Events

UPDATE: CANCELED due to coronavirus concerns - Seattle’s 9th annual JRMF 2020

When:

March 14, 1:00 - 4:30

Where:

HUB South Ballroom at UW Seattle campus

What:

A mathematics festival celebrating collaborative problem-solving, playful math experiences, and beautiful ideas.

Who:

4th graders – 10th graders

Cost:

$10 - $15

Contact host for reduced pricing for groups.

DUE TO CONCERNS ABOUT GATHERINGS AND THE SPREAD OF THE COVID-19, WE ARE CANCELLING THIS YEAR’S FESTIVAL.

WE WILL REFUND ALL TICKETS ALREADY PURCHASED. STAY HEALTHY, EVERYONE!

_____________________

Free scholarships given to anyone who requests them, without question.

Also, adults can join our free Parent Workshop!

At 1:15 – 2:45 in HUB room 250! No registration necessary.

Parents are invited to attend this session on creating a rich environment for mathematical exploration at home. Featuring ideas for games, puzzles, and other joyful math activities.

A huge thank you to Open Window School for underwriting the Julia Robinson Math Festival!

Thanks also to the Math Department at the University of Washington, the Washington Experimental Mathematics Lab, and the American Institute of Mathematics for their financial and logistical support.

“Let me just say this festival blew me away. Thanks to you and the team for your hard work!”

Parent

I can’t thank you and your entire team enough. My daughter had never attended one of your events. She absolutely LOVED every math activity that she participated in.

Parent

For my students next year, I’m probably going to ‘assign’ going to the next JR Festival. It was that awesome.

Teacher

About the Julia Robinson Festival

The mission of the Julia Robinson Mathematics Festival is to inspire students to explore the richness and beauty of mathematics through activities that encourage collaborative, creative problem-solving.

I can’t thank you and your entire team enough. My daughter had never attended one of your events. She absolutely LOVED every math activity that she participated in.PARENT
The festival is a noncompetitive celebration of great ideas and problems in mathematics. We will have several dozen tables of rich math problems and activities led by our volunteers, who are lovers of mathematics from different disciplines, representing mathematicians, teachers, engineers, programmers, graduate students, and more.

To make a tax-deductible donation to the festival, click here and choose Seattle from the drop down menu.

Contact dan[at]mathforlove.com to learn more about how you can support next year’s
festival.

“For my students next year, I’m probably going to ‘assign’ going to the next JR Festival. It was that awesome.”

Teacher

How it works

During the festival, students can join any table and work collaboratively with the volunteers and students there. Students are welcome to try out several tables until they find one that particularly interests them; once they do, they are encouraged to spend 30 – 45 minutes or more at that activity. Almost no activities will be possible to finish completely during the festival. Students will be able to take home activities that they have spent time on. There will also be a mathematical games area.

At 4:00pm, we will have a closing talk.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can parents participate?

Parents may not participate at the general activity tables, due to space concerns, and due to an effort to let students have their own experience at the festival. However, we will have some tables where parents may chat with each other, work on festival problems, and play mathematical games with their kids.

Parents are invited to join us for the Parent Workshop from 1:15 – 2:45.

But I love math! Why can’t I join in at the problem tables?

If you would like to be a part of the festival, we would love to have you volunteer! However, it is important for students to have space from their parents during the event itself to make mistakes, work with their peers, and just relax and have a good time. Also, there is limited seating, and we want to make sure there is enough space for the kids.

I have a conflict. Can I come late/leave early?

Yes. This is an easy festival to drop into for as long as you’d like.

I want to bring a group. How should I go about it?

Email Dan to work out the details.

My 3rd-grader would love this. Can I bring them?

We ask that you bring 4th graders and up only.

What if my 3rd grader is doing sixth grade math?

While some 3rd graders can handle the material, we need to make sure the festival feels inviting for the middle and high school students. If activities are swamped by younger kids, it can make the older students feel like this isn’t the right place for them.

Can I drop my kids off and leave?

We are providing oversight for the mathematics activities, but we are not keeping track of each child. You are responsible for your child. You may leave them unattended at the festival, but only if you trust them to handle themselves.

How is this different from a math competition?

The goal is not speed, or superficial right answers. Our math activities are designed to engage and perplex. Students should expect to persevere. They will generally spend 30-60 minutes on activities and not finish completely.

Will this be too hard for my child?

Our volunteers are there to help kids find an entry point into even the most difficult activities. We will also provide guidance on good places to start.

Will this be too easy for my child?

No.

You haven’t met my child. He/she is a kind of math prodigy…

Trust us. The problems they’ll encounter at this festival will be novel, and go to a depth that most students never see. There will even be some unsolved problems floating around. Challenge won’t be a problem.

My child is not really into math. Is this for mathy kids only?

This festival is designed to appeal to a broad audience, not just those who identify as math lovers already. That said, please don’t force students who are not interested in coming to join us. If students are open to the idea of seeing a different side of math on a weekend afternoon, we will do our best to show them what we think is beautiful, profound, and wonderful about the subject. This festival is for any student who comes to it with an open and curious mind.

Can I take copies of all the problems home with me?

No, with exceptions. Your student may take copies of the problems they work on for a substantial quantity of time. Please don’t go from table to table and collect pages. If you would like problems from previous years, many are available at http://juliarobinsonfestival.org/problems.html.

How can I learn more about this festival?

For information about Julia Robinson Math Festivals around the country, go to http://juliarobinsonfestival.org.

What is parking like?

You can park for free in the UW campus lots on Saturdays after noon.

Who was Julia Robinson?

She was a 20th Century mathematician who worked at Berkeley, where the festival was first founded. You can read about her at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julia_Robinson.

Anything else?

Email Dan at dan [at] mathforlove [dot] com.
dan@mathforlove.com

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