About Nancy Benerofe
I have always loved and have always drawn mathematical/geometric designs.
As a Religion major at Princeton University, I deepened my understanding of the connections between art, math and science through the in depth study of mandalas and other religious symbols.
After graduating from Princeton in 1990, I trained and then was hired as an Outward Bound instructor by the North Carolina Outward School. As an instructor, I received an incredible education. I discovered the great sense of joy that I felt from witnessing children becoming empowered, especially children who struggle with and feel disempowered in more traditional settings. In Math Through Art I see a broad range of types of learners enjoying a sense of accomplishment and feeling of empowerment as they grasp the mathematical concepts and create beautiful art. At NCOBS, I also discovered the great value in experiential education. I found learning by doing to be a highly effective way for people to learn, and I now use the methodology of experiential education in teaching math through art. At NCOBS, I also learned about the facilitation of individual and group process. I developed skills to help people learn about themselves and others through analysis of experiences and being a part of a group.
Being the mother of three children has led me to rediscover my love of craft projects. As well, I am grateful to the Winooski Elementary School English Language Learners Homework Club, where I crafted one day a week at their homework club for 7 years. The beautiful and eager students there inspired me to discover countless craft projects. They provided me a “classroom” where I learned much about crafting and crafting with kids. Through this work, I developed the commitment to and the skills and practices required for crafting with recycled/reused materials. This is a very important ethic that I am grateful to be able to role model for and share with children.
For 12 years I had the privilege of working with many incredible teachers at the Essex Elementary school and several other schools around my region. I have had the opportunity to develop art projects that support/enrich a full academic year of math curriculum for the second and third grade.
Finally, I am and always will be a student of the mystery of numbers and the magnificence of nature. Since I discovered it, I have been repeatedly drawn to learn about and explore both fractal geometry, and sacred geometry. I am forever curious about the mathematical order that underlies the infinite diversity of the manifestation of our universe, and the natural rhythm that underlies the creation and expression of our world. This passion makes the work of exploring and teaching math through art to children truly exciting and fun for me.
