UPEI 'campers' get excited over math

Eighteen students from eight Prince Edward Island high schools had a chance to hone their skills and learn new concepts at a unique camp hosted by the UPEI Department of Mathematics and Statistics, May 13-15.

The UPEI-Canadian Mathematical Society Math Camp 2011 treated students with a penchant for math to a variety of special lectures by faculty as well as problem-solving competitions. Many activities during the three-day camp were based on light-hearted or recreational aspects of math, such as the ‘Math Relays' and ‘Mathematical Card Tricks,' but also introduced students to more serious topics including the ‘History of Mathematics' and ‘Mathematical Finance.'

'Math Camp gives us the opportunity to reach out to some of our high school students who have an interest in math,' said event organizer, Dr. Ken Sulston, professor and an applied mathematics researcher at UPEI. 'We show them some math that they don't see in their regular curriculum, help them develop their problem-solving skills, and hopefully encourage them to study math, or math-related fields, at the post-secondary level.'

Along with co-organizer and colleague, Dr. Shannon Fitzpatrick, Sulston solicited applications to the ninth annual event by approaching high school math teachers-with an attempt to reach the brightest and most enthusiastic math students. The camp is another great example of UPEI's teaching excellence and community service.