Joyful Mathematics For All

AIM hosts several externally-organized programs that are focused on developing models for engaging students, teachers, and families in joyful mathematics. Please contact AIM's Director of Special Projects, Brianna Donaldson, for more information about any of these programs.

Global Math Project

The Global Math Project (GMP) is a worldwide movement committed to inspiring educators everywhere to ignite and sustain in their students a love for learning mathematics. The project provides lessons, online resources, and community connections that encourage incorporating joy and wonder into how mathematics is taught in schools. GMP's signature topic is Exploding Dots, an approach to place value developed by GMP founder James Tanton that helps illuminate the connections between arithmetic and algebra. Since launching in 2017, the Global Math Project has engaged over 7 million students from more than 150 countries.

Alliance of Indigenous Math Circles

The Alliance of Indigenous Math Circles (AIMC) has mission of creating mathematical opportunities for Indigenous students and building community among math teachers of Indigenous students while respecting Indigenous culture. AIMC hosts in-person and virtual Math Circles for students and teachers, as well as residential summer math camps for students. Current tribal participation in the Alliance includes students, teachers, mathematicians, and other leaders from the Hopi, Choctaw of Oklahoma, Chickasaw of Oklahoma, and Pueblo tribes of New Mexico. The AIMC is actively seeking members of other tribes to partner with us and to serve as local “champions” for the power of mathematics to change lives.

Math Monday

Math Monday is a weekly drop-in lunchtime or after-school activity where students of all ages and abilities can get hands on with math games, puzzles and manipulatives that help build their math skills. Founded by puzzle and math game designer Scott Kim, the program is intended to reach all students at their own pace and is meant to help build a culture of joyful mathematics in schools or communities. Math Monday has been successfully implemented in schools in the San Francisco Bay Area, with the intention of spreading the model to the L.A. area and other schools nationally.

MATCH

MATCH Classroom Visits pair mathematicians interested in K-12 outreach with classrooms at socioeconomically disadvantaged Title I schools. The program aims to improve students’ attitudes and confidence about mathematics by providing engaging mathematical experiences and meaningful opportunities to interact with practicing mathematicians.

From 2021 to 2024, MATCH Classroom Visits were sponsored by a grant from the MAA Tensor SUMMA program. MATCH is currently in a transition period in which we are working to make materials from the project publicly available. We also hope to support MATCH Classroom Visits in person in L.A. and the San Francisco Bay Area for interested mathematicians and teachers. Please contact MATCH Program Director and AIM Math Resources Coordinator Javier Haro for more information.