In Kenya and Lesotho, the Varkey GEMS Foundation works with UNESCO on gender-sensitive teacher training to encourage more girls to attend school and learn science and mathematics.

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"The kinds of majors where you learn to integrate mathematics and science with the everyday world have a tremendous benefit in terms of earnings potential, " says PayScale.com's Lee.

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One goal of the lab is to find how people might better learn things like mathematics or chemistry by employing the kind of mental activity engaged when musicians improvise, Lanier said.

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His view on the importance of education has prompted him to start BA32, a foundation promoting the idea of teaching youth in a practical and interesting way, focused on encouraging children across the globe to learn more about mathematics, science and technology.

CNN: January 23, 2013 -- Updated 1738 GMT (0138 HKT)

Children learn the basics of currency and mathematics in elementary school.

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Commodore seeks to return that passion and enhance the ability to learn and develop skills in programming, computational media, mathematics, the arts and many other fields, to the mainstream and to the main streets across the globe.

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For a time he wrote a mathematics column in Scientific American from which you could learn things like the theory of the Rubik's Cube.

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