Boise Sunrise Rotarians stepped up to support STEM activities this month by serving as proctors and graders at both the regional and state-level MATHCOUNTS competitions. The competitions feature the best and brightest math students from around the state competing for the opportunity to represent Idaho in the National competition in Washington DC in May. MATHCOUNTS, is a nonprofit organization that provides grades 6-8 extracurricular mathematics programs in all U.S. states, plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and U.S. Virgin Islands. Its mission is to provide engaging math programs for middle school students of all ability levels to build confidence and improve attitudes about math and problem solving. National competitions host approximately 30,000 “mathletes” from nearly 5500 schools.
This year, Rotarian proctors were also joined by two previous state winners, Aiden Li and Danial Yang. Proctors observe and support students while they participate in 3 challenging rounds of competition. The Sprint Round consists of 30 problems completed during a 40-minute session. The Target Round consists of 8 problems. Problems are presented in sets of two, with each set having a 6-minute time limit. The Team Round consists of 10 problems to be solved in 20 minutes. This round is similar to the Target Round where four students collaborate on a school or state’s team.[3] The Team Round is meant to test the collaboration and problem solving skills of the team. Top students advance to the final Countdown Round. The Countdown Round is meant to test the speed and reflexes of a competitor. The Countdown Round is the official determinant of the National Champion at MathCounts Nationals.
Boise Sunrise Rotary has supported MATHCOUNTS in the treasure valley for nearly 10 years, providing volunteers at events and enjoying the impact that this kind of support creates.
