Toronto, Feb. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Game-based learning leaders Prodigy Education (“Prodigy”) have launched the world’s biggest math competition, motivating millions of U.S. elementary school students to ignite their love of learning and compete for up to $1 million in available prizes for their schools.
The Prodigy State Challenge drives engaging math practice through exciting monthly contests, with classes uniting across their school to battle others for major prizes and the title of monthly state champion. The contest culminates in a thrilling May finale, when the school in the U.S. to answer the most math questions correctly during that period earns the prestigious title of Prodigy National Cup Champion and a $100,000 tech grant.
Video: State Challenge – the Ultimate Math Competition
“Inspiring and motivating students to discover a love of learning is at the heart of everything we do,” said Alex Peters, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Prodigy. “Our State Challenge takes game-based learning to the next level with exhilarating monthly contests to inspire even more math practice among students. With millions of participants and such a phenomenal prize pool, State Challenge adds yet another layer of motivation for students, while building school spirit by encouraging classrooms to team up in a friendly competition for a chance to become champions of their state — and maybe even bring home the first-ever Prodigy National Cup.”
There are more than 500 prizes up for grabs every month — leading all the way to the Prodigy National Cup showdown in May. Any U.S. classroom using Prodigy Math and with a teacher account attached to a school in Prodigy’s database is eligible to participate in State Challenge. Competing is free and simple:
- Every question answered correctly by students on Prodigy Math — whether at school or at home — counts towards their school’s State Challenge total for that month. The school with the most questions answered correctly becomes their State Champion, winning a pizza party, Prodigy swag and Prodigy Core Memberships for their students! There are also great prizes for the nine runners-up in each state.
- There’s also the chance for national recognition. Schools will be awarded points based on their State Challenge ranking at the end of each month, determining the tier they’ll compete in when the Prodigy National Cup runs from May 1-14. The school in the platinum tier which answers the most math questions correctly during that period wins the Prodigy National Cup and scoops a $100,000 tech grant. Click here for more details on prizing and tiers, as well as rules, FAQs, and terms and conditions.
February’s contest is live now, with last month’s first-ever State Challenge motivating countless schools to practice math. A full list of winners and runners-up for the January State Challenge and future monthly contests can be found here.
“We are incredibly proud of our students’ outstanding achievement and in awe that we were able to win in such a competitive state,” said Brandi Solis, teacher at Anna Kirchgater Elementary, winner in California with 101,000 correct questions. “Math has historically been a challenging subject for our students. This victory reflects their commitment to hard work, academic excellence, and the supportive environment fostered by our dedicated teachers and staff in igniting a love of continuous learning.”
Scott Woller, teacher at Medford Elementary School, winner in Wisconsin with 77,335 correct questions, said: “The students loved working together with peers from different classrooms, all striving toward the same goal. Outside of class, they kept the excitement going—talking, strategizing, and motivating each other to keep scoring points for the tournament. If they noticed someone falling behind, they didn’t leave them out—they jumped into battles together to help them earn more points. It was incredible to see teamwork in action.”
“We are incredibly proud of our students’ dedication to improving their math skills and academic achievement with Prodigy,” said Kathleen Connolly, Principal of East Elementary School, January winner in New York with 44,414 correct questions. “Prodigy has increased the students’ excitement about math, and they have been super motivated to answer questions because of the Prodigy State Challenge.”
Alison Remer, teacher at Wildwood Elementary School and January winner in Michigan with 47,718 correct questions. “The friendly competition between other schools in the state and within our school’s classrooms has also carried over to the students using Prodigy at home more frequently. I use Prodigy for formative assessments, and its adaptive nature makes learning fun.”
Prodigy Math is a research-based, standards-aligned math practice tool for first to eighth grade students. More than 10 million students learned with Prodigy in the last school year, exploring different worlds across Prodigy Island, going on quests, meeting magical characters, and rescuing and collecting pets — all while practicing teacher-assigned math skills. There is zero cost for teachers to use Prodigy, including access to a free teacher portal that delivers engaging assessments and detailed reports to track student progress and comprehension.
About Prodigy Education
Prodigy Education is a global leader in game-based learning. Our mission is to help every student in the world love learning, motivating more than 20 million students a year to practice standards-aligned math and English. Prodigy maximizes student engagement and is completely zero-cost for all educators. More than 800,000 teachers use Prodigy as a free instructional tool which adapts to individual student needs while supporting differentiated instruction. Fun, motivating, and research-based, Prodigy is the EdTech platform students actually ask to use. Visit www.prodigygame.com to learn more.
