MOCAKIDS Meet & Greet with Chi-Hoon Kim & Juniper Eisenberg & MOCACREATE

After an interactive read-aloud, explore how the abacus has been used by Chinese and Chinese American families for generations and inspired the innovation of a universally designed abacus to increase math literacy. Build your own simple abacus modeled after the surapan abacus and try out beginner counting techniques drawn from Juniper’s problem-solving journey. Experiment with exploring place values and number sense by setting numbers, basic arithmetic, and coin-counting challenges using both the 3D-Click™ abacus and your handmade version. Then, design your own collage creature inspired by the Red Swoosh with teaching artist Yu Rong. A variety of textures, shapes, colors, and materials will be available for participants to mix, layer, and arrange into their own imaginative creatures.

Designed for curious makers and math lovers of all ages, this hands-on workshop invites participants to learn, play, and discover how math, culture, and creativity come together. Best for ages 6-12. Older and younger siblings are welcome. Book signing and purchase will follow the reading!

SCHEDULE

• The MOCACREATE drop-in arts & crafts will run from 2 - 4 PM.
• The MOCAKIDS Meet & Greet with Chi-Hoon and Juniper will start at 2:30 PM.

This event is FREE with museum admission! Reservations are encouraged. MOCA Family Level Members should enter their promo code to access complimentary tickets.

About :

Juniper, a nine-year-old girl with a vision impairment, sets out to Corn Market to buy kernels to make popcorn. In front of the market, she encounters a red creature that is swooshing out with a bag of coins totaling 100 cents.

Juniper works with Ms. Maize, the shop owner, to remediate the theft. Along the way, Juniper uses her 3D-Click™ abacus to keep track of the coins she retrieves and teaches readers how to add using the abacus.

This interactive book provides step-by-step instructions for readers to follow Juniper as she sets her abacus to tally the coins.

About Chi-Hoon Kim and Juniper Eisenberg:

Juniper Eisenberg

Juniper is a brave, fun-loving explorer. Her favorite subject is math and she enjoys using her abacus to solve problems about money. She loves all colors except orange and has a soft spot for pigs and goats. When she is not coming up with jokes, you can find her practicing her parkour moves. Juniper lives in New York City with her parents.

Chi-Hoon Kim

Chi-Hoon is Juniper’s mother and an academic who holds a PhD in anthropology with a concentration in food studies. She embarked on the adventure to learn Braille and other non-visual skills when Juniper was born. Her mission is to raise awareness about accessible tools and accommodations to empower children with vision impairments.

What is the abacus?

An abacus is an ancient calculation device used around the world. It features a frame holding an arrangement of slidable beads on rods. It is a tool that helps people visually and tactilely add, subtract, multiply, and divide numbers. Just as typically sighted people use pen and paper to solve math problems, those with vision impairments can use an adapted abacus. The multi-modal book, Juniper and the Red Swoosh features a universally designed 3D printed abacus called the 3D-Click™. With our collaborators Mountain Lakes Public Library Makerspace and Clovernook Center for the Blind & Visually Impaired, we reimaged the abacus with access in mind to modernize and expand the reach of the abacus. The innovative “click and bump” rod design of the 3D-Click™ locks in the counting beads and provides haptic and auditory feedback. These unique features support foundational math literacy skills such as number sense, number bonds, and place value.

Paint, build, craft, and collage with us! Inspired by the museum’s exhibitions and local artists, MOCACREATE explores different themes every month. MOCACREATE workshops are designed with families in mind, but all are welcome!

Yu Rong is a painter and product designer. She was born in Sichuan and currently lives in New York City, where she is a teaching artist at the Hope Garden Center and at MOCA. She received her BFA in Product Design and MFA in Painting at Parsons School of Design and NYSS, but has been practicing art ever since she was a child. You can learn more about her here: www.yurong.work!

MOCACREATE & MOCAKIDS Meet & Greets are supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council and the New York State Council on the Arts under Governor Kathy Hochul’s Regional Economic Development Council Initiative.

General Admission

• Adults: $10
• Seniors (over 55): $5
• Students (with valid ID): $5
• Visitors with disabilities: $5

Book online in advance to receive $2 discount for adults.

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Family Level Member Admission: FREE

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Pay-What-You-Wish Admission

NYC Residents (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx, Staten Island)

Accepted Residency Verification:

• New York State driver’s license
• New York State ID card
• IDNYC
• New York library card
• Current bill or statement with a New York State address

Pay-what-you-wish admission can only be purchased in person with a residency verification.

Complimentary Admission and Passes

Eligible visitors must present valid ID, membership card, or pass upon arrival. Complimentary admission is available to:

• Children under 12
• Caregivers accompanying visitors with disabilities
• Active-duty military personnel and families (with valid military ID)
• Health care workers (with valid employee ID)
• Cool Culture Family Pass holders (up to 5 family members per visit)
• Culture Pass holders (New York, Brooklyn, Queens Public Libraries, with reservation)
• SNAP/EBT cardholders
• American Alliance of Museums (AAM) members
• International Council of Museums (ICOM) members
• Museums Council of New York City members
• Press and media (with valid press ID)
• Corporate Partners (employees with valid corporate ID)
• Reciprocal members from participating institutions
• Bronx Museum Pass holders
• Staff of other museums and cultural organizations (with valid employee ID)

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Host or Publisher Museum of Chinese in America