




Student Math Circle (Free and Open to Public)
Our math circle is a program for elementary school students that fosters a love for mathematics through engaging, hands-on problem-solving and interactive activities. Unlike traditional classrooms, math circles encourage creative thinking, collaboration, and exploration of mathematical concepts in a fun and challenging environment. Each month, we'll dive into a new game or work together on a fascinating puzzle, all focused on exploring and finding joy in math, patterns, and concepts. Grownups can even participate in their own puzzle-solving activities in a separate room, making it a stimulating experience for the whole family.
We're thrilled to announce that our new Math Circle is launching now, and it's completely free for all elementary school students! We'll meet at Vanguard Gifted Academy in Batavia, IL, on the first Saturday of each month. This is a free community event, but we kindly ask that you sign up ahead of time so we can make sure we have enough snacks for everyone. We can't wait to explore the wonderful world of math with you!
Email Gifted@vanguardgiftedacademy.org to sign up for this free event.


Math Circle (Free and Open to the Public)
Our math circle is a program for elementary school students that fosters a love for mathematics through engaging, hands-on problem-solving and interactive activities. Unlike traditional classrooms, math circles encourage creative thinking, collaboration, and exploration of mathematical concepts in a fun and challenging environment. Each month, we'll dive into a new game or work together on a fascinating puzzle, all focused on exploring and finding joy in math, patterns, and concepts. Grownups can even participate in their own puzzle-solving activities in a separate room, making it a stimulating experience for the whole family.
We're thrilled to announce that our new Math Circle is launching now, and it's completely free for all elementary school students! We'll meet at Vanguard Gifted Academy in Batavia, IL, on the first Saturday of each month. This is a free community event, but we kindly ask that you sign up ahead of time so we can make sure we have enough snacks for everyone. We can't wait to explore the wonderful world of math with you!
Email Gifted@vanguardgiftedacademy.org to sign up for this free event.





Math Circle (Free and Open to the Public)
Our math circle is a program for elementary school students that fosters a love for mathematics through engaging, hands-on problem-solving and interactive activities. Unlike traditional classrooms, math circles encourage creative thinking, collaboration, and exploration of mathematical concepts in a fun and challenging environment. Each month, we'll dive into a new game or work together on a fascinating puzzle, all focused on exploring and finding joy in math, patterns, and concepts. Grownups can even participate in their own puzzle-solving activities in a separate room, making it a stimulating experience for the whole family.
We're thrilled to announce that our new Math Circle is launching now, and it's completely free for all elementary school students! We'll meet at Vanguard Gifted Academy in Batavia, IL, on the first Saturday of each month. This is a free community event, but we kindly ask that you sign up ahead of time so we can make sure we have enough snacks for everyone. We can't wait to explore the wonderful world of math with you!
Email Gifted@vanguardgiftedacademy.org to sign up for this free event.

Veterans Day 3D Design Challenge (Open to the Public)
This is free and open to the public. Sign up so we know how many to expect.
Your challenge is to create a digital 3D model of a wearable pin to be 3D printed and distributed to the Batavia VFW & Auxiliary. Your pin should be original and designed to show appreciation or gratitude for veterans of any U.S. military service branch. Students in K-5 will design their pin at the event. Students in 4th and 5th grade will be able to enter the Future Engineers national contest. Each student will create a STL file of your 3D model (max 20 MB), an image of their design (digital image of the 3D model or a photo of a 3D print), and text description of their entry (max 150 words). Depending on the size, the pins will be 3-D printed and available for pick up at a later date.
The top 10 finalists in the national contest will have their designs 3D printed, glued to pin-backs (if necessary), and handed out to veterans who visit the National Veterans Memorial and Museum in Columbus, Ohio. Finalists will also each receive five prints of their design and a $100 gift card toward a professional 3D print. The challenge winners (2 grand prize winners total) will win a trip for two to Columbus, OH, to attend a special event on Memorial Day at the National Veterans Memorial and Museum. Each winner will also receive a 3D printer donated to the school, library, or organization of their choice!
Please email Gifted@VanguardGiftedAcademy.org to sign up. Seats are limited.

