Hundreds of grade school students are gathered on Eastern Michigan University's campus today, learning about mathematics and show what they already know through competition.
It's part of the "Math Facts Challenge." It's an event hosted by EMU's Charter Schools Office.
This year's challenge involves students in grades 1-8 from 18 different schools.
Stacey Good is a first grade teacher at PACE Academy and helped organize the event. She says the math facts challenge has proven to be a great way to get kids interested in math.
"It gets them excited about learning, and it gets them exposure to the university level. I have kids coming to me in September that tell me, 'Miss Good, I'm ready for the Math Facts Challenge. I've been practicing all summer. I'm going this year!'"
She says it helps develop other valuable skills that will also serve the children well as they mature into adults.
"It teaches them sportsmanship. It exposes them to the university level. So, they get excited about higher education and going to college as well."
Good notes that there is an increased effort in the educational fields to get more kids, particularly, girls, interested in the STEM fields, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, or STEM, fields.
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— Taylor Pinson is a writer/reporter for 89.1 WEMU News. Contact him at 734.487.3363 or email him studio@wemu.org
