The school of mathematics is a place of study based on free, approachable, self-paced, motivated, intuitive, diverse, participatory, cooperative exploration.
Free (of charge): We believe that all people should have equal access to mathematics, so we do not charge money for studying.
Approachable: We would like for anyone to be able to understand and experience mathematics. In order to do so, we put effort into finding simple ways to present mathematical ideas.
Self-paced: We recognize that it takes time to properly comprehend mathematical ideas, so we put no predefined time goals for the completion of a certain unit of study.
Motivated: Before we present a mathematical idea, we present the reasons leading to its development. When possible, we begin with an explicit question and use the attempt to answer that question as a guideline for the development of the idea at hand. We try to explain why this question is significant and what might bring one to ask that question.
Intuitive: We believe that the essence of mathematics lies not in memorization, notation and rules, but rather in ideas. We strive to surface those ideas and use our intuitive understanding of them to lead in our studies.
Diverse: Different people think in different ways and our studies take that into account. We seek to find different possible explanations for the same ideas and help people nourish their own way of thinking instead of imposing our own on them. We wish to see many different correct answers to the same question.
Participatory: We feel that a true study of mathematics involves personal participation and not just passive listening. We prefer workshops and discussions to lectures. We encourage participants to develop and contribute their ideas.
Cooperative: When we have an understanding of a mathematical idea, we strive to help others comprehend it. We try to learn to communicate in a way that allows for a fruitful exchange of ideas. When we have a different way of thinking than someone else, we try to share our viewpoint and learn to see those of others.
Exploration: We acknowledge that most attempts at solving a problem are not successful, and that these attempts are necessary in order to properly comprehend the study at hand. We allow for wrong steps to be taken and let people explore and experiment taking them, with an understanding that only thus can there be a true understanding of what makes these steps wrong and others right.