MATHCOUNTS Foundation

MATHCOUNTS provides engaging math programs to U.S. middle school students of all ability levels to build confidence and improve attitudes about math and problem-solving.

Founded in 1983, today MATHCOUNTS Foundation runs 2 programs to reach a diverse range of students and provide invaluable resources to math educators. The Competition Series is the nation’s premier middle school math contest that encourages and challenges students to reach their full potential. With this and our free program, the National Math Club, we also work to change attitudes about math for students who struggle with it. Our vision is for all students to have the confidence and attitude needed to embrace challenges and expand their academic and career opportunities.

MATHCOUNTS accomplishes its mission through 2 programs that give students meaningful STEM learning opportunities. These 2 distinct programs are designed to build confidence and improve problem-solving skills in all students—whether they love math and need to be challenged to reach their full potential or need help overcoming a fear of math.

The Programs:
—MATHCOUNTS Competition Series: national coaching and competitive mathematics program that promotes math achievement through a series of fun and exciting “bee" style contests
—The National Math Club: free math enrichment program providing the structure and activities educators need to lead math clubs within schools and non-school groups

Additional Initiatives:
—We help teachers and students in underserved communities through teacher workshops, conferences and events. MATHCOUNTS also partners with sponsors and local organizations to provide extra resources, support and funding for Title I (low-income) schools to remove as many barriers to participation as we can.
—We support alumni of the program by sharing information about internships/fellowships from partner organizations, as well as volunteer opportunities. Each year, approximately 10% of coaches and club leaders are MATHCOUNTS alumni. In addition, we provide scholarships to alumni in high school and college.
—We provide hundreds of free, high-quality math resources and videos for public use, including problem sets, mini video lessons, a Problem of the Week and online games.

MATHCOUNTS is fortunate to have a strong national staff that is supported by a large pool of corporate and individual donors. In addition, we rely on a robust network of over 17,000 volunteers—from math teachers and MATHCOUNTS alumni to engineers and other STEM professionals.

We also have strong partnerships with the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), which are crucial to the success of our programs. More than 600 volunteers—the majority of whom are engineers affiliated with NSPE—run more than 500 local and state competitions each year. These volunteers make the MATHCOUNTS Competition Series possible and support tens of thousands of students each year. In addition, a large committee of mathematics education professionals—vetted by and affiliated with NCTM—serve as question writers, reviewers and competition judges who are responsible for the high-quality math resources that form the foundation of our programs.

Participant feedback on 2022-23 surveys was overwhelmingly positive! Highlighted results are below (2023-24 surveys data is being analyzed now, but early results have been equally positive). Knowing MATHCOUNTS is effective, we aim to reach more students in future years. School recruitment and outreach will continue to be focus areas moving forward.

2022-23 MATHCOUNTS Competition Series (MCS)
97% of coaches said after participating in the MCS, their students were able to successfully tackle and answer math problems they had never seen before.
98% of coaches said participating in the program was a positive experience for their students.
97% of coaches said MATHCOUNTS materials are of high quality.
88% of coaches said holding MCS practices and meetings helped enhance/improve their students’ confidence in math/STEM.

2022-23 National Math Club (NMC)
98% of club leaders said after participating in the NMC, their students had more confidence in their math and problem-solving skills.
99% of club leaders said after participating in the program their students enjoyed math more.
100% of club leaders said participating in the program was a positive experience for their students.
92% of club leaders said MATHCOUNTS club resources were of high quality.
94% of club leaders said holding MATHCOUNTS club meetings helped enhance/improve their students’ math skills.

2022-23 Math Video Challenge (MVC)*
97% of advisors said participating in the program was a positive experience for their students..
87% of advisors said after participating in the program their students enjoyed math more.
98% of advisors said after participating in the program, their students could think more creatively to solve problems.
96% of advisors said participating in the program helped enhance/improve their students’ confidence in math/STEM.
99% of advisors said participating in the program helped enhance/improve their students’ creativity.
*Note: 2022-23 was the final year the MVC was a standalone program; in 2023-24, elements of MVC were incorporated into an enhanced NMC program.

In 2017, Westat completed an evaluation of the MCS. Highlighted findings of this outcomes study were:
93% of MATHCOUNTS participants had a positive perception of their own math/STEM abilities after participation.
85% of MATHCOUNTS participants have an interest in pursuing a STEM career (with engineering being the highest rated career).
82% of MATHCOUNTS participants want to take more math than required in high school (an additional 10% simply were not sure).
87% of MATHCOUNTS participants agreed that participation increased their confidence in math/STEM.
90% of MATHCOUNTS coaches reported the program helped introduce or explore specific math/STEM topics in more depth.

It is not only important to excite students about STEM careers; it is critical that they are prepared to be successful in the courses necessary to pursue these careers. MATHCOUNTS both excites and prepares our future STEM professionals.