We are very excited as we have a great selection of keynote speakers join us in person at the 2024 NNN Annual Meeting in Toronto, Canada.

Our Friday night keynote will be from Kees Hoogland. The title of his talk is forthcoming. Kees is professor of Mathematical and Analytical Competence of Professionals at the University of Applied Sciences Utrecht, The Netherlands. Kees has worked as mathematics teacher, teacher educator, researcher, textbook author, journal editor, and CEO. He was active as international consultant on mathematics and numeracy education in Belarus, Dutch Antilles, Greece, Indonesia, South Africa, Surinam, Mexico and Denmark. He is active as member of the OECD Numeracy Expert Group for PIAAC and project leader of the Erasmus+ projects Common European Numeracy Framework and Numeracy in Practice.

Our Saturday afternoon keynote will be a panel on the topic of college and university quantitative centers in the U.S. and Candada. We will have three panelists, including Catherine McCune (Smith College, USA), Chris Stewart (Quest University, Canada), and Semra Kiliç-Bahi (Connecticut College, USA). Grace Coulombe of Bates College (USA) will moderate the panel. .

In person (USD)

Early Bird (Deadline August 31) - $125

Regular - $150

Friday Dinner - $30

Discounted - $50 for K-12 teachers; Community & 2-year Colleges; CEGEP; Students; Postdocs; Sessionals; Retired; Unemployed

Online (USD)

Regular - $75

Discounted - $50 for K-12 teachers; Community & 2-year Colleges; CEGEP; Students; Postdocs; Sessionals; Retired; Unemployed

George Brown College - St. James Campus

Campus maps and rooms will be announced later.

Transportation:

• UP Express

Website: https://www.upexpress.com/en 

Transportation to and from Toronto International Airport (Pearson Station) and Union Station Downtown Toronto.

Recommended - 25 minutes from the airport to downtown.

Sample Price: Adult One Way $12.35 CAD (subject to change) payable by a credit card

• Toronto Transit Commission aka TTC (local city transportation)

Website: https://www.ttc.ca/

Fares & Passes: https://www.ttc.ca/Fares-and-passes

Sample Price: Single Fare $3.30 CAD using debit/credit card for two-hour transfer (subject to change)

The best way to get around Toronto is using the subway and streetcars (or city buses) with some walking.

• Uber and Taxis

Decent. These forms of transportation can be expensive depending on time of day, events, demand, etc.

• Downtown Toronto is walkable/cyclable (https://bikesharetoronto.com/). (E-scooters are illegal in Toronto after several e-scooters caught fire.) However, walking from Union Station to George Brown College St. James Campus is approximately 1.5 kilometres (1 mile) which takes about 20 minutes.
• Driving (your own car or rental car)

We suggest that you leave your car at your accommodation, as finding parking may be difficult and the parking costs may add up.

Parking throughout Toronto:

Green P Parking (https://parking.greenp.com/)

NOTE: The Gardiner Expressway, which is the highway to access the downtown core and to arrive at the meeting space, will have reduced lanes into and from Toronto for three years due to construction. Give yourself extra time and patience.

Several options are available:

1. Holiday Day Inn Express Downtown Toronto
2. Hotel Victoria
3. The Omni King Edward Hotel
4. Sheraton Centre Toronto

The above are all walking distance from the meeting venue. However, you can use hotel booking websites (Expedia, Booking.com, etc.) to see what other hotels are available near George Brown College St. James Campus that meets your needs.

Passports

Note that U.S. citizens must have a valid passport to enter Canada. We highly recommend that all conference attendees examine their country's passport requirements in relation to Canada soon--take care of it sooner rather than later!

Meeting cost estimate (from April 2024):

Book early as you may have all your travel covered for approximately $1500 USD. To better gauge the cost of the 2024 NNN Annual Meeting, we created an estimate.

• Average airplane ticket from the US (Denver, New York, Tucson, Houston, Hartford – cities we looked up on Google Flights) is $600 USD.
• Two (2) nights in Toronto is $250 USD x 2 = $500 USD
• Food for three (3) days $150 USD
• Transportation $100 USD
• In-Person Meeting Registration Fee $125 USD (Early Bird)

Total = $1475 USD (subject to personal circumstances, preferences and restrictions, plus price changes).

Exchange Rate from USD to CAD

Note that money may be exchanged at banks (e.g., RBC, BMO, TD, CIBC, ScotiaBank) and hotels. Often, the best rate is obtained on credit card purchases when paying in the currency of the country that you are in - numeracy right here! Some shops and restaurants might accept US dollars in cash, but we recommend that you do not do this as the exchange rates can be less favorable.

Finally, note that almost all goods and services in Ontario have a 13% sales tax.

Yes, online can be efficient and practical given time, personal, and financial factors, but there is a charm in being present at an in-person gathering. The National Numeracy Network wants to continue to bring people together in person as it has value for everyone involved.

• The National Numeracy Network annual meeting strengthens the work and unifies us by advocating for the importance of quantitative reasoning in education and everyday life. It builds on and justifies the need for the NNN programming beyond the annual meeting.
• The NNN community connects and mobilizes individuals to create and explore new ideas and collaborations, and to foster a sense of belonging with like-minded individuals.
• The synergy and dynamics of an in-person meeting cannot always be captured with the same enthusiasm, energy, and depth when online.
• There is a chance for many fruitful and impactful face-to-face discussions and interactions outside the regularly scheduled sessions, especially at the Friday night dinner.
• The 2024 NNN Annual Meeting will attract an international presence from Canada and Europe to broaden our understanding of numeracy education.

The location is fantastic!

• Toronto is the home of many fantastic attractions, cuisine, culture, art, and entertainment … It's worth the time to travel to the biggest Canadian city!CN Tower, Ripley’s Aquarium, Royal Ontario Museum, Casa Loma, Hockey Hall of Fame, St. Lawrence Market on a Saturday, Eaton Centre Shopping Centre, Dundas Square (smaller version of Shibuya City), Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto Island, Lake Ontario Waterfront, and so much more!
• You might be able to catch a professional sports game over the weekend - Toronto Maple Leafs or Toronto Raptors!

Your in-person registration fee covers:

• Coffee/Tea/Water and bakery goodies with healthy and dietary options available in the morning and afternoon of Saturday and morning of Sunday!
• Light lunch on Sunday!
• Friday Dinner at an additional cost of $30 USD will be bountiful and delicious!