Math Circle Institute

Each summer Bob and Ellen Kaplan get together with Amanda Serenevy and a few dozen other kindred souls, and play with math. This year will be the 4^th annual Institute.

It's held at Notre Dame where the food is pretty amazing. (Well, it's not up to local, sustainable, organic standards, but it's quite yummy.) If you go, your days there will be full of math and camaraderie.

Here's their blurb on their website: (edited a teeny bit)

Math Circle Teacher Training Institute

We will hold our fourth Math Circle Summer Teacher Training Institute on the Campus of Notre Dame, in South Bend Indiana, from July 10th to 16th, 2011.

Demonstrations of our approach, practice sessions in running Math Circles, discussions of theory and practice, and conversations about selected math topics will be hosted by Bob and Ellen Kaplan, Leo Goldmakher, and Amanda Serenevy. Participants will work with children in 1st through 12th grades each afternoon to try out their own Math Circle ideas.

Tuition is $800 for the week, room and board included.
Inquiries can be made by e-mail to kaplan@math.harvard.edu.

I went for 3 years in a row. I'd go again, but there's a technology workshop I've just gotta check out this summer. Maybe I can get back next summer. Another mom and I dubbed it Math Spa. (We swam every day the first year.)

The participants range from folks whose math skills had me intimidated (I am so over that now!) to people who are just beginning to discover the joys of math. We all worked together, and no one expected you to know things you didn't.

Go! You'll be happy you did.