What is a Math Fair?

A Math Fair is very similar to a Science Fair, except of course the projects revolve around primarily mathematical investigations rather than scientific ones. A Math Fair is a competitive event where students develop a mathematical hypothesis and then test this hypothesis in order to report on their findings to a panel of judges. Students create display boards, and will sometimes also write papers, make models, or short presentations. The judges choose the project they feel best aligns with their judging criteria as the winners, and then those winners typically move on to the next level of competition (ex: regional to state or state to national)

The NCCTM (or North Carolina Council of Teachers of Mathematics) Math Fair is the one that the two of us have participated in. As we've lived in NC all our lives, this is the only math fair we have experience with and so all of our advice is a result of those experiences. Unfortunately this means it might not all be applicable to your specific situation, so use what helps and leave what doesn't! As always feel free to reach out via the contact form if you have specific questions and we might be able to help!

Outside of being a fun and challenging activity, the math fair has many academic uses including showing dedication to extra curricular learning, to use on applications and resumes, and as a way to gear your education toward your interests outside of school. For more pros and cons when considering participation, see: Pros and Cons of Competing and What Can the Math Fair Do For You.

How We Got Into It

Typically, the process of getting involved with the math fair is pretty easy. Your school might have a school level fair that you can join, but if they don't (ours didn't) then just googling "math fairs near me" is a good place to start!

Talk to your math teacher, counselor, science teacher, homeroom teacher, or another educator you trust about being your sponsor. Some fairs, such as the NCCTM math fair, require students to have a teacher sponsor in order to enter. Additionally, having a teacher to help you opens the doors to a lot of resources like lab equipment, assistance with content mastery and answering questions, editing, a knowledgeable first audience and more.

For more help drafting, designing and displaying your math fair project, see our handy dandy How-to Guide!