WASHINGTON, DC (April 16, 2021) — The Mathematical Association of America (MAA) continues to close the gender gap by celebrating 845 young women (38 receiving awards and 807 receiving certificates) around the nation for their achievements in this year’s MAA American Mathematics Competition (AMC).

The MAA AMC Awards and Certificate program has seen tremendous success since its launch in 2019. This year we were able to offer 5 times more funding to support and motivate young women in math. The program’s goal is to inspire young women around their love for math, promote a positive self-image, and strengthen confidence in their mathematical abilities. This, in turn, will help redefine gender stereotypes in and outside the classroom as well as nourish young women’s aspirations, better preparing them for future tech or STEM jobs.

The majority of research on gender differences in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) focuses on higher education and the industry professions. We believe that broadening the scope—starting sooner in a student’s educational journey—will improve the long-term outcome of increasing young women’s continued pursuit of mathematics and STEM education and, ultimately, the number of women in STEM. Mathematics prepares young women to be innovative, critical thinking problem-solvers. The MAA AMC promotes an active learning environment for all students that compete as well as develops transferable skills that students can use in their education and career.

"The MAA AMC prize and certificate program was created by one young woman, Meera Desai, who wanted to see more students like her represented in mathematics,” said Jennifer Barton, Director of Competitions. “In just its second year, with the support of our funders, it has grown from recognizing 149 students to 750 this year. This program is one that is close to my heart. I am so proud to acknowledge their accomplishments. Congratulations to all of the winners!"

MAA’s ability to encourage and support young women in math would not be possible without the support of our generous donors: Akamai Technologies, AwesomeMathGirls.org, Jane Street, The D. E. Shaw Group, and Two Sigma.

If you are interested in supporting this initiative, or other programs at the MAA, visit our website. Learn more about this prize and stay updated on the award announcement.