‘Break down stereotypes’: Annual maths camp finds new home

More than 100 students, parents, and teachers gathered at the Danala | Education and Community Precinct’s Radicle Centre for a two-day Maths Camp.

Charles Darwin University (CDU) Senior Lecturer in Education – Mathematics Dr Khalid Khan has co-organised the routine camps since 2009 alongside University Fellow Dr Ian Roberts, though this is the first year the event took place at the University’s city campus. 

Dr Khan said holding the camp – run over September 25 and 26 – in the heart of city was advantageous in that it proved more cost-effective, and the campus’ technology made accessing learning materials simpler.

But he said nothing beat getting away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

“We asked the kids and their parents, and they overwhelmingly want to have this camp away from the city,” Dr Khan said.

“Subject to the funding available, it might be possible to have two camps in a year moving forward: one here at Danala and one in Batchelor.”

Dr Khan said the camp’s program introduce young people to high-level experts and encourages students to engage meaningfully with maths-related activities.

Charles Sturt University’s Dr Stephen Thornton, University of New South Wales’ Dr Adam Mammoliti, Australian National University’s Elizabeth Barker, and Palmerston Senior College’s Dr Judith Egan helped deliver the activities, known as ‘Maths Worlds’. 

It was organised with the support of CDU’s RADICLE Centre and sponsored by INPEX and ACS NT.

He said it demystified mathematics as a complex subject, provided a real-world context, and inspired future careers by transforming abstract classroom memorisation of algorithms into a tangible, exciting field with practical applications.

“When students meet research-level mathematicians, they see that these ‘experts’ are real people with passion and curiosity, and this breaks down stereotypes,” Dr Khan said.

“It also helps making careers in STEM fields seem more accessible – students learn to take risk, ask questions, see challenges, successes and failures without linking these to 'assessment performance', and see a relatable path forward.

“Mathematics is not just about solving questions, it is fundamentally about questioning the solutions.”