TITLE: Good ways to engage in mathematics outreach?
QUESTION [66 upvotes]: Greetings all, I have often heard that it would be good if we as a community did more in the way of mathematics outreach: more to explain what it is we do to the community at large, more to expose children and adults to all the fun we are having.
What are some particular ways that people have found to do this? A couple come to mind. There are Math Circles in a number of cities, which welcome volunteers, and these are a fantastic resource. There are also clubs built around preparing middle and high school students for competitions, which are wonderful for many people.
What are some other ways people have found to reach out to the community at large? I would be particularly interested to hear ideas that "anyone can do" -- that don't require special knowledge or connections, or too much commitment (at least at first), and that I could try when I begin my first permanent job. I would also be very interested in any outreach that targeted adults, including faculty outside the math department.
Thank you!

REPLY [7 votes]: In the UK there are a lot of good programmes for engaging the public with mathematics, some of which have been touched on in other answers.  Here is a list of the ones I think have worked the best or been most innovative:
1) Royal Institution Masterclasses: a UK-wide series of masterclasses aimed at age 13 school pupils.  Classes are on Saturday mornings for between 5 and 10 weeks.  Each class has a different presenter and each class lasts for 2.5 hours with time for lectures, exercises and refreshments.  I've been involved in giving the Edinburgh and Glasgow masterclasses and they are a lot of fun for all involved.  The kids really appreciate getting to see some maths that they'd never encounter through school, and especially enjoy seeing the diversity and usefulness of the subject.
(In addition, a set of masterclasses gets broadcast on the BBC every Christmas!)
2) FunMaths Roadshow: a collection of 350 maths activities, each suitable for a particular age group between 5 and 20.  The resources are cheap and easy to make, as well as being easy to transport, so that they can be taken all around the local area and used with different groups of people.
3) Maths busking: a new phenomenon which has been surprisingly successful!  'Buskers' go out onto the streets and perform games and tricks which appear to be magic but which can be explained by mathematics. It's a great way to engage with people who would otherwise never attend a maths lecture or think of going to a science museum.
4) Mathematical walking tours: do a tour that opens people's eyes to the mathematics around your city.  This can be historical curiosities, geometrical constructions in the architecture or optimization in the town planning.  Such tours are currently being designed for Oxford and London, or get examples from Manhattan or this maths tourism blog.
Whatever you decide to do, just go ahead and do it with plenty of enthusiasm!  Good luck!