The practices are over. They qualified to represent their school. They survived the competitive chapter competitions. Now, the state finals are coming. These Mathletes are ready to step up their game for additional scholarship opportunities.
Starting at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 2nd, more than 130 middle school students representing 43 schools across the Commonwealth of Kentucky will compete in the 2024 MATHCOUNTS State Competition hosted by the University of Louisville J.B. Speed School of Engineering in Louisville.
The competitors include four schools from Northern Kentucky: Blessed Sacrament, Gayle Gray Middle School, St. Joseph Crescent Springs, and Villa Madonna Academy.
These students are advancing from 13 National Society of Professional Engineers – Kentucky (NSPE-KY) Chapter invitational competitions that were held this month. 13 first-place individual finishers at these chapters have each already won a one-time $500 scholarship from the Kentucky Engineering Foundation, a four-year $1,000 scholarship to Western Kentucky University, a four-year $3,000 scholarship to the University of Kentucky Pigman College of Engineering, as well as a full tuition scholarship to Morehead State University.
At the State competition, the challenge is harder, but the rewards are even better. Besides receiving trophies and certificates, the top four students will win a four-year $6,000 college scholarship to the University of Kentucky Pigman College of Engineering or a full tuition scholarship to the University of Louisville and a chance to compete at the 2024 RTX MATHCOUNTS National Competition from May 13-14 in Washington D.C.
These students will represent KENTUCKY for the national title and individually compete for additional scholarships. Students who place fifth through tenth on March 2 will receive a four-year $1,500 scholarship at the University of Louisville. (*Five years if the student attends U of L and majors in engineering.) In total, Kentucky MATHCOUNTS makes available a total of 66 scholarship opportunities for these middle school Mathletes each year.
MATHCOUNTS was founded in 1983 by the National Society of Professional Engineers, CNA Insurance Company, and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and is celebrating its 41st year. It is estimated that over 250,000 students nationally and 9,000 students in the Commonwealth of Kentucky will be exposed to MATHCOUNTS through the classroom, home study, or private coaching experiences each year.
MATHCOUNTS represents NSPE-KY’s on-going commitment to encourage 6th , 7th , and 8th grade students to gain leadership skills, problem solving techniques, and a general understanding for solving problems in real world situations while using their love for math. Engineers hope to impress such skills to students as essential to their future academic and professional careers. Students compete individually and as teams in written and fast-paced, oral, and often awe-inspiring, think-on-your-feet matches designed to stimulate their exposure to a wide range of mathematics.
NSPE-KY, headquartered in Frankfort, sponsors the MATHCOUNTS program through its non-profit, education-based corporation, the Kentucky Engineering Foundation, Inc. The program is operated and administered by volunteers from the engineering community with financial support by many companies, individuals, and organizations.
Among the Kentucky supporters are the University of Kentucky Pigman College of Engineering, the University of Louisville, Western Kentucky University, and Morehead State University, which provide the scholarships. Other financial supporters include but are not limited to: The Lighthouse Beacon Foundation, American Engineers, Inc., Middough Project Solutions, SAME – Kentuckiana Post, Toyota Motor Manufacturing of Kentucky, Inc., Kentucky Geotechnical Engineering Group, National Society of Professional Engineers – Kentucky, and the Kentucky Engineering Foundation, to name a few.
Kentucky’s MATHCOUNTS program is one of the most successful in the United States with several Top Ten success stories, including having the 1995 National Champion and placing 9th overall in 2000 and 2007. The program succeeds by making math achievement as challenging, exciting, and important as a school sport. “Mathletes” prepare all year to compete individually and in teams and their performance is impressive.
