Elementary / Secondary Programs

The Fields Institute for Research in Mathematical Sciences supports a wide range of programming and research in mathematics education. This includes:

Elementary Educator Programs: where we help educators improve their foundational and enrichment math skills.

Ask a Mathematician: where we bring math researchers and those in industry who use math virtually into grade 4 – 10 classrooms to talk about what they do and engage students in a hands on activity.

Math in Literacy: where we work with authors and illustrators from communities typically underrepresented in mathematics to link their children’s books on diverse topics with STEM based resources. 

Centre for Math Education: is a collaboration between mathematicians and educators that aims to promote mathematics and math knowledge through supporting programs like the MathEd Forum – a once a month meeting where educators and researchers can present and discuss various topics in math education.

Learn more about all these programs and more by looking below!

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Want to stay informed about program offerings and new programs? Interested in learning about opportunities to help out? Then join our mailing list. You can also reach out to Pamela Brittain, K - 12 Academic Coordinator, at pbrittai@fields.utoronto.ca for more information.
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Upcoming Events

Fields Math Circles

Have you noticed that 1 has one factor, 10 has four factors, and 100 has nine factors? Does this pattern continue, and why? Or have you noticed – maybe from Prime Climb – that 48 is three times a square number, 49 is a square number, and 50 is two times a square number? Are there other places where a multiple of a square is next to another square?

In the Fields Math Circle, we investigate questions like this with small groups of high school students working collaboratively and guided by mathematicians and math educators. Students practice doing math like mathematicians: looking for patterns, making conjectures, finding counterexamples, and constructing proofs.

Students need not be “traditionally strong” at school math, but they need to be willing to ask questions, get stuck, and explain their thinking.

Sessions are run weekly, IN-PERSON at the Fields Institute (222 College St, Toronto), for two hours on Saturday afternoons from 2 – 4pm.

Fall session starts October 18th!

Interested students should have their parents register using the button below.

REGISTER

Beyond Chalkboards: Digital Innovations in Teaching Mathematics

A conference honoring Ada Lovelace’s birthday

This conference will help introduce groundbreaking techniques and strategies in teaching and learning mathematics, inspiring everyone interested in education.It will highlight the benefits and challenges of integrating technology into mathematics education, provide educators with new strategies to adopt innovative tools in their teaching and provide a platform to discuss future trends and the potential impact of technology on mathematics pedagogy.

When: December 10th, 2025

Where: Online

REGISTER

“i don’t do math”

An art exhibit and panel discussion

“i don’t do math” was a photographic series referencing dyscalculia, a learning difference affecting a person’s ability to understand and manipulate number-based information.

This initiative seeks to raise awareness about the challenges posed by dyscalculia with educators, fellow mathematicians, and parents, and to normalize its existence, leading to early detection and augmented support. In addition, it seeks to reflect on and question broader issues and assumptions about the role and significance of Mathematics and Math education in today’s changing socio-cultural and economic contexts.

The exhibition contained pedagogical information and activities for visitors and students. The artist also addressed the extensive research that led to the exhibition. The exhibition featured two panel discussions following the opening and to conclude the exhibition.

Exhibit Walkthrough

Opening Panel Discussion

Final Roundtable

Ongoing / Current Programs

Elementary Educator Courses

Boost your math skills with one of our foundational courses or expand your knowledge with one of our enrichment classes

Learn More

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Ask a Mathematician

Virtual visits from mathematicians to your classroom

Learn More

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Download Poster

NEW!!! Math in Literacy

Classroom resources based on childrens books

Learn More

NEW!!! Math Outreach Across Canada

A directory of math outreach and engagement programs across Canada

Learn More

A Bit of Fun

Teacher Resources

Science Literacy Week 2022

Check out our interactive poster for this year’s Science Literacy Week where the theme was “M is for Mathematics” – how could we resist!

Earth Day Poster

For Earth Day (2022) we created an interactive poster showing how math modelling can be used to explore our planet and ways to help it.

Teacher “Cheat Sheets”

Named after formula sheets and resources we give our students to help them succeed, these resources are designed to help you reinforce and support concepts you may be teaching.

Student Videos

Here you will find a number of short animated videos aimed at students that teach concepts such as modular arithmetic, fractals, prime numbers and more.

Check out the videos

Learn More About the Fields Institute

Other Programs of Interest

The Fields Institute offers/supports a number of other programs that might be of interest to math educators:

    • Math Circles: open to students in grades 7 – 12, these weekly meetings explore interesting math problems and concepts. The group meets once per week on Saturdays, IN-PERSON at the Fields Institute (if you cannot attend in person but are interested please register and we may consider online sessions in the near future). 
    • Math Ed Forum: meeting on the last Saturday of each month (Sept – Nov, Jan – April), this program brings together math researchers and math educators to talk about issue affecting mathematics education. Talks are offered in-person and virtually and are free to attend. Talks are also recorded for viewing later or if you missed a talk – there is also a large archive of these talks available.
    • Fields Medal Symposium: each year Fields welcomes a Fields Medal winner to give a series of talks on their work. One of these talks is aimed at the general public and another is a student night, designed to make a Fields Medalist and their work accessible to students.
    • YouTube Fun: you can also check out some fun videos we’ve put together on YouTube by scrolling through the Fields Academy playlist, along with What the Numbers Say, and Behind the Numbers. There are also videos associated with each of the Fields Medal Symposiums there as well (they are broken up by year so you’ll have to search a little).
    • Fields Notes: A bi-annual newsletter features articles and information on the many programs taking place at the Institute. It also addresses issues of interest to readers, including many on mathematics education and opportunities for getting involved.
    • Caribou Math Contest: Caribou is an online educational platform offering math learning resources and competitions for students from the start of Elementary School to the end of High School.
    • Math Outreach at UofT: the Math Department at the University of Toronto offers a number of programs aimed at students in grades 3 – 12.