front of CELS building
News and Announcements

SIAM Engages Young Minds at the 2023 New York City Math Festival

Posted in: Applied Mathematics & Statistics, CSAM Students

Kate Knyazeva volunteering at NYC Math Fest
At the New York City Math Festival, which took place on July 15, SIAM volunteers Kate Knyazeva (Montclair State University) and Manuchehr Aminian (California State Polytechnic University, Pomona) use toy goats and cars to simulate the famed Monty Hall problem as part of SIAM’s booth of math-based activities. Photo courtesy of Tim Chartier.

The 2023 NYC Math Festival was an enriching experience for curious students, parents, and volunteers alike. SIAM volunteer Jerry Yao particularly appreciated the way in which children and parents worked together on the games and puzzles. “The most rewarding thing for me was seeing so many families value education for their children,” Yao said. “It was interesting to see children confused by certain problems—like I used to be—and then gradually understand what was going on after we explained the math.”

In addition to engaging young minds, the festival also united students from different universities who share a passion for applied math and outreach.

For me personally, this was the first time I had an opportunity to connect with my SIAM peers outside of our own chapter at Montclair State University. I’m grateful for festivals like this for allowing me to be part of a beautiful equation of passion, purpose, and community.

Kate Knyazeva, a member of the SIAM student chapter at Montclair

One of the SIAM Education Committee’s broader goals is to provide SIAM members and student chapters with support for interacting with their local communities. As such, the committee is packaging, polishing, and sharing the two activities from the SIAM booth as part of a “festival in a box.” SIAM members are welcome to submit their own tried-and-true resources to the SIAM Education Committee by contacting Wesley Hamilton at whamilto@mathworks.com. These submissions will then become available to all SIAM student chapters and members who are planning to partake in and contribute to future events.

Read the Full Article