DECEMBER 2024

Anne Paoletti Bayna joined Rodi Steinig (Founding Co-Director) as Co-Director. Our initial meetings were dedicated to setting a solid vision for this work. Our first conversation focused on building connections and establishing our mutual interests.

JANUARY 2025

Planning Meeting: we began mapping out the geographic reach of our efforts. While rooted in the Greater Philadelphia Area, our network naturally extends across Pennsylvania and New Jersey, allowing us to maximize our impact in both urban and suburban communities within the Mid-Atlantic region.

Anne hosted a family-friendly math event for the MIT Alumni Association, which served as an early model for community-driven joyful math experiences.

Rodi presented multiple talks on the pedagogy of joyful mathematics at the Joint Meetings of Mathematics in Seattle.

FEBRUARY

Defining Our Scope Retreat: A foundational retreat helped us formally define the scope of the Collaborative, establishing action items and outlining an organizational structure—the necessary steps to turn a vision into a sustainable project committed to joyful learning.Rodi attended the “Philly Schools as Humane Spaces” educational equity forum to learn more about systemic challenges and opportunities, ensuring that the PAJMC’s work is grounded in the pursuit of equitable and supportive educational environments.

MARCH

Anne presented the “Mathematics for Innovation” table exhibit at the New Jersey STEM Month Kickoff at Genmab. This highlighted how math, viewed through a playful lens, is central to curiosity-driven research and deep thinking.

Rodi attended the School District of Philadelphia screening of the film “Counted Out” at Prince Hall Elementary. During the post-film discussion, she spread the word about the PAJMC’s goals for inspiring positive change in math education.

Anne, alongside two of her former students, delivered the keynote “Unlocking Your Potential: A Journey of Curiosity-Driven Research” at the New Jersey Academy of Science Colloquium. Featuring student voices in the presentation demonstrated the PAJMC’s commitment to the core value that curiosity is the starting point for powerful mathematical journeys, allowing students to become co-creators of deep thinking and research.

In the first of three meetings, Rodi met with one of the local organizers of the International Congress of Mathematicians  to identify avenues for  directly impacting local K-12 students and teachers with our vision. She also did some “math matchmaking” by facilitating like-minded organizations to join forces in presenting programming for local audiences.

Anne joined Dr. Pam Brett in delivering the Full Day Workshop, “Fractions to Functions,” for the Association of Mathematics Teachers of New Jersey (AMTNJ). This effort directly fulfills the PAJMC’s mission to support and connect educators by providing a crucial, research-based model for transforming foundational concepts into rich opportunities for deep thinking and conceptual understanding in the classroom.

APRIL

Rodi attended Lift Every Voice’s Philadelphia City Council hearing to seek Council support for joy in schools, underscoring our belief that joy is fundamental to learning.

Anne volunteered at the welcome table at the Drexel Academy of Natural Sciences Yeah, That’s STEM! Community Day. This provided an opportunity to network with the Philadelphia STEM Equity Collective and reinforce the critical role of mathematics as a playful and accessible discipline.

Rodi met with an organization that partners with the School District of Philadelphia to discuss leveraging their model for student-centered learning to foster deep thinking and real-world curiosity in math classrooms.

Planning Meeting: We strategized how to expand our network and possibly re-ignite local Math Teachers’ Circles, which promote curiosity-driven engagement among educators.

MAY

Anne presented “Empowering Math Teachers, Engaging Students: A Research Elective Model” at the New Jersey Association of Mathematics Teachers Educators Annual Conference. This work supports our mission to support and connect educators by sharing innovative models for engaging students in deep thinking.

JUNE-JULY

Camp Conway, Harvey Mudd College: Anne spent five weeks as Camp Director at Camp Conway (National Math Camps). This experience provided invaluable insight into what a vibrant math community looks like for kids: seeing talented middle schoolers build profound relationships, find new math, and thrive in a space dedicated to playful and transformative math and life experiences.

JULY

 Girls Talk Math, Temple University: Anne facilitated the workshop “Activate Your Inner Mathematician: Play first, then write” for students at Temple camp, directly connecting with and encouraging the next generation of women in mathematics in our region to embrace the power of play in discovery.

AUGUST

Planning Meeting: We planned our first “Math Party,” an event designed as a pilot to test how to best foster playful math and community connection in a relaxed setting.

SEPTEMBER

Math Party: We launched our first “Math Party.” Anne hosted, and the evening featured a Math Circle activity on Langford Pairings—a perfect example of curiosity-driven deep thinking.

OCTOBER

Need in Deed Soiree: Rodi attended the Soiree at the BNY Center. She spoke with many Philly public school teachers and learned about their inspiring work transforming schools via the Need in Deed framework, reinforcing the PAJMC’s commitment to student-centered, deep thinking models. 

Reflection and Planning Meeting: The CC meeting provided space for reflection and next-step planning.

NOVEMBER

Main Line Math Festival: Anne and Rodi participated in joyful math as volunteers, serving as table leaders at the topology table. This was a direct expression of our mission, providing hands-on, curiosity-driven experiences to students and families in the community.

AMTNYS Conference: Anne delivered the workshop “Igniting Math Curiosity: Play, Sense, & Write for All Learners” at the 75th Annual Association of Mathematics Teachers of New York State Conference, sharing the PAJMC’s approach for prioritizing play and curiosity as entry points to deeper learning.

AMTNJ Fall Conference: Anne co-facilitated with Jay Schiffman the workshop “Nurturing Mathematical Curiosity by Experiencing a Thinking-Rich Classroom.” This session allowed educators to step into a dynamic learning environment centered on the Fibonacci sequence, practicing the core PAJMC principles of curiosity and deep thinking. By exploring patterns, formulating conjectures, and encouraging intellectual risk-taking, the workshop provided a concrete model for teachers to inspire students to truly think for themselves and co-create mathematical understanding.

AMTNJ Fall Conference: Anne co-facilitated with Dr. Pam Brett the session “Equipping Leaders to Guide Effective Math Practices.” This session is aligned with the PAJMC’s mission to support and connect leaders by focusing on the crucial progression from fractions to algebraic reasoning. Leaders were immersed in activities designed to illuminate student thinking and misconceptions, providing practical strategies for observation and promoting the deep conceptual understanding and discourse necessary to create equitable and engaging math environments.

DECEMBER

Communications Meeting: We held an online meeting to strategize our communications and outreach for the coming year. We invite everyone who is interested to join us at our meetings. Contact Us to get in touch.