option for getting help outside the regular school day, it was clear that Napa had a need. With the unconditional support of my wife, Laura and three kids, we took a leap of faith and set out to fill that need. SurferMath was born in August of 2006. In our first year we worked with about 60 kids, from learning their mulitiplication facts to the "dreaded chapter six" of the honors pre-calculus class.

Think of school as a beach. Every school day students report to the "beach" for instructions on how to surf and ride their waves - fractional waves, multiplication waves, algebra waves, trig waves, SAT waves, writing waves or whatever waves they are trying to conquer. After receiving their instructions they are told to paddle out into the water and "ride their wave." Among this group of young and upcoming surfers are students who may be: intimidated; uncertain; apprehensive; angry; resentful; or just plain scared of the water, never mind the wave! Those are the kids who need someone to support them when out there trying to get up on their surf board.....support with whatever they need to gain the confidence to overcome the obstacles and challenges they face.

This is our philosophy at SuferMath. We are out in the water ready to help any student paddling out to face their wave. Surfermath tutors are out there in the water, ready to help them learn how to ride their wave!

Six years and more than 1,000 students later, SurferMath has grown into tutoring other subjects, including reading/writing, SAT/ACT prep, GATE/ALPS support, enrichment camps, workshops, college prep assistance, internships and scholarships.

We are proud of our professional and compassionate staff who enthusiastically embrace our philosophy, recognizing and celebrating the individual characteristics and learning styles of all students. We emphasize the value of making personal connections with our students. Quite often the only thing that separates a student from success is the opportunity to connect with another individual who is understanding, patient, committed and well qualified in the specific subject area.

With continued support from our staff, students, parents and local teachers, SurferMath has become a trustworthy and reliable part of the Napa community.