Dordt hosts 2022 Math Challenge

More than 120 high school students from 15 high schools competed in the Dordt University Math Challenge on Thursday, October 13.

Students tested their mathematical creativity with novel problems on two exams. They also engaged in breakout sessions and mathematical games that were led by Dordt mathematics and statistics professors with assistance from secondary mathematics education majors.

During the breakout sessions, some students explored the mathematics of M&Ms, while others saw an introduction to blockchain and cryptography. Some students tried their wits against the game of cycles while others ran all over campus solving mathematical puzzles amazing race style. Finally, a group of students played an interesting game which used non-transitive dice to stack the odds. They also received a tour to see Dordt University’s beautiful campus with an Admissions Office tour guide.

“Part of Dordt’s mission is to equip the broader community so we are called to bring the joy of God’s gift of mathematics to area high school students. We can help them realize how creative mathematical problem solving can be and experience the breadth of mathematics. The event also gives our math education majors a chance to interact with students and develop as teachers in training. All in all, it’s our hope that these students come away thinking that Dordt is a place where they will find a meaningful challenge and be supported for success,” says Dr. Tom Clark, who teaches mathematics at Dordt.

PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS

Bishop McNamara Catholic School: Kankakee, Illinois

Brandon Valley High School: Brandon, South Dakota

Emerson Hubbard High School: Emerson, Nebraska

Lawton-Bronson High School: Lawton, Iowa

Netherlands Reformed Christian School: Rock Valley, Iowa

Parker High School: Parker, South Dakota

Ponca High School: Ponca, Nebraska

Ralston High School: Omaha, Nebraska

River Valley High School: Correctionville, Iowa

Schaeffer Academy: Rochester, Minnesota

Sioux Center High School: Sioux Center, Iowa

Sioux Falls Christian High School: Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Southwest MN Christian High School: Edgerton, Minnesota

Unity Christian High School: Orange City, Iowa

Western Christian High School: Hull, Iowa

INDIVIDUAL RESULTS

Eleventh grade:

1. Bishop McNamara Catholic School
2. Schaeffer Academy
3. Sioux Falls Christian High School

Twelfth grade:

1. Ralston High School
2. Western Christian High School
3. Brandon Valley High School

TEAM RESULTS

1. Schaeffer Academy
2. Brandon Valley High School
3. Bishop McNamara, Ralston High School, Western Christian (Students from different schools joined together on this team.)

About Dordt University

As an institution of higher education committed to the Reformed Christian perspective, Dordt University seeks to equip students, faculty, alumni, and the broader community to work toward Christ-centered renewal in all aspects of contemporary life. Dordt University in Sioux Center, Iowa, is a comprehensive college named to the best college lists by the Wall Street Journal, Times Higher Education, U.S. News & World Report, Forbes.com, Washington Monthly, and Princeton Review.