Mathematical Sciences Research Institute
Project Title
For support of the planning and execution of National Math Festival 2017
Date
Sep. 08, 2016
Duration
12 months
Description
The Mathematical Sciences Research Institute’s (MSRI) National Math Festival aims to change the perception of mathematics among all age groups and celebrate the beauty and fundamental importance of mathematics to people’s lives. The 2017 National Math Festival will include approximately 40 lectures and dozens of hands-on activities and performances for an audience of 30,000 adults and children in Washington, D.C. In addition, MSRI will engage an even greater audience through social media, the festival website, and satellite events and activities in science museums across the country. With Corporation support, MSRI launched the first ever National Math Festival in 2015, which attracted over 20,000 people and fostered positive impressions of math that were sustained over time. This year, the Corporation’s support of MSRI will enable MSRI to plan, develop, and implement the programming of the 2017 National Math Festival for an even larger audience.
Website
Project Title
For the math circles on Native American reservations project, an educational program for students and teachers in the Four Corners region
Date
Sep. 08, 2016
Duration
59 months
Description
Historically, Native American communities have been underserved in education, particularly in mathematics and the science. In addition, interventions to address this challenge have often been research-motivated and have had limited impact. The Mathematical Sciences Research Institute (MSRI) proposes a new program to improve K-12 mathematics education on Native American reservations in the Four Corners region. MSRI seeks to integrate and expand the work of the Navajo Nation Math Circle (NNMC) project, which organizes and runs programs centered on mathematical exploration for students and teachers, with the work of a group of mathematicians from the University of Utah, who have been facilitating culture-based professional development for math teachers. This grant supports the development of a program structure that can be adopted by other underserved communities, and which includes math circles and summer math camps for K-12 students as well as math circles and professional development workshops for teachers.