We had a blast at the Association of Science and Technology Center (ASTC) Annual Conference in Phoenix, AZ. It was a few days full of great conversations, hands-on math, and plenty of opportunities to reconnect with old friends and meet new ones.

At the booth

We loved seeing so many familiar faces and meeting people who are new to MathHappens. Our booth was a place to catch up, talk about Math Rooms, Open Play Kits, Bubble Tiles, and, of course, do some math! We had a lot of fun getting people playing with our materials and sharing what we’ve been up to over the past year.

Bringing the Math Room to ASTC

This year, we tried something a little different. Rather than giving a traditional conference presentation, we brought the Math Room experience to life with an experimental session in the Alcove right outside of the Exhibit Hall.

Instead of talking about how a Math Room works, we invited participants to experience it for themselves. People explored materials, played with ideas, and got a taste of what it feels like to facilitate and participate in a Math Room.

We loved having the chance to try something new and share the experience in a more hands-on way.

Fractals at the Arizona Science Center

We also spent an evening at the Arizona Science Center, where we made wearable fractals! Participants built their own fractal-inspired creations and proudly wore their math around the event.

We’re grateful to everyone who stopped by the booth, joined our session, played some math with us, or said hello throughout the conference. And a huge thank you to the ASTC organizers for putting together such a great gathering.