Irvine, Calif., Feb. 25, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Neuroscience and education social impact organization MIND Research Institute’s national K-12 Game-a-thon is now open. The competition asks students to invent a card game, board game, app, outdoor game, or any other game that addresses a mathematical topic ranging from counting to irrational numbers or measurement to modeling.

A growing body of research shows that mathematical experiences outside the classroom can have a significant impact on math achievement in school. In recent years, teachers have used the Game-a-thon to excite struggling students about math through gameplay, to challenge advanced students, and to allow ST Math® early finishers to apply what they’ve learned throughout the year.

Teams of students can design and build a math game featuring creative and unusual solutions to mathematical problems. With the help of a teacher or parent coach, teams then submit and share the game via YouTube. A Game-a-thon starter kit is available to provide guiding questions to help students design their game and help mentors facilitate the game development. The kit also includes printable templates for inspiration and feedback forms for testing their game with peers.

“We received over one hundred entries last year from students across the country—and even some from Canada,” said MIND CEO Brett Woudenberg. “We hope this year’s Game-a-thon will inspire students to look at math in a completely new way that excites them.”

The Game-a-thon is open for submissions now through June 30, 2020. Entries will be evaluated by a team of educators, mathematicians, and game designers. The games will be evaluated based on use of math themes (40%), creative game design/material (30%), originality (20%), and video presentation (10%).

Every team member will receive a certificate of completion.Three top-scoring teams will receive a prize package including MathMINDs specialty items and MIND’s upcoming Turtle Sums board games. To learn more about the Game-a-thon and to download game guidelines, go to mindresearch.org/gameathon. 

About MIND Research Institute
MIND Research Institute is a neuroscience and education social impact organization, dedicated to ensuring that all students are mathematically equipped to solve the world’s most challenging problems. MIND is the creator of ST Math®, a PreK-8 visual instructional program that leverages the brain's innate spatial-temporal reasoning ability to solve mathematical problems. Its unique, patented approach provides students with equitable access to learning through challenging puzzles, non-routine problem solving, and informative feedback. MIND has also developed programs under MathMINDs to provide students, teachers and families dynamic ways to actively engage with math, and to close the experience gap for all learners. MathMINDs includes Family Game Nights, the national K-12 Game-a-thon and MathMINDs Games. For more information, visit mindresearch.org.

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