Outreach

School of Mathematics outreach programs aim to ignite a passion for mathematics within the local community and beyond. Through dynamic enrichment programs, workshops, and engaging summer camps, we strive to demystify mathematics and showcase its relevance and practicality in everyday life. Our initiatives not only aim to foster a deeper appreciation for mathematical concepts but also to inspire curiosity and enthusiasm among learners of all ages.

< RUN>: \ THE\ WORLD Machine Learning Summer Day Camp

< RUN>: \ THE\ WORLD students dive into the thrilling world of machine learning, where they explore programming and mathematical techniques through hands-on projects with real-world data. Over the course of the camp, campers learn to use Python to analyze diverse datasets, from sports and historic data to gaming statistics. The program offers an opportunity to apply machine learning algorithms to individualized projects and gain insights into cutting-edge technologies and their practical applications.The camp is a collaboration between the School of Mathematics, and the School of Statistics.

IMA Public Lectures

The IMA Public Lecture Series features distinguished mathematicians and scientists who illuminate the role of mathematics in understanding our world and shaping our lives. The purpose of these talks is to give the public a better understanding about how contemporary mathematical ideas are applied to important technological and scientific problems, conveying the significance and excitement of these applications. These engaging and informative lectures are designed for a broad audience, appropriate for middle-school students and older. This well-established series regularly draws diverse audiences of several hundred people.

Saturday Morning Math

The Mathematics Center for Educational Programs' Saturday Morning Math is an enrichment program that encourages students to engage with mathematics and scientific applications of math through a variety of lenses and themes. The program focuses on math topics that are outside of the traditional school curriculum. Saturday Morning Math promotes interactive activities and hands-on tasks, with students working closely with University instructors and University student mentors to explore ideas like Spherical Journeys, Tessellating Patterns, Directions in Space, and Topology & Knot Theory.

Mathematics Project at Minnesota

The Mathematics Project at Minnesota aims provide community, role-models, and a sense of mathematical empowerment for underrepresented undergraduate students through their annual workshop. The week is a blend of professional development, social activities, and individual mathematical projects. MPM also hosts a series of diversity and inclusivity workshops focused on topics like identity, Impostor Syndrome, and growth mindset. About 100 students are invited to participate each year. For all that they do in the pursuit of making mathematics more inclusive and accessible, MPM was selected for the 2024 Mathematics Programs that Make a Difference Award by the American Mathematical Society.

MathCEP Summer Enrichment Programs

Each year the Mathematics Center for Educational Programs hosts a variety of summer enrichment programs for students in middle and high school. These summer day-camps, such as Girls Excel in Mathematics and Adventures in Mathematics, give students opportunities to explore topics and activities like fair division, ancient counting systems, cryptography, map coloring, and kite construction and flying. The goal of these programs is not to accelerate students through standard curriculum, but instead engage with fun mathematics topics, and get students excited about math.

IMA Math-to-Industry Boot Camp

The IMA Math-to-Industry Boot Camp is an intense six-week summer program designed to provide graduate students with training and experience that is valuable for employment in industry positions outside of academia. The program is targeted at Ph.D. students in pure and applied mathematics. The boot camp consists of courses in the basics of programming, data analysis, and mathematical modeling. Working in teams, students collaborate on practical projects that blend technical expertise and soft skills training. Learn more about the impacts of this program in our 2023 news feature.