Mathematics is foundational to all fields of science, technology, and engineering (NCTM, 2000; NRC, 2012) and has been shown repeatedly to be a gatekeeper for long-term engagement with STEM topics and careers (e.g., Dika & D’Amico, 2016; McCreedy & Dierking, 2013; Staus et al., 2016; Turner, Steward, & Lapan, 2004). Although there is a growing body of research on mathematics in informal learning environments (Pattison, Rubin, & Wright, 2016), little has been done to understand how math can be integrated into other informal STEM education settings or topics, and how this integration might engage those who do not already have positive attitudes about math. One area of particular promise for exploring this integration is making. Over the last decade there has been a proliferation of out-of-school environments that foster building, making, tinkering, and design (Bevan, Gutwill, Petrich, & Wilkinson, 2015; Vossoughi, Escudé, Kong, & Hooper, 2013), creating an unprecedented opportunity to engage a wide range of participants in mathematics that is both purposeful and powerful.
In September 2015, with support from the National Science Foundation (DRL-1514726), TERC and the Institute for Learning Innovation launched the Math in the Making project to engage the field in discussions about the relationships between mathematics and making and, in particular, to consider how integrating the two might both enrich making experiences and support mathematical learning and interest development for children and adults. The collaboration included a national workshop with leaders from informal education, mathematics, and making and tinkering; a pre-workshop online discussion; a synthesis of literature on mathematical reasoning outside of school; and a website (mathinthemaking.terc.edu) with video highlights of the workshop, reports from workshop discussion groups, and other related resources. One year later, we take this opportunity to share emergent themes