CRDG mathematics researchers Hannah Slovin and Fay Zenigami were invited to teach at the Algebra Readiness for Every Student interactive institute for teachers in grades six through eight organized by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics in New Orleans in July. The goal of this institute, in its third year in 2013, was to enable teachers to prepare students for algebra. The interactive professional learning experience enabled participants to understand the growth of algebraic thinking and reasoning across the grades. Within this program, Slovin taught a workshop on ratios for teachers of grades six and seven. Zenigami taught proportional reasoning, representation, and connections for eighth-grade teachers. Attendees at the summer institute included teachers from Guam, South Africa, and Europe in addition to the United States. This was the second year that Slovin and Zenigami were invited to be part of the program, where they were able to share their expertise from years of experience developing algebra and other middle grades curricula at CRDG.