Grantee Spotlight on Zeno Math
Meet our local Play it Forward Fund recipient: Zeno Math! ✨
Their mission? To to spark joy and inspire a love of math in young children and families through racial equity, family engagement, and play, all centered in the experiences of communities of color.
Their vision is a racially just world where every child and family is a doer and lover of math.
With a focus on racial equity and family engagement, Zeno creates programs that make math fun and accessible for everyone. They center their work in the experiences of communities of color, building inclusive spaces where all families can see themselves reflected in math learning.
We're excited to support their work in transforming how children and families experience math through the power of play!
Our Interview with Zeno Math
Gamers Engaged: How will this Play-it-Forward grant support your organization?
Zeno Math: Fund the purchase of math game kits that center racial equity, helping to build families' confidence in math and foster a love for learning among preschoolers. Additionally, the grant will support our team members who provide coaching to teachers on effective math teaching strategies for young children.
Gamers Engaged: What's your vision for the future?
Take This: We envision a racially just world where every child and family is a doer and lover of math, with accessible and culturally relevant early math education for all, particularly underserved communities. Our goal is to reach over 10,000 families annually through our Family MathWays program, empowering parenting adults to engage their children in math learning through play and everyday interactions.
Gamers Engaged: What opportunities does your organization offer for community engagement?
Take This: Volunteering at family math events, joining professional development workshops, and forming partnerships with local organizations. Community members can also provide valuable feedback and help raise awareness about the importance of early math education.
Gamers Engaged: What makes you stand out from the crowd?
Take This: We are deeply committed to centering racial equity in all our games and interactions with families, recognizing the systemic inequities that have historically marginalized communities of color. Our inclusive math game kits reflect the diverse racial, cultural, and linguistic backgrounds of the families we serve, fostering a sense of belonging and empowerment.
Gamers Engaged: What's something really cool you have done in the past year?
Take This: We successfully expanded our Family Mathways program to reach over 6,000 families across Washington State, distributing 36,000 math game kits designed to foster early math skills through play. We also launched our first Early Math Institute, bringing together local partners to discuss the importance of early math education and establish collaborative efforts to support families.
