Ten Students Volunteer to Tackle 14-hour Math Challenge 

Earlier this week, SCHers volunteered to tackle a real-world problem using real-world data. Two SCH teams of five juniors and seniors participated in a 14-hour online contest as part of MathWorks Math Modeling Challenge (M3 Challenge), a SIAM program. At the end of the day on Monday, these top math students submitted a comprehensive 20-page technical paper for evaluation.

“The students on our math team had been talking about this competition since we competed last year,” says Derrick Keister, Upper School math teacher. “They spent the past two weeks organizing the teams alongside Mrs. Palmer, Mr. Silbaugh, and myself. They planned out not only their mathematical approach, but also what they wanted in their rooms for the day to work with, snack on, and lounge!”

Teams across the U.S., England, and Wales confront socially relevant themes like equity or environmental sustainability through open-ended challenges that demand creative thinking and collaborative brainstorming. This year, students were asked to develop a model to help local officials allocate resources to minimize the effects of heat waves based on climate data within Memphis, TN. 

“I was able to see each group in action as they approached the finish line,” says John Silbaugh, Upper School math teacher. “The focus and communication were extraordinary. They were completely on task and collaborating exceptionally well. Imagine a team of colleagues putting together a report for a company presentation, racing to meet a firm deadline. Then consider that these students had no idea what the topic of their report would be until earlier that day!”

In 2025, scholarships totaling more than $100,000 will be awarded, and finalists will attend an in-person event in New York City. Judging begins immediately and students will be notified if they move on to the next round in two weeks.

Congratulations to Connor Lauerman, Eloise Levin, Judah Meyer, Aaron Jia, Ariya Goswami, Lauren Wilson, Nick Donato, Josh Miller, Magnolia Lurie, and Damian Melzer-Surkan for their hard work and dedication. We eagerly await the results!