How Do We Reach Them

by rrusczyk, Jun 17, 2006, 3:21 PM

Last night, Naoki and I were at dinner and we were talking shop. At one point it was clear that the waitress was very intently listening. Finally, she stopped trying to be subtle and explained her situation - she has a 13-year old 8th grade son at the local school who is bored silly. He tutors other students in math at all the area schools, and doesn't have to do any homework to ace all his tests. We of course told her about the San Diego Math Circle, gave her our contact information, etc.

This kid goes to school 2 miles from our office. His mom works at one of our favorite restaurants. And yet, still, if she hadn't happened to overhear our conversation, she would not have learned about us. Their school has no MATHCOUNTS, and he's probably headed to a high school without a math team or a math club. Increasingly, I'm thinking there are tens of thousands of these students - students who love math, are good at it, but have no idea what to do with it. If their school doesn't do MATHCOUNTS or AMC or anything like that, they don't even know to look for it. As AoPS grows, it's getting clearer and clearer that nearly everyone who's into these contests and extracurricular programs will find us.

But what about those who don't know about these programs? How will they find us? How will they find these programs? Any suggestions on how to reach the tortured 7th graders bored with the curriculum but not lucky enough to be exposed to anything else are most welcome.

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30 years from now, when America gets more competitive in the international math arena, they'll attribute it to you guys.

by Magnara, Jun 17, 2006, 3:22 PM

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Well, first, take over the world. You know you're trying to, anyhow. Then, make a giant radio announcement about the SDMC!!!

Ok, seriously, I think the only answer is time. As AoPS and the SDMC grows, you will reach more people. These people will tell their friends, who will tell their friends, until you take over the world! Word of mouth is powerful, you know.

In addition, if someone is clearly in a place with absolutely no math culture, they have no chance of finding you. YOU have to find them. How? I don't know.

I'm sure your activities will eventually bring a math culture to the San Diego metro area that rivals the one in the Bay Area. Then, everyone who needs extracurricular programs beyond the standard curriculum will find you.

To reach every place on the planet, you need a global organization that runs from the grassroots, spreading math cultures everywhere. ORKIM was one such organization. It never managed to get it's feet off the ground because starting a national organization was much harder than I thought it would be. I'm sure you guys can manage it, though.

Good luck.

by bubala, Jun 17, 2006, 3:22 PM

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Hmm, well, im on this committee down here in S. Fl. to raise awareness for this one competition sponsored by Stuyvesant Alumni (They invited the top 4 people from last year to do it). The best thing that we've come up with is to put out flyers through the mu alpha theta fall interschool because it reaches all of those chapters, but to reach the people who arent in mao is definitely a tough proposition. This is the same boat that you are in. You can reach those already initiated into math, but to get those kids who wallow in the Ramanujan situation is still quite hard (85 years after he died).
I always wondered though if Franking could be used for something more useful than just the tons of college letters or the government letters. Perhaps you could approach a well-known university and use their ability to, heh, frank and send out letters to all of the middle schools in the nation. This way youngsters can potentially be alterted to the oppurtunities available at aops and go on from there.

by jelyman, Jun 17, 2006, 3:22 PM

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My school has probably the easiest curriculum, and the math teacher says we don't have to do the homework. So I never do. My teacher also says if you don't do the homework, you have a little chance of passing the tests and the final exam. Well, I never do homework (never think about the class) and never came close to failing and got 100 on the final exam.

I participated in my school's mathcounts this year, and that's about all I'm going to do next year math related. I have a feeling that I might get a near perfect score on the AMC 8 if i take it, but my school has never heard of that contest. I even mentioned it in my blog today saying how easy it was, but I have no chance of taking it. I don't think my school district knows about AIME either. I guess all the students in the area aren't too smart. I can only do mathcounts

End. I don't know what to do in high school.

by 236factorial, Jun 17, 2006, 3:22 PM

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I submit to you 2 goals:

1)Post everything single thing needed to become an IMO contestent on the internet(including thousands of practise problems).

2) Get people to know about it.

by PenguinIntegral, Jun 17, 2006, 3:22 PM

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hmmm, I think AoPs-ACoPs-PrbSoStr-MOlymTr-MOlymCh-Kalva-KJVBib does that already Penguin.

by EFuzzy, Jun 17, 2006, 3:22 PM

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There are.....OTHER WEBSITES?!?!?

Please give links!

by PenguinIntegral, Jun 17, 2006, 3:22 PM

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EFuzzy wrote:

hmmm, I think AoPs-ACoPs-PrbSoStr-MOlymTr-MOlymCh-Kalva-KJVBib does that already Penguin.

KJVBib?? Is that what I think it is?

How about an ad mailed to the 7th grade talent search participants, or (cheaper!) donating to them to be listed as a sponsor? Mother wanted me to add that!

by solafidefarms, Jun 17, 2006, 3:22 PM

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EFuzzy wrote:

hmmm, I think AoPs-ACoPs-PrbSoStr-MOlymTr-MOlymCh-Kalva-KJVBib does that already Penguin.

Hmmm... Art and Craft of Problem Solving, I don't know, Mathematical Olympiad Treasures, Math Olympiad Challenges, Kalva, I don't know...

by chess64, Jun 17, 2006, 3:22 PM

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236factorial wrote:

End. I don't know what to do in high school.

Take advantage of all the free time you have and study more interesting math on your own. This is what most of the top math people do.

As for your schools not hearing of these tests, you have to tell them. Pester them repeatedly until they let you take them. Form a math team/math club on your own so you'll have more people pestering. Get some parents involved. These things won't happen unless you agitate for them.

by rrusczyk, Jun 17, 2006, 3:22 PM

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PrbSoStr - Problem Solving Strategies

by NoSoupForYou, Jun 17, 2006, 3:22 PM

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236factorial wrote:

I have a feeling that I might get a near perfect score on the AMC 8 if i take it, but my school has never heard of that contest.

Quote:

Take it up with your Gifted programs coordinator. We (parents and I)convined our school to pay for the AMC8. Maybe you can do this. You have to take the first step. Only YOU can bring the AMC8 to your school. (wow I sound like uncle sam!)

Hope that helped!

by IntrepidMath, Jun 17, 2006, 3:22 PM

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well, in my middle school of 800 kids, i only know of myself and and another boy who owns AOPS books. it is pretty hard to find out about AOPS. i only found out because i was searching for math problems on the internet a month ago and happened to find AOPS from a search link.

by h78reg, Jun 17, 2006, 3:22 PM

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do some sort of "hi, the math community exists" advertisement w/ AMC?

i've been doing AMC tests since 6th grade, but i didnt find out about AoPS until this summer, which i only managed after doing the USAMTS for two yrs and following it to this new sponsor. (im now a high school senior)

by L_Li, Jun 17, 2006, 3:22 PM

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L_Li wrote:

We do have our name on every AMC test now, and the AMC has a link to the forum on their home page.

Are there organizations outside the contest math world we should be working with?

by rrusczyk, Jun 17, 2006, 3:22 PM

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The College Station Math Club Website has multiple math contest/program links. If more schools were to do this I'm sure the word would spread faster than it is.

by DPopov, Jun 17, 2006, 3:22 PM

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In my middle school of 500 I don't know anybody else that's even heard of AoPS. Perhaps some of the seventh graders and the new sixth graders know about it but I'm pretty sure none of the people in eighth grade knows about the book. I only found about this book because I went to Duke TIP summer program and my classes' text book was this. That's like only 17 people, many I doubt will continue to use the books.

I'm taking honors geometry at the highschool so that's good.

by pianoforte, Jun 17, 2006, 3:22 PM