FOLLOWING a short break during the Eid Al-Fitr holidays, MathAlive, a unique interactive math and science exhibit, has reopened to the public at Fakieh Planetarium as part of an exciting three-month summer stopover in Jeddah. Now at its midpoint since its May opening, MathAlive will remain in Jeddah until Aug. 26. Created by the US-based global technology innovation leader Raytheon, the exhibit is being held in partnership with Tarfeeh Fakieh, Jeddah Science Center and Tatweer Educational Services. It is scheduled to complete its 2016 Saudi tour with stops in Riyadh and Al-Khobar as Raytheon commemorates the 50th anniversary of its partnership with Saudi Arabia. MathAlive is a premier traveling educational exhibition, designed to show the math behind things young students enjoy. The exhibit first opened at Smithsonian International Gallery in Washington in 2012, and a special version of MathAlive! began a tour of the Gulf region in 2013. Since opening in Jeddah, MathAlive has received considerable interest from students, families and the general public, with the number of visitors totaling more than 4,000. Several Jeddah-based schools have organized trips to the Fakieh Planetarium to attend MathAlive. More school trips are expected in August. "We are pleased to see the engagement and interest that MathAlive has generated since its opening this summer from Jeddah students, families and the general public," said Lou Laroche, president of Raytheon International in Saudi Arabia. "I would like to thank all our partners for the excellent work they have done in helping bring MathAlive to Jeddah, as together we are promoting the importance of STEM education while making math and science enjoyable for young Saudis." Jamil Attar, executive director of Tarfeeh Fakieh added, "MathAlive is a great addition to the range of science and technology edutainment concepts and attractions that we offer at Fakieh Planetarium. It successfully incorporates a new youth engagement academic aspect to our offerings and we look forward to the rest of the exhibit's tour." MathAlive is designed to inspire and spark the imagination, and to reveal the endless possibilities of math. Designed for families and students, the exhibition brings to life the real math behind what children love most – video games – and creates interactive and immersive experiences that bring to life the math at work, whether in design, application or use. There are currently more than 20 fun and engaging modules at MathAlive Jeddah, including Ramp it Up, Power Play, Outdoor Action, Build Your World, Robots and Space and Math Minds.
