Event Report: Summer Intern Riley Hendricks’ Activity Table at Explora New Mexico

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

Riley is participating in the MathHappens Foundation 2022 remote internship program.  Internships are posted with Parker Dewey where students from all over the United States can access a range of micro-internships.  Our remote internship program (Program Sequence here) includes a maker kit, making several MathHappens Projects and completing an outreach assignment.  Work is very independent so initiative, persistence and adaptation to community opportunities are all very important.

Riley’s Explora New Mexico Event Report

I had the privilege to go back to a museum that I had visited several times in my childhood on field trips and with my family. It’s called Explora Science Center. It’s a museum that focuses on STEM exploration. I had the wonderful opportunity to go with my mother, who helped attend our one small table. It was cramped and messy, but everyone enjoyed making necklaces and playing with the puzzles. The “Today’s Date is:” puzzle was particularly enjoyed. While there weren’t all that many people, the people who stayed enjoyed talking math, and were willing to ask questions. We answered them, and it seemed like they all enjoyed it. We shared the room with other volunteers who were making “seed bombs”, which were balls of clay, soil, and seeds that when planted would give the person who made them some wildflowers in their garden. This was a perfect thing, as the necklaces are based on the principle, “seed of life”.  When not many people were going around, they often came to enjoy our table, making a necklace or two and messing with the “Today’s date” puzzle. Overall, it seemed like a success, with a couple different people asking if we might be back the next week. We brought this up with Explora, and they said they’d be delighted to have us back in the future. We enjoyed the company of many people, and one lady who did homeschooling seemed interested in what Math Happens has to offer. It was delightful to see so many people get messy with math and enjoy their time doing things related to math.

 

 

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