Blog

Who is Julia Robinson?
Sep 08
Who is Julia Robinson?
What made Julia Robinson a famous figure in the math world? Why do we honor her with math festivals? Where can I learn more about her?
Grant Partnership with the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
Sep 08, 2023
Grant Partnership with the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
The grant will provide ten Title 1 schools in New York City with $4,000 each worth of play-based math resources to host their own math festivals during the 2023-2024 school year.
JRMF Receives Second STEM Grant from the PPG Foundation!
Sep 08, 2023
JRMF Receives Second STEM Grant from the PPG Foundation!
The grant will provide five Title 1 schools with $4,000 each worth of play-based math resources to host their own math festivals during the 2023-2024 school year.
Best Math Purchases for Kids this Holiday Season
Dec 13, 2022
Best Math Purchases for Kids this Holiday Season
The math educators at Julia Robinson Mathematics Festival recommend their favorite games, puzzles and books to buy for your budding (or trepidatious!) mathematician.
JRMF Receives STEM Grant from PPG Foundation
Aug 30, 2022
JRMF Receives STEM Grant from PPG Foundation
The donation will allow 8 low-income schools in Pittsburgh to receive $3,000 to host a math festival
Registration Open for the San Jose Math Festival
Aug 18, 2022
Registration Open for the San Jose Math Festival
The festival is a celebration of JRMF's 15-year anniversary and will feature free lunch and giveaways
JRMF’s New Brand: Making Math a Festival
Aug 08, 2022
JRMF’s New Brand: Making Math a Festival
Why we updated our logo but still provide the same magical math
Q&A: How do you get kids to love math? Try a festival.
Aug 05, 2022
Q&A: How do you get kids to love math? Try a festival.
JRMF founder Nancy Blachman was featured in the Jewish News of Northern California
STEM Santa Fe Hosts 6th Annual JRMF
Jun 27, 2022
STEM Santa Fe Hosts 6th Annual JRMF
Students from Carlos F. Vigil Middle School in Española, NM increased their math confidence by 10% in just 2 hours at the Julia Robinson Mathematics Festival.
JRMF Founder Nancy Blachman Featured By UC Berkeley
Jun 13, 2022
JRMF Founder Nancy Blachman Featured By UC Berkeley
The spotlight focuses on her love of recreational math and her passion for making math fun for kids.
Making The World Into A Math Festival
Jun 09, 2022
Making The World Into A Math Festival
How I Used Salt and Pepper Shakers to Convert My Friends Into Math Lovers
Paying It Forward: A Math Festival In Venice
May 02, 2022
Paying It Forward: A Math Festival In Venice
Sikimeti Ma’u hosted a Julia Robinson Mathematics Festival to introduce math-averse kids to its joys and possibilities
MAA Focus: JRMF Offers Free Classroom Visits
Apr 28, 2022
MAA Focus: JRMF Offers Free Classroom Visits
JRMF was featured in the Mathematical Association of America's spring 2022 magazine.
The Cure For Math Anxiety (And Why It Doesn’t Exist)
Apr 22, 2022
The Cure For Math Anxiety (And Why It Doesn’t Exist)
Math anxiety is the reason I fell in love with math festivals. Math festivals give all people — regardless of age or background — permission to play, experiment, grow, discuss, share, and work together in ways that are rarely associated with math.
Why You Should Care About Puzzles
Mar 29, 2022
Why You Should Care About Puzzles
Math puzzles have simple-to-understand rules that make them easy to dive into, but their novel challenges push the limits of creativity. You don’t need years of formal math training or a high IQ to develop new ideas or find creative ways to repurpose an old thought.
The Magic Of In-Person Math Festivals
Mar 14, 2022
The Magic Of In-Person Math Festivals
Fran McCrackin, an elementary school teacher in Washington, D.C. has hosted several Julia Robinson Mathematics Festivals for 5th graders.
