Remote Intern Program: Summer and Fall 2023

Lauren SiegelCommunity, Intern Experience, Making Math, Museum, remote intern, Written by Melissa WilkinsonLeave a Comment

This summer, 5 interns participated in MathHappens projects remotely from Las Vegas, the Chicago area, Knox County, IL, and Lake County, IL. In September, we started our fall cohort with 4 interns in Irving, TX, Edmond, OK, Knoxville,TN, and Appleton, WI. We have interns who are studying or have studied: math, math education, business, data science, economics, computer science, and

MathHappens 4 x @ The Austin Nature and Science Center

Lauren SiegelCommunity, Community Partnerships, Intern Experience, Nature & Science Center, Parks & Recreation2 Comments

A Human Sunclock! Installed adjacent to the pathway outside the visitor center, it only works if you are there to cast the shadown that tells the time. This one is set to CDT, its exactly one hour late at this time of year (December). A Math Vending Machine! In the visitor center is a trading desk where you can ask

Ascent Academy Children’s Business Fair

Lauren SiegelCommunity, Community Partnerships, Ways to like math, We think math is fun!Leave a Comment

Ascent Academy is part of the Acton Academy family of schools. A signature event for Acton is the Children’s Business Fair. Businesses are created and launched by children and showcased at the Fair where visitors can purchase their products. MathHappens were invited to provide a pop up mathematical play space by the organizers of the event at Ascent Academy in

Visiting Math Circles: Texas A & M

Lauren SiegelCommunity, Museum, Ways to like math, We think math is fun!Leave a Comment

Texas A & M University (TAMU) provides a robust math circle program for the community with approximately 50 student participants at three levels, Pre-Algebra, Algebra/Geometry and Algebra II and above.  We were pleased to be invited to provide the program on November 18, 2023. We started with some free play that included a balance scale with base 2 and base

Fracture! A Halloween Matheatre Experience!

Lauren SiegelCommunity, Community Partnerships, Events, Partner Spotlight, We think math is fun!Leave a Comment

A composite graphic with a bright red image reading "FRACTURE!" and featuring a human form, a creepy hand silhouette, and a spiderweb made of squares.

At MathHappens, we love to collaborate, support creative endeavors, partner with colleagues around the US, Canada and abroad, and provide new ways to experience math to the public.  This project includes all of these and more.  The concept, a Mathematical Halloween trail was initiated, and seed funded by MathHappens, designed and expanded by Matheatre who executed and delivered a great

Take and Make: A Bat Butterfly Puzzle for Halloween

Lauren SiegelCommunityLeave a Comment

We participated in Longhorn Halloween this year!  Megan Do, Naila Hajiyeva, Ella Basken and Stefany Espinoza came out on a rainy Sunday October 29 2023 for this annual event.  Kids could weigh their candy with our balance scale and base 3 weights of 1, 3, 9 and 27 oz.  We also had puzzles to do and others to take home.

It’s October and MathHappens in our Communities!

Lauren SiegelCommunity, Community Partnerships, Intern Experience, Museum, Nature & Science Center, We think math is fun!Leave a Comment

The weekend of October 20, we were open at the Austin Nature and Science Center, and the Millennium Youth Entertainment Complex and provided math activities for Fall Fest for Friends of the Children, a mentorship program in Austin.  MathHappens @ Explora was open as well as MathHappens @ Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota. Working this weekend in all our various

MathHappens @ the Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota!

Lauren SiegelCommunity, Events, Math Rooms, Museum, Schools, We think math is fun!Leave a Comment

Now open!  As of today, MathHappens has a math engagement/play space in the Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota.  This is a beautiful museum that contains original exhibits designed to connect to every day life in and around Mankato, MN.  From corn ears to play pigs, the museum provides the kind of hands-on play-based learning that we love.  Play spaces abound

Make Education Forum 2023 Presentation: Avoiding scorch using two sided laser cutting.

Lauren SiegelCommunity, Laser Techniques, Making Math, Sharing IdeasLeave a Comment

The first 3 puzzle pieces are cut from one side using the low speed and a high power needed to cut through 1/4″ plywood.  The black scorch has to be sanded or wiped away adding significantly to post laser treatments.    One approach if your laser is not cutting through is to run a second pass.  This results in more