Valley Stream Memorial Junior High School ninth-grader Lance Lampert was ranked 37 out of 570 students who competed at the National MathCON Finals, held at the University of Illinois at Chicago on April 23. Approximately 45,000 participants from across the country initially entered the online round of this prestigious academic competition, hosted by Concept Schools.
Students took online assessments in order to qualify for the finals and put their knowledge of several mathematical disciplines to the test. Those who advanced used their algebra, geometry, measurement, data analysis, number systems and pre-calculus skills to answer questions and complete activities in hopes of earning cash prizes and national prestige. The event also featured a presentation from “mathmagician” Dr. Arthur T. Benjamin, a pizza party and STEM-related games. “We’re incredibly proud when any of our students earns recognition for their accomplishments, and we’re so excited to have Lance Lampert represented Memorial Junior High School and rank 37 at MathCON,” Principal Anthony Mignella said. “The STEM field is such an important part of the future, and we actively encourage our teachers and students to find fun ways to use STEM inside and outside of the classroom. This is a great honor not only for Lance, but also for Memorial.”
MathCON’s goal is to engage students in STEM outside of the classroom, and encourage more students to enter the STEM fields, which are currently some of the fastest-growing industries in the United States. Concept Schools is a nonprofit organization that provides rigorous STEM-focused curriculum and leadership development support to the schools, and also hosts a number of academic competitions and conferences throughout the year. “MathCON is our way of inspiring the future leaders in science, technology, math and engineering by engaging students at a young age, making STEM fun and demonstrating its real-world applications,” said Ayhan Caputlu of Concept Schools, which organizes the event. “The competition allows us to reach students from all over the nation and help them establish, improve and maintain skills that can lead to many possibilities throughout their educational careers and beyond.”
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