INSPIRING FUTURE PROBLEM-SOLVERS

Christine remembers competing as a teenager in the internationally recognized math contests created and administered by the CEMC, Canada’s largest outreach organization dedicated to promoting mathematics and computer science. Today, she leads a secondary school math department, where every day she sees how CEMC resources — from workshops and contests to school visits and online interactive activities — benefit students and teachers.

Among the tools Christine and her fellow teachers use is CEMC’s renowned courseware, which receives 10 million page views a year and is offered free of charge on the centre’s website. Here, students can explore lessons, interactive activities and enrichment challenges.

“Our teachers rely on these resources,” she says, noting that pandemic lockdowns made access to CEMC materials even more vital, as both students and teachers adjusted to online learning.

Christine appreciates that the courseware offers something for every student, from math and computing superstars to those who perhaps struggle with those subjects. The information is offered in both text and video formats, accommodating a wide range of different learning styles and abilities. And the interesting problems engage students.

“CEMC has done a good job of meeting students where they're at, drawing them in, sharing that passion for math. For some students, just finding someone else who is as enthusiastic about math as they are is a huge thing.”

Jeromy Carriere (BMath ’95, computer science), senior vice-president of engineering at software company Datadog, remembers that feeling.

“I was very fortunate to have very supportive teachers and parents that fostered my excitement and interest,” he says.

Jeromy and his spouse Jeannie have made a generous $50,000 gift to support CEMC’s efforts to expand its popular courseware for an elementary school audience.