IRVINE, Calif., May 8, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As the school year comes to a close, teachers and students across the country have a new opportunity to breathe life – and fun – into the math standards they mastered. The nonprofit MIND Research Institute, which develops and deploys the revolutionary game-based ST Math software for schools, is sponsoring its first-ever Game-a-thon for K-12 students .
Following the theme "Math is Everywhere," the Game-a-thon challenges students to design, build and share via YouTube ( see sample video here ), a game that features creative and unusual solutions to mathematical problems. Teams of two or more students, along with a teacher or parent in a coordinator role, can invent card games, board games, apps, outdoor games or anything else that solves a mathematical problem ranging from counting to irrational numbers or measurement to modeling. All participants receive prizes, and winners will be honored at a national math fair.
"We hope students will dive in and play with math concepts and numbers in completely new ways that excite and inspire them," said Matthew Peterson, Ph.D., chief operating officer and co-founder of MIND Research Institute, and creator of the ST Math game-based software. "Math is everywhere, and seeing the world through the lens of math, and then trying to build your own game to explain the math, can be a hugely fun and educational experience."
The Game-a-thon is open to submissions now through July 6. Entries will be evaluated by a team of educators, mathematicians and game designers who develop and facilitate the ST Math software program for 630,000 students in 35 states. The games will be evaluated based on use of math themes (40%), creative game design/material (30%), originality (20%), YouTube likes (10%).
Every participating team will receive certificate of participation and commemorative pins. Up to 25 games will be selected for special recognition and displayed at the 2014 Math Fair – At the Square Root of Fun , August 2, 2014 in Irvine, Calif. Five winning entries will receive a trophy featuring JiJi, the animated penguin of the ST Math games, and have their videos displayed in the Game-a-thon Hall of Fame.
To learn more about the game-a-thon, or to download game guidelines , go to http://www.mindresearch.net/mathfair/gameathon .
About MIND Research Institute
MIND Research Institute is an education nonprofit dedicated to ensuring that all students are mathematically equipped to solve the world's most challenging problems. MIND's distinctive visual approach to math and problem-solving is the basis of its innovative, research-proven ST Math® programs for elementary and secondary schools. MIND's programs currently reach over 630,000 students and 25,000 teachers in 2,050 schools in 35 states. For more information, visit www.mindresearch.net .
Christine Byrd MIND Research Institute 949-345-8636
