Students of Arica, Iquique, Antofagasta, Santiago, Rancagua and Talagante are competing in the seventh version of the School Tournament of Mathematics (CMAT) for High Schools, which had its first test last May 9. Also, that day the opening ceremony took place at the School of Arts and Crafts at Universidad de Santiago, USACH.
This tournament is organized by the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science from USACH and other universities collaborates with it, such as University of Chile, Pontificia Universidad Católica, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Universidad de Tarapacá, Universidad Arturo Prat and Universidad Católica del Norte and the Center for Mathematical Modeling (CMM).
For CMAT’s director, Professor Rafael Labarca, the main objective of this initiative is to identify new talent in mathematics and also become a mechanism of integration, improvement and a way of breaking the cycle of poverty.
The competition started in 2003 with the help of a group of university students, highly committed to this discipline, who saw in it a way to encourage mathematics in Chile among middle school students. A year later the challenge was extended to younger students.
Schools that participated in the CMAT have improved their SIMCE’s score inMath, some of them are: Colegio Carmela Carvajal de Prat, Sagrados Corazones de Alameda, Alonso de Ercilla, Madre Cecilia Lazzeri y Polivalente Almendral de La Pintana.
