The Mathematics department and the School of Education at Trent University are excited to announce a new collaboration: The Trent Turtle Mathematics Contest. Through visiting local classrooms and witnessing the excitement for Mathematics, the Mathematics department and the School of Education saw an opportunity to further engage and challenge students in creative ways. Committee member Fred Pulfer comments that, “this is a learning experience that encourages student interest in mathematics and helps foster those intangible "aha!" moments that teachers live for.”

Expecting roughly 500 students to participate in its inaugural year, the Trent Turtle Mathematics Contest organizers were excited to learn that there would be 4,500 participants from schools in the KPR, PVNC, Durham and Trillium Lakelands district school boards entering the January 30 contest.

“It is absolutely extraordinary to see the numbers,” says committee member and School of Education faculty member Claire Mooney. “It encourages and supports the work we continue to do in promoting how much fun math can be, and how crucial mathematics success is for school and career success.” 

Geared towards students in grades one through six, the Trent Turtle Mathematics Contest differs from others in that it is designed to take place in schools and be accessible to a wider range of learners. Every student is encouraged to participate either individually or in a team and those who require accommodations can access the resources they need. Those who write the contest individually with high performance will receive an Honour Role Certificate, and the dean of Education, Dr. Cathy Bruce, a math expert herself, has assigned a special award for collaboration to encourage team entries.

The contest is sponsored by Trent University, the Pine Ridge Mathematics Association, and the Ontario Association of Mathematics Educators, demonstrating collaboration at all levels.