Students from 14 elementary schools in the Boise School District participated in the 2026 Math Meet, with fifth grade teams competing on Feb. 17 and sixth grade teams on March 5. The event brought together young students to test their mathematical skills and teamwork through a series of challenges.
The Math Meet is important because it encourages students to apply mathematics to real-world problems and fosters collaboration among participants. This year’s main team problem-solving task focused on analyzing data about wildland fires in the United States. Teams were asked to use this information to develop recommendations for how wildland firefighters could be stationed across the country for effective response.
The event was supported by WSP, a global professional services consulting firm, and funded by a $4 million National Science Foundation grant awarded to Mojtaba Sadegh, principal investigator from Boise State’s Civil Engineering program. Throughout the competition, students engaged in collaborative problem-solving tasks, spatial reasoning challenges, quick-response questions, and an individual challenge that allowed them to showcase their personal skills.
Mojtaba Sadegh said, “The students showed an impressive engagement and asked the right questions. Specifically, I was positively surprised by their depth of understanding of different types of fires, beyond just burned area. For example, wildfires that occur near human settlements require far more suppression resources than those in the wilderness. It was inspiring to see how many of the fifth and sixth graders are thinking about wildfire solutions.”
As students continue to participate in events like these, educators hope they will develop stronger analytical skills and an interest in solving complex problems that affect communities.
