Museums Open Doors to Informal Math Learning

Math Fever: From left, Luna Rodriguez, Sabrina Vulpio, and Justin Burgher, 7th graders at PS 232, dance on the light-activated Math Square at the Museum of Mathematics in New York. MoMath and other museums are trying to make the subject enjoyable.

—Emile Wamsteker for Education Week

Math has a bit of an image problem. It's often seen as hard, abstract—even pointless.

The creators of the National Museum of Mathematics in New York City are all about turning that image around and convincing young people that mathematics is cool.

"Changing perceptions is our goal," said Cindy Lawrence, the co-executive director of MoMath, as it's quickly become known. "From the minute people walk in the door, we try to highlight the creative side of math: that it's colorful, it's beautiful, it's exploratory, fun and engaging. None of these are words people typically associate with math."

Such efforts are not just happening at MoMath, which opened in Manhattan on the mathematically hip date of 12/12/12.

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