Noetic Math Fall Contest (Students)
This is free for our students and will happen during the day, if they are interested.
The Noetic Learning Math Contest (NLMC) is a semiannual problem-solving contest for elementary and middle school students. We believe that problem-solving helps students to become better mathematicians, better thinkers, therefore better equipped for advanced STEM learning. The goal of our contest is to develop students' problem-solving skills, to encourage their interest in math, and to inspire them to excel in math.
Grade-level Tailored and Engaging Problems: We design different problems for each grade level, enabling students to face challenges that align with their skills and allowing them to compete with peers in their age group. For younger students, we craft our problems to resemble intriguing puzzles, igniting curiosity and engagement in math.
Broad Recognition: We are proud to offer one of the most comprehensive recognition systems among national contests. The top 10% of students earn National Honor Roll medals, and the top 50% receive Honorable Mention ribbons. Every team is guaranteed a Team Winner medal for their top scorer.

Noetic Math Contest (Open to Public)
The cost of this math contest is $10 and is open for students that can compete at 2nd, 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade level in math. All students must be signed up by October 23rd.
Grade-level Tailored and Engaging Problems: We design different problems for each grade level, enabling students to face challenges that align with their skills and allowing them to compete with peers in their age group. For younger students, we craft our problems to resemble intriguing puzzles, igniting curiosity and engagement in math.
Broad Recognition: We are proud to offer one of the most comprehensive recognition systems among national contests. The top 10% of students earn National Honor Roll medals, and the top 50% receive Honorable Mention ribbons. Every team is guaranteed a Team Winner medal for their top scorer.
Learn more and/or sign up by emailing Gifted@vanguardgiftedacademy.org.



Future Creature Art Contest (Free and Open to the Public)
This event is free and open to the public.
K-5 students will draw how a rainforest animal may adapt in the future due to climate change.
The challenge is to pick a vertebrate animal living in a tropical rainforest and draw/illustrate/predict how it may look in the future due to the long-term effects of climate change (think thousands of years ... or more!). Please consider habitat changes due to rising temperatures and rising seas, and animal adaptations needed to survive, such as camouflage, defense, eating food, and/or how it moves. Some possible habitat changes to consider are: Inland rainforests that become savannas (rolling grasslands with scattered trees & shrubs), inland rainforests that become mixed woodlands (low-density forests with shrubs & trees), or coastal rainforests that become marshes/seasonal wetlands or become completely underwater. Students will use the provided supplies to create at least two illustrations - one of the animal in its present habitat and one as an adapted animal in the predicted future habitat. Students will also write a short description (max 150 words) to explain their illustrations.
Sign up to save your seat at Gifted@VanguardGiftedAcademy.org. Entries will be submitted to the Future Engineers contest, with permission given by the grown-ups.

Math Circle (Free and Open to the Public)
Our math circle is a program for elementary school students that fosters a love for mathematics through engaging, hands-on problem-solving and interactive activities. Unlike traditional classrooms, math circles encourage creative thinking, collaboration, and exploration of mathematical concepts in a fun and challenging environment. Each month, we'll dive into a new game or work together on a fascinating puzzle, all focused on exploring and finding joy in math, patterns, and concepts. Grownups can even participate in their own puzzle-solving activities in a separate room, making it a stimulating experience for the whole family.
We're thrilled to announce that our new Math Circle is launching now, and it's completely free for all elementary school students! We'll meet at Vanguard Gifted Academy in Batavia, IL, on the first Saturday of each month. This is a free community event, but we kindly ask that you sign up ahead of time so we can make sure we have enough snacks for everyone. We can't wait to explore the wonderful world of math with you!
Email Gifted@vanguardgiftedacademy.org to sign up for this free event.







Math Circle (Free and Open to the Public)
Our math circle is a program for elementary school students that fosters a love for mathematics through engaging, hands-on problem-solving and interactive activities. Unlike traditional classrooms, math circles encourage creative thinking, collaboration, and exploration of mathematical concepts in a fun and challenging environment. Each month, we'll dive into a new game or work together on a fascinating puzzle, all focused on exploring and finding joy in math, patterns, and concepts. Grownups can even participate in their own puzzle-solving activities in a separate room, making it a stimulating experience for the whole family.
We're thrilled to announce that our new Math Circle is launching now, and it's completely free for all elementary school students! We'll meet at Vanguard Gifted Academy in Batavia, IL, on the SECOND Saturday of this month. This is a free community event, but we kindly ask that you sign up ahead of time so we can make sure we have enough snacks for everyone. We can't wait to explore the wonderful world of math with you!
Email Gifted@vanguardgiftedacademy.org to sign up for this free event.


