Time to register for statewide math competition

The event starts next Saturday, Oct. 8, with local competitions at Mathnasium Learning Centers across the state, including its Cary Park and Durham-Chapel Hill locations. An online registration deadline is 5 p.m. Oct. 7. Kids can register onsite the day of the competition only if space is available.

All competitors will receive a participation certificate, an official event T-shirt and a goodie bag. The top 25 winners from each grade level will also receive an invitation to compete in the North Carolina Math Competition state finals on the UNC-Chapel Hill campus on Oct. 23.  The registration fee is $20 per participant.

The math competition focuses on different math concepts that students should master in each grade. The three events are: The Counting Game (tests student’s ability to count from any number, to any number, by any number); Magic Squares (students are awarded points for creativity in developing their own math problems); and Mental Math Workout (tests student’s number sense by asking them to solve given problems the "smart" way without pencil and paper).

Any students in third through eighth grade in public school, private school, or home schools in North Carolina are eligible to register. Participants may compete in one competition only in their grade level or higher. Out-of-state participants may compete in the competition if they live within 100 miles of North Carolina and the closest Mathnasium Center in their state is located more than 100 miles from their home.

Students may register online to compete at any participating Mathnasium Center. Here's where you'll find centers in our area: