There are less than 100 math museums in the entire world, and only a handful in America. We, however, have one of them right here in Seattle, called the Seattle Universal Math Museum (SUMM).

What is SUMM? SUMM is located all around Seattle and although it is not currently in a physical location, they host all sorts of events in the area, such as family events, hands-on exhibits, and conversations, all about math.

The creators are extremely passionate about math and want to share that with the community. “We love the wonder and beauty in math, how it helps us understand the world we live in and dream up ways to improve it. We exist to inspire kids to feel that way too,” said the creators of the museum. 

SUMM is aspiring to be a place where learners can engage with math hands on, experience exhibits and diagrams. SUMM’s mission is to “spark each and every person to love math,” and to make math more approachable and enjoyable for the community. 

On their website they have helpful tips and tricks for parents and their students, including “Making Fractions Fun and Easy for Your Child” and “5 Tips on how to Support Your Child During Standardized Testing.”

When asked why SUMM is important to her, Dr. Jenny Quinn, the executive director at SUMM, responded with, “I believe that everyone can be a mathematician. In fact, children are natural mathematicians. They delight in counting objects, sorting based on color or pattern, classifying and matching shapes, and comparing quantities.” 

Diving deeper, Dr. Quinn continues, saying “Playing Minecraft, Pokemon, or D&D requires mathematical thought. But many of those very same kids will tell you that they are not good at math. So where did we lose them? When math became hard. When math became about answers and test scores. When doing math made them feel badly about themselves. Quite simply when the joy of math was removed.” 

“SUMM can change that,” said Dr. Quinn. “We support young people to engage and persevere in math through play, puzzles, and connections to real life, culture, and each other. By encouraging a positive attitude and growth mindset towards math, we aim to keep students and their families engaged throughout their education. Math success is a foundational step towards any career in the sciences, technology, engineering, and more.”

There are many events coming up for SUMM and they are for all ages unless specified otherwise. You can find all of their upcoming events on their website or linked right here. 

“Between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024, SUMM hosted 268 events serving nearly 12,000 students, educators, and families. Of those events 75% were in communities of opportunity with 72% being funded through grants and donations,” said Dr. Quinn.

Some of their upcoming events include an “InsㄫreSide Chat” with Dr. Quinn. “InsㄫreSide Chats are open to all members of the SUMM community and those who are interested in learning what we are all about,” she said. “These virtual meetings are informal opportunities to connect with SUMM community and leadership, learn SUMMthing new, and ask SUMM questions.” 

If this interests you, the form you need to fill out to register is linked right here and the event is on Sunday, Nov. 17, at 3 p.m. and will continue until 4 p.m.

Another upcoming event is an “AweSUMM Math Space” located at the Skyway Library (12601 76th Avenue South, Seattle, WA, 98178). The event includes “puzzles, games, and other hands-on activities including math art projects and building self-supporting bridges.” The event will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 19 and will start at 4 p.m. and will continue until 6 p.m.

One of their past events included a haunted math event called “FRACTURE!” which was an interactive math horror experience that included a haunted house, live theater, and an escape room which, of course, you had to use math to escape. 

SUMM would love your support and participation in their events. You can donate, volunteer, or simply go to the events they host and have some fun discovering the joy of math!