Math Circle (Free and Open to the Public)
Our math circle is a program for elementary school students that fosters a love for mathematics through engaging, hands-on problem-solving and interactive activities. Unlike traditional classrooms, math circles encourage creative thinking, collaboration, and exploration of mathematical concepts in a fun and challenging environment. Each month, we'll dive into a new game or work together on a fascinating puzzle, all focused on exploring and finding joy in math, patterns, and concepts. Grownups can even participate in their own puzzle-solving activities in a separate room, making it a stimulating experience for the whole family.
We're thrilled to announce that our new Math Circle is launching now, and it's completely free for all elementary school students! We'll meet at Vanguard Gifted Academy in Batavia, IL, on the first Saturday of each month. This is a free community event, but we kindly ask that you sign up ahead of time so we can make sure we have enough snacks for everyone. We can't wait to explore the wonderful world of math with you!
Email Gifted@vanguardgiftedacademy.org to sign up for this free event.







Math Circle (Free and Open to the Public)
Our math circle is a program for elementary school students that fosters a love for mathematics through engaging, hands-on problem-solving and interactive activities. Unlike traditional classrooms, math circles encourage creative thinking, collaboration, and exploration of mathematical concepts in a fun and challenging environment. Each month, we'll dive into a new game or work together on a fascinating puzzle, all focused on exploring and finding joy in math, patterns, and concepts. Grownups can even participate in their own puzzle-solving activities in a separate room, making it a stimulating experience for the whole family.
We're thrilled to announce that our new Math Circle is launching now, and it's completely free for all elementary school students! We'll meet at Vanguard Gifted Academy in Batavia, IL, on the first Saturday of each month. This is a free community event, but we kindly ask that you sign up ahead of time so we can make sure we have enough snacks for everyone. We can't wait to explore the wonderful world of math with you!
Email Gifted@vanguardgiftedacademy.org to sign up for this free event.



Math Kangaroo (Vanguard Students)
Math Kangaroo USA is an exciting international math competition for students in grades K-12. It promotes problem-solving, logical reasoning, and a love for mathematics in a fun and engaging way.

Math Kangaroo (In Person, Open to the Public)
This is open to the public. Sign up on the Math Kangaroo site.
Math Kangaroo USA is a national nonprofit organization with a mission of helping students love math. For over 27 years, Math Kangaroo has organized an annual international mathematical competition for thousands of students in grades K-12. Math Kangaroo's focus is on improving students' math scores and teaching them new strategies for solving word and logic problems, helping them with critical thinking and gaining confidence in the classroom.
Math Kangaroo USA is an exciting international math competition for students in grades K-12. It promotes problem-solving, logical reasoning, and a love for mathematics in a fun and engaging way.
Free sample questions can be found here.
If you have any questions about Math Kangaroo in general or about creating your own Math Kangaroo center, please email Amy@mathkangaroo.org.

Math Kangaroo (Online, Open to the Public)
This is open to the public. Sign up on the Math Kangaroo site.
Math Kangaroo USA is a national nonprofit organization with a mission of helping students love math. For over 27 years, Math Kangaroo has organized an annual international mathematical competition for thousands of students in grades K-12. Math Kangaroo's focus is on improving students' math scores and teaching them new strategies for solving word and logic problems, helping them with critical thinking and gaining confidence in the classroom.
Math Kangaroo USA is an exciting international math competition for students in grades K-12. It promotes problem-solving, logical reasoning, and a love for mathematics in a fun and engaging way.
Free sample questions can be found here.
If you have any questions about Math Kangaroo in general or about creating your own Math Kangaroo center, please email Amy@mathkangaroo.org.

