“I can multiply”: Local group shows importance of knowing multiplication

LAKE CHARLES, La. (KPLC) - You may have spotted them on the streets of downtown Lake Charles or at the mall: a group of locals is looking to spread the importance of math education one multiplication question at a time.

Travis Bolden calls it the, “I can multiply challenge”. He and former student Deja Nonnette went around Lake Charles asking people multiplication questions. Some got them right, some got them wrong. The two filmed their encounters and posted it to social media. A video with a message promoting the importance of knowing math, more specifically, multiplication.

“The only thing that doesn’t change about math is multiplication," Bolden said. "You can’t change it. Adding and subtracting yeah we all do that but multiplication is a tool that can take you places that some other things may not be able to. Multiplication is a life skill too. You want to multiply success. You don’t just want to add money to your bank account, you want to multiply the money. We just want people to understand that this is that important, especially parents.”

Both say they have created social media pages and printed out multiplication charts, passing them out to people and restaurants to spread their message.

“The ability of an individual of any age to be able to multiply consistently and effectively can build confidence in other areas of life," Nonnette said. "We as an organization will succeed in our mission to enhance the awareness of math education through one multiplication chart at a time.”

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