MathsAlive! brings science and snowboarding to Canberra

Posted on 4 December, 2018

 The summer school holidays just got a whole lot more fun (and educational).

The interactive traveling exhibition MathsAlive! is now open at Canberra’s East Space gallery, on the shores of Lake Burley Griffin at Commonwealth Place. The exhibition made its debut at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., and has arrived in Australia with the support of Raytheon to inspire the next generation of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) innovators.

MathsAlive! encourages young people to pursue a career in STEM by connecting to them through things that they love, like music, sports, movies and games. With the Boardercross exhibit, they can learn how physics affects snowboarding, as well as experiments that teach topics like weather, probability and light.

“This exhibition was designed to create enthusiasm and get young people excited about STEM,” explains Raytheon Australia Managing Director Michael Ward. “I really take great pride in Raytheon’s longstanding involvement in STEM for Australia and the focus that we’ve had on trying to encourage people into those careers. 

Alongside Assistant Minister for Defence Senator David Fawcett, Australian Paralympian snowboarder Joany Badenhorst was on hand for the official opening of MathsAlive! to share how technology and engineering has changed her life.  

When Joany was 10 years old, her left leg was amputated in a farming accident. She was a keen athlete as a kid, and continued competing in track events successfully after being fitted with a prosthetic leg. After an injury, Australian Paralympic snowboarding coach Peter Higgins asked Joany if she had ever considered snowboarding and she jumped at the chance. But it wasn’t as simple as she was expecting.  

“I sucked at snowboarding, because you can’t just put on a leg and go down the run and nail it,” she laughed. “I didn’t realise that snowboarding requires really minute mathematical calculations to be successful.

“My height, my weight, the size of the snowboard, the angle at which my ankle is pushed forward in the snowboard all had to be taken into account, and this took me three years to develop—along with amazing mathematicians, prosthetists and engineers—a leg that would carry me on a snowboard and carry me further in my career.”

Joany’s passion for STEM was shared by the Year 5 students from Kaleen Primary School who got the first chance to try out the Boardercross exhibit with her and explore MathsAlive! at the official opening. If this all sounds like something a little person in your life would enjoy, the free exhibition is now open daily.

the essentials  

What: MathsAlive! Interactive Exhibition
When: Until 17 March 2019
Where: East Space, Commonwealth Place, Parkes
Website: mathsalive-au.com

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