Mathematics Challenge For Young Australians

The Mathematics Challenge for Young Australians (MCYA) is a challenging program for talented students. MCYA is targeted in Year 6 to the top 20% of students who are working in the extension Maths group. The MYCA provides materials and resources to assist teachers in enabling talented students reach their full potential.

The aims of the MYCA include:

• Identifying talented young Australians, recognising their achievements nationally and providing support that will enable them to reach their own levels of excellence
• Encouraging and fostering:
  • a greater interest in and awareness of the power of mathematics
  • a desire to succeed in solving interesting mathematical problems
  • the discovery of the joy of solving problems in mathematics

The Challenge is held during Term 3 over a three-week consecutive period. Students are given a booklet which contains four complex multi-layered problems. These problems can be discussed in groups of two or three, before individual students submit their solutions. Students can research to find suggested ways of working out a solution and teachers can teach different strategies but it is left to the students to work out how to solve the problems.

The booklets are assessed and the students are given marks for completing parts of the challenge. The results are sent to the MCYA and students who are the top scorers are acknowledged, with all participating students receiving a certificate recognising their efforts.