Numbers to Networks 2026

Applied mathematics through inquiry

Lam Dong, Vietnam

June 22 to 29, 2026

Learning from practice. Building what lasts.

Numbers to Networks is the field program of CS Inspiration. For eight days this summer, a team of student instructors travels to Lam Dong, Vietnam, to teach 30 middle school students how to reason through mathematics with the Aristotelian inquiry method, then use it to solve a real problem in their own community. Every student leaves with a finished project they present to teachers and families on the final day.

Lam Dong, Vietnam, June 2026.

0
days on site: 0
middle school students: 0
student instructors, a 1 to 10 ratio

Two ways to be good at mathematics.

What the exam rewards

Recalling procedures and reproducing them quickly, under time pressure.

What N2N adds

Taking an open question, choosing what matters, building a model, and defending an idea.

Mathematics in Vietnamese public schools is taught for the national exam, so students learn to recall procedures and reproduce them under time pressure. Numbers to Networks runs alongside the exam curriculum, not in place of it, and gives students a structured way to use the mathematics they already know on problems that have no single correct answer.

Linh Ho and Clive Dimmock, "Changing Teachers’ Beliefs and Practices towards Learner-Centred Education: Experiences and Lessons from Vietnam’s Education System Reforms," Practice 5, no. 3 (2023): 200-219.

A planned field week, in three acts.

Days 1 to 3

Foundations

Variables and relationships, simple and compound growth, feedback loops and resource limits, trade-offs and budgets, and break-even analysis. Students learn to turn their reasoning into a model that other people can follow.

Days 4 to 6

Inquiry and build

Students explore Lam Dong, choose a problem in their own community, and shape it into an answerable question. They build a spreadsheet model, test it under different assumptions, and build a poster.

Days 7 to 8

Present and close

Students present their work to teachers, families, administrators, and school staff, then close with awards and reflection.

All student-facing material is in Vietnamese with full diacritics.
Daily contact time is 2 to 3 hours.
Students work in groups of 3 to 4 with one laptop per group.
The deliverable is a spreadsheet model and a poster, presented live.

One loop, run until it is theirs.

inquiry loop

1
Predict and hypothesize
Commit to a guess before any calculation.
2
Experiment and apply
Gather what is needed and test the guess.
3
Analyze and calculate
Work the numbers and read what the model says.
4
Evaluate and reflect
Compare to the prediction, then adjust.

By the end of the week, students run this loop on their own. We count the program a success when a student can explain both the answer and the reasoning behind the approach they chose.

Each instructor stays with the same group of students for the whole week. When a student sees a new face every hour, trust never forms, and learning depends on trust. A consistent instructor means students settle in faster and the real work starts sooner.

Three things, made by hand and defended out loud.

SUM

COUNTIF

Spreadsheet model

Students organize their data, write formulas, test their assumptions, and produce at least one chart.

Formulas checked against the hypothesis.

Poster

Students show the question, the hypothesis, the key chart, the conclusion, and an honest limitation. Posters are built by hand and kept lean so the reasoning stays visible.

Reasoning front and center.

Live presentation

Each group presents the full inquiry loop in 5 to 7 minutes to administrators, teachers, and school staff.

5 to 7 minutes, full loop.

How the work is scored

/ 100

Question and hypothesis20
Data and model reasoning30
Conclusion and honest limitation20
Explanation and poster15
Teamwork and timing15

We set the targets before we arrive.

9 in 10

students complete their project.

Every

student can explain the reasoning behind their solution without help.

8 in 10

of the 30 observing teachers report they are satisfied with the program.

project-based assessment enters Lam Dong’s local maths curriculum.

We measure the trip against targets we set before we arrive, and we record results through student and teacher surveys.

After we leave

Week 0
Program runs.
Week 1
After-school setup and teacher feedback.
Week 8
Follow-up check-in.
Next school
Bring one neighboring school on board.

The work does not stop when we leave. In the week after, we set the program up as an after-school activity so students can keep going, and we gather feedback from the teachers who watched it run. We check in again around the eight-week mark, then look to bring one neighboring school on board. In Nghe An, this follow-through turned a single visit into an ongoing relationship with the local Department of Education. Lam Dong is the next place we are trying to do the same.

Three ways in.

Students and families

Your child takes part in the full week, builds a project they present at the close, and continues with the after-school activity afterward. We are glad to answer any question about the schedule or what the week involves.

Schools and education officials

We work directly with host schools and local Departments of Education to fit the program to your students and to carry the applied methods into your curriculum after the trip.

Sponsors and companies

Your support covers instructor travel, student materials and devices, and the after-school setup that keeps the program running once we leave. We can match recognition and reporting to what your organization needs.

Your contact

Harry Tran (Tran Minh Quang)

Founder

A student-led team, accountable on the ground.

CS Inspiration is a student-led education organization founded in 2022, run by Vietnamese high school students working across Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the United States. Numbers to Networks has run in Jakarta and across Vietnam, where we work with local Departments of Education on carrying applied methods into the local curriculum. Undergraduates from MIT and Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology support the instructors and keep lesson quality consistent between visits. The Lam Dong trip is supported by Deerfield Academy’s Center for Service and Global Citizenship.

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students taught through Numbers to Networks: 0+
learning hours delivered: 0+
partner schools in 2026: 0+
learners in over 75 countries through Maths4Threads

Harry TranProgram Lead

Led program design, technical development, research direction, and field implementation.

David NguyenChief Partnerships Officer

Manages logistics partners and coordinates communication across organizations.

Tony TranVietnam National Ambassador

Maintains partner relationships in Vietnam and leads outreach to expand the school network.

Program at a glance