Northwest hosts second annual math contest for high school students

Northwest Missouri State University’s Department of Mathematics and Statistics on Feb. 13 hosted its second annual “We Love Math: High School Contest,” which drew 50 students in grades nine through 12 from districts in Missouri and Nebraska.

Two events engaged students individually while the last two events required school teams. In the end, 13 students qualified to attend their home-state meets in the four-state region by earning at least 50 percent of the points in any one event or scoring better than the 80th percentile.

Omaha (Neb.) North Magnet High School earned this year’s sweepstakes award and received a plaque honoring it as the overall-winning school.

The Missouri Council of Teachers of Mathematics (MCTM) provided awards, including ribbons to the top five students on individual tests in each grade, medals for the top three students overall, plaques and ribbons for a first place student team

The contest provides an alternative format to the former Math Olympiad while supporting secondary teachers in the region and showcasing Northwest. Sponsors attended a short welcome meeting where Brian Swink, a Northwest instructor of mathematics and statistics and MCTM president-elect shared information about the master’s degree programs at Northwest. During the afternoon awards ceremony, Dr. Christine Benson shared information about Northwest’s math pathways course options and Swink discussed degree paths available to students interested in mathematics, data science or mathematics education.

Swink and Haley Harrill, a Northwest instructor of mathematics and statistics, co-coordinated with MCTM and MathLeague.org to host the contest.

MCTM’s mission is to support all mathematics educators and promote high quality instruction. The organization hosts contests for elementary, middle and secondary school students throughout the state that allow students to qualify for state-level competition. MCTM also awards grants to Missouri teachers, and Outstanding Mathematics Educator Awards are given out at its annual conference every December.

Find official results for the contest at Northwest and more information about MCTM contests online.