Thank you so very much for taking the time to learn more about the Northern Nevada Math Club Inc (DBA Nevada Math). We are an IRS approved 501(c)3 Charitable Organization. I know there are many organizations asking you to contribute to their cause. Our MISSION is to make math fun and joyful with a VISION of forging students into talented, problem-solving, and innovative professionals. We define math as the creative application of logic to solve complex problems and our objectives are to get more students interested in math by presenting cool and interesting math ideas typically not seen in primary or secondary school, making math more approachable with problem-solving skills, and showing them that math is a bigger part of the world around them than they realize. Our programs traditionally run 40% female.
According to Nevada Tomorrow, a non-profit providing quality of life data for Nevada, only 23.6% of Washoe County School District (WCSD) 8th graders scored as “proficient” in math. Meanwhile the US Department of Commerce reports that the number of STEM jobs is going to increase, STEM workers make 26% more than non-STEM workers (at all levels of education), and STEM workers experience lower unemployment rates. Math is the foundation of all STEM jobs and data shows that 76.4% of our local children will be left behind by the jobs of tomorrow. The problem is bigger than our schools. It is really a community problem and we need your help.
While we do charge for our programs, none of our programs are charged at the cost of running them. We offer financial assistance to students needing it in order to participate.
Your donation of $1,000 – $50,000 will help us reach more students. These are our current funding priorities:
MathRocks! Contest Series
This is our 9th year running MathRocks! MathRocks! is a series for students in grades 1-12 regardless of the school they attend or if they are home schooled. There are 6 contests in this series and each contests is composed of 4 individual and 1 team round. There are 4 different contest levels with awards given by grade.
Contests are hosted by UNR’s College of Engineering and students who live more than an hour away may participate online, as can students who are ill or have other qualifying reasons.
Contests are written by Nevada Math staff and volunteers. In our 2022-23 program year we averaged 150 registrations per contest. We started our 2023-24 program year with 161 students registered for our September contest. Contact us for current registration numbers.
Competition Team Development Program
This is our original program that started it all! This is the 12th year that we have run this program. The focus of the NNVMath Competition Team Development Program (CTDP) is to provide an opportunity for students in the Reno/Sparks area to participate on a regional math team. Our goal is to challenge students to develop their math, logic, and thinking skills while working both independently and within a group. Participants are expected to:
- do their best work,
- share their knowledge with their teammates,
- learn from their teammates,
- pursue learning more math and developing their math skills, and
- be enjoyable to work with and around.
Students must apply to be a part of the Competition Team Development Program (CTDP).
Family Math Nights
Math isn’t just about numbers, it’s a canvas for creativity!
Family Math Nights are fun events where kids are exposed to math as the creative application of logic to solve complete problems. These were started in January of 2023.
We engage with schools to bring approximately 20 math-based activities to their school for a family math event. Our volunteers run each activity station which include games, logic puzzles, art, and more. Activities are designed and selected for their ability to contribute to a student’s understanding of foundational math concepts, strategize, ability to logically organize and communicate their ideas, develop their problem-solving skills, expose them to new math ideas, develop teamwork, and show them how big and important the world of math really is.
Family Math Nights runs 2 hours and rely heavily on volunteers.
Math Camps
Each summer we run 4 Summer Math Camps. These camps are planned and ran by the members of our Competition Team Development Program (CTDP) with oversight by our staff. These CTDP members are our Camp Team Leaders. Camps are ran with a ratio of one Team Leader for every 2-4 campers. Our Team Leaders act as mentors and work with campers in small groups to ensure they are following the instruction and challenging when they are already familiar with the material.
Because our Team Leaders are planning camps, they are teaching topics they enjoy. This interest is contagious and the campers get excited about topics simply because the person teaching is excited. Many of our current Team Leaders were campers when they were younger.
Camps during other breaks vary by Team Leader availability.
Nevada Math Scholarship
This program was started in 2023 – 2024 DONOR SECURED. THANK YOU, PATRICIA CAFFERATA!
The Northern Nevada Math Club Inc seeks to increase the number of kids prepared to pursue math-based careers by providing math opportunities and introducing them to engaging math ideas that will inspire them to further develop their math, logic, and problem-solving skills. This scholarship has been created to acknowledge and support NNVMath program participants who are NNVMath advocates and have promoted the culture of NNVMath with their continued education. In 2023, a pool of $5000 was awarded: $1000 to Sean Uz, $3000 to Reagan Morrell, and $1000 to Tony Yun.
Reagan completed 11th grade in May 2023 and graduated a year early from Hug High School to study accounting at UNR with plans to become a forensic accountant. She participated in MathRocks! contests starting in 2016 and was a competition team member for five years. From 2018 to 2023, she contributed nearly 892.5 volunteer hours at Family Math Nights and Math Camps. Reagan credited Nevada Math with giving her more confidence in herself and her abilities, “being able to share my knowledge with others by teaching and volunteering at math camps is my favorite part of this program.”
Sean graduated from Reno High School and is attending Georgia Tech to study computer science. He participated in MathRocks! contests since 2017 and was a competition team member for six years. From 2019 to 2023, he contributed 126 volunteer hours, including running an online computer programming camp. Through his experience at Nevada Math, Sean has learned that “math is more than just a subject to study; it is a way of thinking that allows me to understand and appreciate the world in a new and deeper way.”
Tony is currently a senior at Reno High School. He has participated in MathRocks! since 2018 and this is his sixth year as a competition team member. From 2019 to May of 2023, he contributed 93.3 volunteer hours at Family Math Nights, Math Camps, and the Nevada Math Clubhouse (2023 Summer Camp hours have not been added). When asked why math is important to him, Tony says “From biology to statistics, math is required in order to make sense of our surroundings.”
Classes
We offer extracurricular math classes for kids in grades 1-9. Classes range from game and activity Math Enjoyment classes for kids in grades 1-8 to help them see math is fun to Competition Team Prep Classes for grades 6-9 that introduce them to topics typically not seen in primary or secondary school but important in competition math. These topics include: Number Theory, Problem Solving, and Counting & Probability.
To support
Call or email Executive Director Sherry Griffin at (775) 384-1032 or on her cell phone at
(77three) 505-0994 or Sherry@NNVMath.org to talk with her about ways to support Nevada Math Journeys.
To make a grant from your Community Foundation Donor Advised Fund, contact the Community Foundation’s Stewardship Team at 775-333-5499 or go to www.nevadafund.org.
Stock donations can also be accepted through Heidi Foster at American Wealth Management, Heigh@financialhealth.com or 775-332-7000.