Amended in Assembly April 21, 2014

California Legislature—2013–14 Regular Session

Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 124

Introduced by Assembly Member Wieckowski

(Coauthors: Assembly Members Garcia, Maienschein, begin delete and Nestande end delete begin insert Nestande, Achadjian, Alejo, Allen, Ammiano, Atkins, Bigelow, Bloom, Bocanegra, Bonilla, Bonta, Bradford, Brown, Buchanan, Ian Calderon, Campos, Chau, Chávez, Chesbro, Conway, Cooley, Dababneh, Dahle, Daly, Dickinson, Donnelly, Eggman, Fong, Fox, Frazier, Beth Gaines, Gatto, Gomez, Gonzalez, Gordon, Gorell, Gray, Grove, Hagman, Hall, Harkey, Roger Hernández, Holden, Jones, Jones-Sawyer, Levine, Linder, Lowenthal, Mansoor, Medina, Mullin, Muratsuchi, Nazarian, Olsen, Pan, Patterson, Perea, John A. Pérez, V. Manuel Pérez, Quirk, Quirk-Silva, Rendon, Ridley-Thomas, Rodriguez, Salas, Skinner, Stone, Ting, Wagner, Waldron, Weber, Wilk, Williams, and Yamada) end insert

(Coauthors: Senators Block, Huff, and Padilla)

March 26, 2014

Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 124—Relative to Mathematics Awareness Month.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

ACR 124, as amended, Wieckowski. Mathematics Awareness Month.

This measure would proclaim April 2014 as Mathematics Awareness Month and would, among other things, encourage colleges, universities, and other organizations to hold events to celebrate Mathematics Awareness Month.

Fiscal committee: no.

WHEREAS, Engagement with and education in mathematics
are key to preparing students for careers in Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields; and

WHEREAS, Mathematics Awareness Month began in 1986
when President Ronald Reagan issued a proclamation for National
Mathematics Awareness Week; and

WHEREAS, April 2014 is recognized as Mathematics
Awareness Month; and

WHEREAS, The theme for Mathematics Awareness Month
2014, “Mathematics, Magic, and Mystery,” highlights how
brain-teasing challenges such as magic squares, Möbius bands,
and card tricks promote creative and rational thinking, attract a
wide range of people to mathematics, and often inspire serious
mathematical research; and

WHEREAS, The theme of Mathematics Awareness Month 2014
honors the centennial of the birth of renowned mathematics
popularizer Martin Gardner, whose extensive writings inspired
enthusiasts of all ages to engage deeply with or even pursue a
career in mathematics; and

WHEREAS, According to a 2011 study by the United States
Department of Commerce, Economics and Statistics
Administration, although women fill close to half the jobs in the
United States economy, they make up only 24 percent of the STEM
workforce; and

WHEREAS, Encouraging women and members of other
underrepresented groups to join the STEM workforce in proportion
to their representation in the overall labor force will help ease the
STEM worker shortage;

WHEREAS, Mathematics Awareness Month encourages
colleges, universities, and other organizations to hold events that
pique and engage students’ interest in mathematics; now, therefore,
be it

Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate
thereof concurring, That the Legislature proclaims April 2014 to
be Mathematics Awareness Month, and be it further

Resolved, That the Legislature does all of the following:

(a) Supports the goals and ideals of Mathematics Awareness
Month.

(b) Encourages colleges, universities, and other organizations
to hold events to celebrate Mathematics Awareness Month.

(c) Urges the establishment of STEM outreach programs to
encourage the recruitment of girls and women to study and work
in STEM fields.

(d) Supports increased public awareness and appreciation for
the importance of mathematics at all levels of the educational
system in the United States; and be it further

Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies
of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.