Many of today’s elementary and high school students look at their mathematics and science classes as either a waste of time or irrelevant to their future lives. But as the world becomes ever more digital and opportunities in career fields such as engineering and manufacturing become more of a priority, it will be increasingly difficult to avoid these academic subjects.
It was this lack of interest by students in mathematics that prompted President Reagan to initiate the annual promotion of Mathematics Awareness. Since his term in office more than 30 years ago, the American Mathematical Society, the Mathematical Association of America, and the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics each April have been celebrating and bringing awareness to the study of math via the Mathematics Awareness Month. This demonstrates to students that math and the real world are more intertwined and connected than they thought.
This year’s theme was on the Mathematics of Sustainability. This year’s celebration to focused attention on the use of mathematics training to show how scientists and engineers can work via their academic training to balance the use of our natural resources with the need to conserve and preserve it. We’ve kept these notions with us even though the celebration is technically over.
In the spirit of Mathematics Awareness Month, especially with the focus on Mathematics of Sustainability, Gage thought it would be a great time to mention our support of the EcoCar2 competition. The EcoCar2 is a competitive challenge that brings students from 15 leading North American universities to retrofit a regular car and turn it into a competitive green, sustainable vehicle.
In our next blog, we will provide more details and coverage on this competition and our participation. Until then, take time to think about how much math you use on a daily basis. Besides all of the digital devices that you use daily (thanks to algebra, trig, calculus, and stats), there’s that tip you add onto a restaurant bill, the calculations to figure out whether you owe taxes to Uncle Sam, or the simple addition as you determine how many calories you just consumed. Math is truly as fundamental as reading. Celebrate it!