K-12 Outreach

Math Invitational Meet

Each year nearly 100 High Schools send students to WPI to participate in our annual Math Meet.
The Math Meet provides an opportunity to encourage high school students to consider mathematics, science, engineering and management as career options. The students battle both in teams and individually where they compete for over $100,000 in WPI scholarships.

Sonja Kovalevsky Mathematics Day is a one day program organized by Irina Mitrea of workshops, talks, and problem-solving competitions for middle school and high school girls and their teachers (both women and men). The purpose of this event is to encourage girls to continue their study of mathematics, to assist them with the sometimes difficult transition between middle school and high school mathematics and between high school and college mathematics, and to develop a more extensive cooperation between WPI and the middle schools and high schools in the Worcester area. The program is sponsored by Elizabeth City State University, the National Security Agency, and the Department of Mathematical Sciences at WPI.

This day program is designed to provide participants with a variety of mathematical experiences to extend their understanding and knowledge in mathematics. Emphasis is placed on problem solving. The covered topics include:
* Grades 6-7: divisibility, introduction to cryptography, introduction to probability
* Grades 8-9: numerical bases, exponents and logarithms, a potpourri of geometry
Girls and Mathematics is organized by Irina Mitrea.

This summer day program organized by Irina Mitrea focuses on introducing talented middle school students in mathematics to successful MATHCOUNTS® problem-solving techniques. MATHCOUNTS® is a national math enrichment, coaching, and competition program that promotes middle school mathematics in every state and U.S. territory.

A one week summer session where 15 to 20 students learn how a mix of classical mathematics and modern technology can be used to solve current problems and open up new areas. They use this background to examine encryption of numbers on the Internet via the RSA algorithm, and analysis of human voice patterns and musical instruments through Fourier methods. Specific problems of current information technology that these address include the need for secure transmission of data, such as credit card numbers over the Internet, voice-print technology, and storage and use of music in digital format.

The Master's of Mathematics for Educators program at WPI is designed to allow to high school and middle school math teachers the opportunity to get an advanced degree which truly relates to their career, in a convenient and economical manner while still retaining their teaching position. The program is in its 34th year and is enjoying its highest enroll numbers. In 2009, the first two distance members of the program graduated.

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Last modified: October 26, 2009 10:18:32