Redefining Math For Middle Schoolers
Mar 07, 2022
Redefining Math For Middle Schoolers
As a parent volunteer at the Science Academy STEM Magnet in Los Angeles, Tom Tsao sources activities for the kids to do after school and sees firsthand how puzzles and games bring math to life for the students.
3 Virtual Festivals…And Counting
Feb 28, 2022
3 Virtual Festivals…And Counting
High school freshman Sahiba Kaur hosts math festivals for her school, teaching other kids the fun in math
Magical Math Moments: 2021 Annual Report
Feb 22, 2022
Magical Math Moments: 2021 Annual Report
The annual report highlights JRMF's efforts to expand joyful math outreach throughout the world
Free, Virtual Classroom Visits To Promote Fun Math
Feb 08, 2022
Free, Virtual Classroom Visits To Promote Fun Math
The virtual classroom visits are a free service that will bring game-based math to low-income schools in the U.S.
Host a Math Festival in 2022 — and Win a Free Game
Jan 14, 2022
Host a Math Festival in 2022 — and Win a Free Game
The Julia Robinson Mathematics Festival will send a free math game to 222 math festival hosts in 2022!
How To Run A Math Festival In Your Community
Dec 10, 2021
How To Run A Math Festival In Your Community
Download our DIY festival planner to get started on hosting your own math festival.
3 Reasons To Support the Julia Robinson Mathematics Festival On #GivingTuesday
Nov 22, 2021
3 Reasons To Support the Julia Robinson Mathematics Festival On #GivingTuesday
Tuesday, Nov. 30, is #GivingTuesday, and the Julia Robinson Mathematics Festival is here for the party.
American Mathematics Society Spotlight
Oct 05, 2021
American Mathematics Society Spotlight
The American Mathematical Society celebrates its partnership with JRMF.
Festival Spotlight: USGS, Mumbai
Oct 04, 2021
Festival Spotlight: USGS, Mumbai
More than 200 students attended a virtual math festival in India.
Pandemic Playtime: How The Julia Robinson Mathematics Festival Saved My Life
Sep 13, 2021
Pandemic Playtime: How The Julia Robinson Mathematics Festival Saved My Life
JRMF has created something that did not exist before the pandemic, a community of adult math educators and enthusiasts who are passionate about math outreach.
The Opposite Of Math Circles
May 20, 2021
The Opposite Of Math Circles
If we want math to be accessible to all, we need to build events where our children have choice, collaborate, and create and explain their own mathematical thinking.
MAA Focus: Despite Pandemic JRMF Expands Around The World
May 20, 2021
MAA Focus: Despite Pandemic JRMF Expands Around The World
Moving online turned out to be an opportunity to revamp our activities and reach a whole new audience.
New York Times Opinion Piece: Finding Fun And Inspiration In Math
May 20, 2021
New York Times Opinion Piece: Finding Fun And Inspiration In Math
A Life-Changing Revelation: Problems Vs. Exercises
May 20, 2021
A Life-Changing Revelation: Problems Vs. Exercises
A math professor shares how to foster a robust culture of learning in math class
The Santa Fe New Mexican: Making Math Fun
May 06, 2021
The Santa Fe New Mexican: Making Math Fun
MAA Focus: Julia Robinson Festivals In A Virtual World
May 06, 2021
MAA Focus: Julia Robinson Festivals In A Virtual World
What 500 Attendees Learned At Our Crucero Matematico
Apr 26, 2021
What 500 Attendees Learned At Our Crucero Matematico
Technology As Opportunity To Overcome Barriers In The Classroom
Apr 02, 2021
Technology As Opportunity To Overcome Barriers In The Classroom
JRMF's activities are more accessible, thanks to technology.
What The Best Mathematics Teachers Are Doing This Weekend
Dec 03, 2020
What The Best Mathematics Teachers Are Doing This Weekend
Circling To Connect From Math Teachers’ Circle Network
May 12, 2019
Circling To Connect From Math Teachers’ Circle Network
On Saturday, May 11, 2019, about 100 students and their families gathered at Gwinn Elementary School in San Martin, Calif.