Middle school Mathletes from Columbus and Fort Benning schools will compete in Columbus Area contests of the MATHCOUNTS Competition Series on February 10, 2018 at Columbus Technical College.

The competition has been organized by GSPE.

A total of nine schools and more than60 students will compete. Schools represented are: Aaron Cohn Middle School, Blackmon Road Middle School, Brookstone School, East Columbus Magnet Academy, Richards Middle School, Saint Luke School, St. Anne-Pacelli School, SAS Home School, and Veterans Middle School.

Teachers and students have been preparing for the competition since the fall. Students will compete individually and as teams in written and fast-paced oral matches. Subjects include algebra, probability, statistics and geometry. The top teams and individuals will receive trophies, and will advance to the State of Georgia MATHCOUNTS finals, to be held in Atlanta on Monday March 19, 2018.

MATHCOUNTS is a national program designed to improve math skills among U.S. students. The program focuses on middle school students, who are at a crucial stage in developing and sustaining math interest and ability. Students who do not begin developing strong problem-solving, logical thinking and analytical abilities in middle school will face an uphill battle later in life if they wish to pursue a medical, scientific, mathematical, engineering or technical career.