Hundreds gather for Math Puzzle Challenge at Middle Georgia State University

Hundreds of high school students from schools across Middle Georgia and the state gathered at Middle Georgia State University (MGA) on Friday for the Mathematical Puzzle Programs Challenge.

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Hundreds of high school students from schools across Middle Georgia and the state gathered at Middle Georgia State University (MGA) on Friday for the Mathematical Puzzle Programs Challenge.

The event featured more than 200 students competing against each other in various math puzzles. The challenge started at 9 a.m., and the students had until 1 p.m. to finish. The goal of the event was to help students get excited about math and to make them less fearful of it.

“A lot of times, there’s a lot of anxiety that comes into our math classrooms, and we just want to get rid of that anxiety,” MGA associate professor of mathetmatics Abby Noble said. “Math can be fun. Math can be collaborative. Math can be team-based. Yes, it can be hard, but if you practice and persevere, it can be a lot of fun and much easier.”

The event also aimed to promote teamwork and collaboration among students. Twenty teams from various high schools took part in the challenge.