'That's So Cool': LI Mom Inspires Kids, Adults At National Math Museum

MT. SINAI, NY — Cindy Lawrence is a Long Island woman with some iconoclastic messages about math education: There's no such thing as being bad at math, she says, and math can be a thing of beauty to behold, to put in a museum.

Lawrence, a mother of three and a Port Jefferson Station native, runs the National Museum of Mathematics, a model of math museums that's located at 11 East 26 St. in Manhattan. The museum was originally designed to open in Stony Brook, she told Patch, and then became popular as a traveling exhibit. In 2012 the museum opened its doors at its current permanent home, and since then Lawrence has seen the exhibits and interactive programs inspire young people to consider careers in math, science and STEM fields.

"It's been a wild ride," she said. "We now see visitors that are half adults and half families. The idea is that you can come just to see how math is beautiful, like an art museum."

She says that a common refrain she hears from kids and grown-ups alike as she walks around the museum is: "That's so cool!"

Lawrence's own three grown children ended up in STEM careers, and they all pursued advanced degrees in math and engineering. But Lawrence says one of her children, who eventually pursued math in college and graduate school, didn't immediately appear to be outwardly "good at math" in kindergarten, although later they excelled in the subject.

"That's a message I want to get across at the museum—there's no such thing as being bad at math. It's something kids can learn, or be taught in a different way. If a child says they want to learn to play the piano you don't say well you can't play right away, you're not 'good at music.'"

Lawrence hopes that by showcasing the exciting and interesting aspects of math and its uses in the museum, more young people (and especially girls—Lawrence makes sure the exhibits are gender inclusive and appeal to girls as well as boys) will be inspired by math.

"If you never let a kid see a symphony they will never ask to learn an instrument— you have to be inspired to do so and that's what the museum tries to do. Maybe the door in is through art, music or movement," Lawrence points out.

Years ago, Lawrence began a lecture series called "Math Encounters" where mathematics PhDs would share their work with the general population. Erik Demaine spoke at the first event, the youngest ever MIT math professor. He walked in and enthusiastically declared "I love math!" Lawrence remembers.

Years later a woman from MIT applied for a summer job with the museum. In her application she told a story of attending that talk while in middle school.

"She told us that she decided then and there she decided she would do anything to be like [Demaine] and get to MIT. And there she was."