The CMS Endowment Grants have helped to fund a wide variety of projects that have benefited the Canadian mathematical community. Here are some success stories of programs that have received grant funding.
Accromath
Accromath is a free magazine for high school students and teachers that is distributed throughout schools and CEGEPs in Quebec. The magazine features articles on a wide variety of math-related topics as well as problems and solutions.
The magazine has received several prizes since its inception in 2006, including an Apex Award for Publication Excellence, a prize from the Quebec Minister of Education, and a special mention for the Prix d'Alembert, awarded by the Société mathématique de France.
Accromath first received a CMS Endowment Grant in 2006 and recieved subsequent funding in 2007 and 2008. The grant funds helped to increase production to two issues per year and to distribute the magazine to a wider audience.
Association québécoise de jeux mathématiques
Association québécoise de jeux mathématiques (AQJM) is a non-profit association that promotes mathematics at all levels by organizing the Québec branch of the Championnat international des jeux mathématiques et logiques (International Championship of Math Games and Logic).
The Championnat is not an advanced contest, and instead focuses on creating interest in mathematics among students and teachers. Select student participants have the opportunity to participate in the international final in Paris. Participation has grown from 4800 participants in 2005 to 16,700 participants in the 2010-2011 year.
AQJM first received a CMS Endowment Grant in 2005 and received subsequent funding in 2007, 2008 and 2010. Grant funds have helped to increase Canadian participation in the international final and to produce materials for the organization of the semi-finals in Quebec.
Canadian Math Kangaroo Contest
The Canadian Math Kangaroo Contest is the Canadian branch of an international contest for students in grades 3-12. The main purpose of the competition is to introduce participants to math challenges in an enjoyable way.
In 2006, the Canadian Math Kangaroo Contest was held in three cities (Ottawa, Toronto and Edmonton) with 318 participants. The contest has since spread to 12 cities with over 1300 participants.
Math Kangaroo received its first endowment grant in 2006 and received subsequent funding in 2007, 2008 and 2010. The grants have contributed significantly to the development and expansion of the contest. Funds have been used to support a wide variety of contest costs, including administration, awards, promotion, and website development. The endowment grant funding has also contributed significantly to training camps and sessions that promote interest in the contest and help students to excel in mathematics.
MathLink
MathLink is an enrichment program for high school students held at Carleton University in Ottawa. The program is geared towards students in grades 9-10 but is open to anyone with an interest in math.
MathLink focuses on preparing students for university mathematics as well as the fun and interesting aspects of math. The program has been very successful with many local students participating each week.
MathLink first received a CMS Endowment Grant in 2007, with subsequent funding in 2008 and 2010. The grants have been used to cover printing and mailing costs of posters that are sent to Ottawa high schools to promote the program.
Math Performance Festival
The Math Performance Festival is a Canada-wide forum for sharing and celebrating the mathematical performances of students and teachers. Students submit videos of themselves performing poems, songs and skits on the theme of math.
Over 300 students participated in the first Math Performance Festival in 2008. Today, the Math Performance Festival receives hundreds of submissions each year (with some performances involving an entire class of students) and is adjudicated by a celebrity panel of judges.
The Math Peformance Festival received a CMS Endowment Grant in 2008 in support of the pilot festival. The organizers deemed CMS support "crucial" to the event, as it added credibility to the contest and drew attention to the mathematical focus of the event. Grant funds went towards maintaining the online submission portal and contest prizes.
Mathematics with a Human Face
Mathematics with a Human Face is an initiative of Math Central, a popular online service for mathematics students and teachers. The initiative is a collection of resources that emphasize the variety of individuals who link to mathematics and encourage the pursuit of a career in mathematics.
Key components of the initiative include a poster that was distributed to secondary schools and public libraries, and a pamphlet distributed at educational events such as teacher's conferences and math camps. Over 15,000 copies of both the poster and the pamphlet have been distributed across Canada. Web resources on the theme are also available on the Math Central website.
Mathematics with a Human Face received a three-year endowment grant in 2003 that made the project possible. Grant funds went towards the development and distribution of the print and online resources.
Northwestern Ontario High School Mathematics Competition
The Northwestern Ontario High School Mathematics Competition consists of four contests each year – junior (grades 9 and 10) and senior (grades 11 and 12), each in an individual and team format.
The contest began in 2003 as the Thunder Bay High School Mathematics Contest. There were 69 participants in the first year of the contest; now, over 200 students participate each year.
The Northwestern Ontario High School Mathematics Competition first received a CMS Endowment Grant in 2006, with subsequent funding in 2007, 2008 and 2010. The grants have helped to expand the contest throughout Northern Ontario and the organizers state that CMS support has helped to attract other sponsors.
SNAP Math Fairs
A SNAP Math Fair is:
- Student-centered ;
- Non-competitive ;
- All-inclusive ; and
- Problem-based .
The SNAP Math Fairs Program received a CMS Endowment Grant in 2005. The grant went towards promoting the math fair concept to Canadian teachers. Today, the program has seen widespread adoption across Canada, and the concept is spreading worldwide. SNAP workshops offered at the Fields Institute and the Banff International Research Station are extremely popular with teachers.
