Project Description
Akin Alston is a Seattle-based mathematics educator and entrepreneur with 30+ years of experience transforming math education, particularly in communities of color. He is the founder of Engageable Designs, LLC, an organization dedicated to making math accessible to all students through programs like the Saturday Math Academy and the Early Algebra Pathway.
Akin is known for his innovative and culturally relevant teaching methods, and his work is driven by a desire to reform educational standards and foster a nationwide mathematics renaissance. He is a TEDx speaker and adjunct mathematics instructor. Akin’s motto “Fear No Numbers” empowers students to embrace math and achieve their full potential.
TOPIC: Beyond the Equation: Transforming Math Education Through Cultural Relevance and Community Engagement
Renowned math educator and founder of Engageable Designs, Akin Alston, passionately shares his transformative journey of empowering students in underserved communities to embrace the beauty and power of mathematics. Drawing on his own personal story of overcoming learning challenges, Akin inspires a love of learning and demonstrates how to make math accessible and engaging for all. Discover practical strategies and become part of a nationwide math renaissance where every student is empowered to “Fear No Numbers.”
After a session of hands-on math learning with Fear No Number, teachers/families will leave able to:
IMPLEMENT at least three fun, everyday math activities at home to build early numeracy skills (e.g., cooking, playing games, measuring objects).
IDENTIFY community resources and programs, like the Saturday Math Academy, that support math learning and engagement.
CREATE a more positive and supportive math environment at home by using encouraging language and celebrating effort over innate ability.
DISCUSS math with their children in a relaxed and engaging way, fostering curiosity and a love of learning.
APPLY strategies to help their children overcome math anxiety and build confidence in their mathematical abilities.
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Reviews for Akin
“Akin’s ability to make complex mathematical concepts engaging and accessible is truly remarkable. When my children were in elementary school, they attended his classes on fractions, decimals, percentages, and even the fundamentals of calculus through practical applications of distance, rate, and time equations. He didn’t stop at traditional math instruction—he broadened their intellectual horizons with lessons on stocks and bonds, Excel spreadsheets, chess, and debate. His holistic approach to education, emphasizing both analytical and critical thinking skills, played a pivotal role in their academic trajectories.”
“Akin is a mathematician, but not just any mathematician. He is the people’s mathematician. With the motto “fear no number”, he has helped early childhood educators at North Seattle College, perhaps the most racially and linguistically diverse program in the district, to overcome the stereotypes about who can be good at math and who can enjoy doing math. Akin’s class sets students on fire, inspiring them not only on to overcome a fear of college level math but also inspiring a number of students to go on to become math tutors themselves.”