Noetic Spring Math Contest (Students)
This is free for our students and will happen during the day, if they are interested.
The Noetic Learning Math Contest (NLMC) is a semiannual problem-solving contest for elementary and middle school students. We believe that problem-solving helps students to become better mathematicians, better thinkers, therefore better equipped for advanced STEM learning. The goal of our contest is to develop students' problem-solving skills, to encourage their interest in math, and to inspire them to excel in math.
Grade-level Tailored and Engaging Problems: We design different problems for each grade level, enabling students to face challenges that align with their skills and allowing them to compete with peers in their age group. For younger students, we craft our problems to resemble intriguing puzzles, igniting curiosity and engagement in math.
Broad Recognition: We are proud to offer one of the most comprehensive recognition systems among national contests. The top 10% of students earn National Honor Roll medals, and the top 50% receive Honorable Mention ribbons. Every team is guaranteed a Team Winner medal for their top scorer.

Noetic Spring Math Contest (Open to the Public)
This is $10 for the community and for students that can compete at the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade level.
The Noetic Learning Math Contest (NLMC) is a semiannual problem-solving contest for elementary and middle school students. We believe that problem-solving helps students to become better mathematicians, better thinkers, therefore better equipped for advanced STEM learning. The goal of our contest is to develop students' problem-solving skills, to encourage their interest in math, and to inspire them to excel in math.
Grade-level Tailored and Engaging Problems: We design different problems for each grade level, enabling students to face challenges that align with their skills and allowing them to compete with peers in their age group. For younger students, we craft our problems to resemble intriguing puzzles, igniting curiosity and engagement in math.
Broad Recognition: We are proud to offer one of the most comprehensive recognition systems among national contests. The top 10% of students earn National Honor Roll medals, and the top 50% receive Honorable Mention ribbons. Every team is guaranteed a Team Winner medal for their top scorer.
Sign up your student by March 12th to save your spot by emailing Gifted@VanguardGiftedAcademy.org.


Math Circle (Free and Open to the Public)
Our math circle is a program for elementary school students that fosters a love for mathematics through engaging, hands-on problem-solving and interactive activities. Unlike traditional classrooms, math circles encourage creative thinking, collaboration, and exploration of mathematical concepts in a fun and challenging environment. Each month, we'll dive into a new game or work together on a fascinating puzzle, all focused on exploring and finding joy in math, patterns, and concepts. Grownups can even participate in their own puzzle-solving activities in a separate room, making it a stimulating experience for the whole family.
We're thrilled to announce that our new Math Circle is launching now, and it's completely free for all elementary school students! We'll meet at Vanguard Gifted Academy in Batavia, IL, on the SECOND Saturday of this month. This is a free community event, but we kindly ask that you sign up ahead of time so we can make sure we have enough snacks for everyone. We can't wait to explore the wonderful world of math with you!
Email Gifted@vanguardgiftedacademy.org to sign up for this free event.

Math Circle (Free and Open to the Public)
Our math circle is a program for elementary school students that fosters a love for mathematics through engaging, hands-on problem-solving and interactive activities. Unlike traditional classrooms, math circles encourage creative thinking, collaboration, and exploration of mathematical concepts in a fun and challenging environment. Each month, we'll dive into a new game or work together on a fascinating puzzle, all focused on exploring and finding joy in math, patterns, and concepts. Grownups can even participate in their own puzzle-solving activities in a separate room, making it a stimulating experience for the whole family.
We're thrilled to announce that our new Math Circle is launching now, and it's completely free for all elementary school students! We'll meet at Vanguard Gifted Academy in Batavia, IL, on the first Saturday of each month. This is a free community event, but we kindly ask that you sign up ahead of time so we can make sure we have enough snacks for everyone. We can't wait to explore the wonderful world of math with you!
Email Gifted@vanguardgiftedacademy.org to sign up for this free event.

Julia Robinson Math Festival (Free and open to the public)
This festival is open to the public and the games and activities are for all ages.
The Julia Robinson Mathematics Festival helps students build confidence, joy, and a sense of belonging around math by hosting Math Festivals.
Encouraging Play
Math doesn't need to be scary, hard, or boring. Play gives students the opportunity to take charge of their learning, grow from their mistakes, and have fun at the same time.
Building Confidence
Show kids how to harness their own creativity with open-ended activities. Students will succeed early, engage deeply, and build up to more challenges — increasing their confidence in math.
Including Everyone
Competition in math can hurt learning, especially for underrepresented students. But working as a team allows kids to empower each other and let all voices be heard.
Sign up by emailing Gifted@VanguardGiftedAcademy.org.



