Dordt College (Sioux Center, IA) recently hosted the Dordt Math Challenge for high school students, with schools participating from Iowa, South Dakota, Minnesota, and Nebraska.
Cole Boltjes from Ellsworth Public School was one of more than 245 high school students from 17 area high schools competed in the fifth annual Dordt College Math Challenge on Tuesday, October 16, 2018.
Students tested their mathematical creativity with novel problems on two exams. They also engaged in breakout sessions that were led by Dordt College mathematics and statistics professors.
“This event is an opportunity for high school students to test their knowledge and understanding of mathematics in individual and team competitions through both conceptual and non-traditional problems,” says Dr. Tom Clark, who teaches mathematics at Dordt.
During breakout sessions, the students learned how to solve a murder mystery using mathematical clues, learned Mathigami, learned how mathematics can help win the ancient game of Nim, discovered pattern finding and counting strategies, and interacted with a career panel that included a statistician with the Los Angeles Dodgers and an actuary with Principal Financial.
“Our hope is that students learn that math is bigger than algebra; it’s interesting, deep, and full of beauty,” Clark says.
Cole received third place in the competition for the ninth grade category. Cole is the son of Jeff and Deb Boltjes of Ellsworth.
CONGRATULATIONS COLE
