Xiaochen Yang volunteers with Maths on Toast alongside studying for a PhD in Statistics at University College London.
“The most satisfying part is definitely the interaction with the children. It’s been fascinating to see how creative they are when participating in activities”
“The most satisfying part is definitely the interaction with the children. It’s been fascinating to see how creative they are when participating in activities”
When I was a kid, I found great joy in playing maths-related games with my parents, such as the 24 Game, tangram and matchsticks game. This pleasure drove me to study maths-related subjects at school and pursue a PhD degree in Statistics at UCL.
I became a volunteer for Maths on Toast in February 2017. The charity caught my eye amongst a list of volunteering opportunities as I thought it would be so much fun to play maths games with children and meaningful to let them enjoy the subject. I assist the monthly family event at Pancras Square Library, helping the event organiser to set up activities, introducing games to attendees, assisting children whenever needed, and showing them the mathematical ideas behind the games.
“The wide variety of games brings a fresh experience to each volunteering session“
“The wide variety of games brings a fresh experience to each volunteering session“
The most satisfying part is definitely the interaction with the children. It’s been fascinating to see how creative they are when participating in activities, for example telling you an imaginative story with numbers or building a strong gumdrop bridge to hold 1kg of flour. “