Over 200 students from 27 middle, intermediate and junior high schools in four counties competed in the 36th annual Lehigh Valley MATHCOUNTS® Feb. 8 at Trexler MSin Allentown.

Organized by the Lehigh Valley Chapter of the Pa. Society of Professional Engineers for students in Lehigh, Northampton, Carbon, and Monroe counties, the event is one of about 20 Pennsylvania competitions. Regional winners advance to the state competition March 13 and 14 in Harrisburg. Students and coaches devote many after-school hours to prepare for what some have called the “Olympics of Math.” The 2020 National MATHCOUNTS® Competition will take place in Orlando, Fla. May 9-12 with Raytheon Corporation as the title sponsor. Nationwide approximately 40,000 students, representing more than 5,500 schools will participate in the 2020 MATHCOUNTS® Competition.

Lehigh County schools participating in the event are: Eyer S; Harrison Morton MS; Lower Macungie MS; Orefield MS; Saint Thomas More School; Southern Lehigh MS; Springhouse MS; Saint Ann School, Emmaus; Saint Joseph the Worker School; Saint Theresa School; The Swain School; Manarach Islamic Academy and JP Liberati Intermediate School.

Schools from Northampton County are: East Hills MS; Easton Area MS; Nitschmann MS; Our Lady of Perpetual Help School; Broughal MS; St. Ann School, Bethlehem; and Saucon Valley MS.

Monroe County schools are: Clear Run Intermediate School; Pocono Mountain East Junior HS; Pocono Mountain West Junior HS; and Swiftwater Intermediate School.

Palmerton Area Junior High School in Carbon County is also participating.

Prizes at the Lehigh Valley competition include scholarships for math and/or science courses at Cedar Crest College, Moravian College, Lafayette College, Lehigh Carbon Community College, and Northampton County Community College.

MATHCOUNTS® was established in 1983 by the National Society of Professional Engineers, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and CNA Insurance. Today it is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that promotes math enrichment, coaching and a competition program. The program is available to every U.S. state and territory with the objective of providing today’s students with the foundation for success in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics careers.

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