Press release
Tutti i numeri di Matematicando
The mathematics festival organised by the Department of Education and Learning / University of Teacher Education (DFA/ASP) of SUPSI brought 220 classes from Ticino schools to Locarno, involving more than 3,700 pupils. There was also a strong public turnout on Saturday, the day open to the general public, with hundreds of people attending the shows and workshops held throughout the city.
SUPSI Image Focus
For Silvia Sbaragli, organiser of Matematicando and Head of the Mathematics Education Competence Centre at DFA/ASP, the overall outcome of these three days dedicated to mathematics is extremely positive, not only in quantitative but above all in qualitative terms: “We saw great enthusiasm among teachers, pupils, the public, and the City of Locarno, which once again welcomed and supported this event. What pleased me most was the inclusive nature of this fourth edition, with Pro Infirmis organising many workshops run by its users and the participation of numerous inclusive classes and small-sized classes (special education).”
The excellent response from schools and the public was also driven by the strong anticipation surrounding this fourth edition, which returned to animate the city of Locarno after six years, following the forced interruption caused by the pandemic. Along the streets of Locarno, visitors were able to take part in 50 initiatives, including workshops and performances, designed to bring people of all ages closer to mathematics through other disciplines and different perspectives.
“Mathematics is everywhere, and Matematicando is an opportunity to discover it in an informal setting and through encounters with Italian language, poetry, art, sport, and robotics,” Silvia Sbaragli continues. “In the 1990s it was perhaps perceived as a subject that could be somewhat intimidating. Today, thanks to significant outreach efforts—of which Matematicando is part—it seems that in Ticino we have made peace with this discipline, as confirmed by PISA data. We want to continue offering these new perspectives on mathematics, constantly finding new entry points to engage people with a subject that is as important as it is fascinating.”
Once again in this fourth edition, the Ticino school community responded with very strong participation to the invitation to attend the Thursday and Friday sessions of the festival, dedicated to teachers and their pupils. Registration, which opened at the beginning of the year, reached full capacity in a very short time. Not even the rain that accompanied the first two days of Matematicando discouraged participants, who followed some activities sheltered under their umbrellas.
These expressions of appreciation and interest represent an important recognition of the extensive work carried out in recent months by the Department of Education and Learning / University of Teacher Education of SUPSI, within a complex organisational effort that involved both academic staff and students.
The fifth edition of the Matematicando Festival, A Walk Through Mathematics in the Streets of Locarno, will take place in 2026.
The excellent response from schools and the public was also driven by the strong anticipation surrounding this fourth edition, which returned to animate the city of Locarno after six years, following the forced interruption caused by the pandemic. Along the streets of Locarno, visitors were able to take part in 50 initiatives, including workshops and performances, designed to bring people of all ages closer to mathematics through other disciplines and different perspectives.
“Mathematics is everywhere, and Matematicando is an opportunity to discover it in an informal setting and through encounters with Italian language, poetry, art, sport, and robotics,” Silvia Sbaragli continues. “In the 1990s it was perhaps perceived as a subject that could be somewhat intimidating. Today, thanks to significant outreach efforts—of which Matematicando is part—it seems that in Ticino we have made peace with this discipline, as confirmed by PISA data. We want to continue offering these new perspectives on mathematics, constantly finding new entry points to engage people with a subject that is as important as it is fascinating.”
Once again in this fourth edition, the Ticino school community responded with very strong participation to the invitation to attend the Thursday and Friday sessions of the festival, dedicated to teachers and their pupils. Registration, which opened at the beginning of the year, reached full capacity in a very short time. Not even the rain that accompanied the first two days of Matematicando discouraged participants, who followed some activities sheltered under their umbrellas.
These expressions of appreciation and interest represent an important recognition of the extensive work carried out in recent months by the Department of Education and Learning / University of Teacher Education of SUPSI, within a complex organisational effort that involved both academic staff and students.
The fifth edition of the Matematicando Festival, A Walk Through Mathematics in the Streets of Locarno, will take place in 2026.