Seattle students triumph in national maths game competition

Four students from Eckstein Middle School in Seattle, USA, have won a national maths game-making competition, earning a collective $5,000 prize. 

Alex Wallace, Daniel and Elias Impert, and Ira Shamay will be honoured for their achievement today at a school ceremony.

The competition, sponsored by Semper Smart Games, tasked students with creating an original card game using elements from Blobby's Pizza, a fractions-based educational game. 

The ceremony to present the students with their scholarship checks will take place today at Eckstein Middle School. 

Semper Smart Games, based in Arlington, Virginia, focuses on creating educational games that teach essential skills through play. 

Their mission is to offer fun and educational gaming experiences that can be enjoyed at home, in the classroom, or anywhere with a small playing surface. The company is dedicated to providing tactile gaming options that do not involve screens.

Jim Moran, CEO and Founder of Semper Smart Games, who launched the two-year-long competition, will present the award. Moran praised the students, saying, "These kids made a great game."

Their winning game, "Sell Those Pizzas," was judged the best by a panel of educators and game designers. 

Melissa Morrell, a volunteer math tutor at Laurelhurst Elementary, encouraged the students to enter the competition. She stated:

"The boys were immediately excited by the prospect of making up a new game. I followed their lead and used it as a teaching opportunity to learn about game development, including observing, silently, while another group played their game. It was fun to watch as they iterated on their rules until they got them to be just right."