$250 Colorado rural middle school grants available for nat’l. math competition in late January!
All Colorado rural middle schools are eligible. Extended deadline: Friday, November 6th!
fostering the skills and art of problem solving through math competitions since 1996
This 40-minute, multiple-choice exam in middle school mathematics is offered nationwide each year by American Mathematics Competitions (AMC), a program of the Mathematical Association of America. All students in grade 8 or below are eligible; there are no prerequisites. This school year, the AMC 8 exam may be given onsite anytime in the 7-day period, January 21-27, 2027. (Online testing is not an option.)
More than 80,000 middle school students—including a few 5th graders—took the AMC 8 exam last January. More than 400 Colorado students participated—almost all from urban and suburban areas.
To support greater AMC 8 participation by middle schools in the rest of our state, Colorado Math Awards is offering $250 grants to ten rural middle schools willing to host the AMC 8 contest for their students as well as students from nearby schools. All middle schools in rural school districts listed by the Colorado Department of Education are eligible for these grants.
The $250 grant reimburses each participating middle school test site for its national registration fees payable to AMC ($55 now, $75 after Oct. 28th) and $50 for 20 student test “licenses.” Colorado Math Awards will reimburse schools that need additional test licenses (which can be ordered later).
Remaining funds ($125-$145) may be shared with nearby participating middle schools and used for test preparation resources through AMC and/or other websites, an after-test celebration for participating students, or other school purposes. Past AMC 8 problems and solutions are available at no cost from the Art of Problem Solving website.
Requirements for serving as an AMC 8 test site are described in Getting Started as a New MAA AMC Competition Manager on the AMC website. If your middle school would like to serve as an AMC 8 test site, check first with Colorado Math Awards to reserve your grant award. Then fill out the AMC forms and pay the fees.
Upon receiving a copy of the school’s registration confirmation by AMC (including proof of payment of AMC fees), Colorado Math Awards will send the school’s “competition manager” or other designated contact person a check for $250.
Top Colorado students in the AMC 8 exam and additional AMC contests will be honored at the 32nd annual reception and awards program hosted by Colorado Math Awards in Denver next spring.
Please contact us at coloradomathawards@gmail.com to apply or if you have questions or need more information.
Colorado Math Awards (CMA) is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt charitable organization led by volunteers from the Colorado Council of Teachers of Mathematics, the Rocky Mountain Section of the Mathematical Association of America, Colorado MATHCOUNTS, the Colorado Department of Education, and other friends of mathematics.