Since 1986, Americans have celebrated the importance of mathematics each April, highlighting how the application of math is indispensable in a variety of fields.  At first, Mathematics Awareness Month was a smaller initiative — Mathematics Awareness Week — and was created by President Ronald Reagan.  But by 1999, the week-long awareness campaign had been expanded to take place over the entire month of April.

According to MathAware.org, “The American Mathematical Society, the American Statistical Association, the Mathematical Association of America, and the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics announce that the theme for Mathematics Awareness Month, April 2012, is Mathematics, Statistics, and the Data Deluge.”  The theme serves as a reminder about the data we collect — including information from Google searches, Facebook activities, and credit card purchases –  each day, and how it needs to be looked at and understood.

MathAware.org offers many ways to spread the word about Mathematics Awareness Month, from Liking its Facebook Page to sharing this year’s theme poster.  You could even pass out Math Awareness Month giveaways at schools and offices to raise awareness about this important initiative.

In 1986, President Ronald Reagan said,

Despite the increasing importance of mathematics to the progress of our economy and society, enrollment in mathematics programs has been declining at all levels of the American educational system. Yet the application of mathematics is indispensable in such diverse fields as medicine, computer sciences, space exploration, the skilled trades, business, defense, and government. To help encourage the study and utilization of mathematics, it is appropriate that all Americans be reminded of the importance of this basic branch of science to our daily lives.

More than 25 years later, his statement is still true.  Please do your part in reminding Americans about the importance of math!