National Math Stars

National Math Stars

Math Awards

Recognizing and celebrating the top young mathematicians in each school, district or state

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Get Involved

The National Math Stars Math Awards Program is a free, fun, and simple way to celebrate math excellence at your school or district, while helping students find and join our Pathfinder or Voyager Stars programs. Each year we send free award packets to thousands of partner schools around the country, which they use to recognize and celebrate their top young mathematicians.

We’ve found that the small act of recognizing students for top math performance helps shape student’s vision of themselves as mathematicians and contributes to a campus culture that celebrates achievement. Plus, awardees who apply and are accepted to one of our Stars Programs receive a decade of long-term, wrap-around support for their mathematical growth!

We’ve designed our process to be straightforward and celebratory. Reach out today to get your district involved.

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How it Works

  1. Identify top students

    Identify the top 2% of your 2nd and 3rd grade students based on your existing test data.

  2. Request awards

    Let us know how many awards you need, and we’ll ship you a free box of materials. No student data sharing needed.

  3. Celebrate your students

    Distribute awards to your students, celebrate their accomplishments, and encourage them to apply for our Stars Programs.

  4. Families apply

    Each award letter contains instructions for families on how to apply for our Stars programs. Don’t worry – we’ll keep you up to date about the applicants, finalists, and Stars selected from your school/district.

The program is free for districts, schools, and families. Schools whose students are chosen as National Math Stars can receive additional benefits from engagement with the program, such as awards to display, school-wide sponsorship for math competitions and other enrichment, and joint publicity of Stars’ accomplishments.

Key Dates for 2026

  • January 15, 2026

    First day to request 2026 award packets. Stars application opens

  • May 15, 2026

    Last day to request 2026 award packets

  • June 15, 2026

    Last day for families to apply to Stars Programs

  • Summer 2026

    Stars admissions and selection process

  • August 15, 2026

    2026 National Math Stars announced

Math Awards Packages

When you let us know how many students you want to nominate, we’ll send you a package of math awards.

FAQ

  • Who is eligible to participate?

    Any public, private, or charter elementary school serving 2nd or 3rd graders in participating states can request free Award Packets. There is no cost or formal contract required.

    We also work with state Departments of Education to distribute awards state-wide. To pursue a partnership at the state level, please reach out via email to partnerships@nationalmathstars.org.

  • How do we identify which students to recognize?

    Use any of your existing math assessment data (NWEA MAP, i-Ready, CogAT, state tests, etc.) to identify approximately the top 2% of your 2nd- and 3rd-grade math performers. We ask that you use an assessment that is universally administered (i.e., taken by all students in that grade).

  • What data do you collect?

    You just let us know how many students you’re recognizing. We don’t collect any personally identifiable information about your students. This means we don’t need data sharing agreements to work together.

  • How much does it cost to participate?

    There is no cost to join our Math Awards Program. We cover all the costs for producing and shipping your award packets.

  • Can multiple schools in our district participate?

    Yes. We typically work with districts to nominate students from all of their elementary schools. We can mail each campus their own box of award packets, or send a single box of packets to your central district office.

  • Whom can I contact with other questions?

    You can reach the National Math Stars partnerships team anytime at partnerships@nationalmathstars.org or through the sign-up form.

Providing the math resources that my child needed was feeling so stressful and out of reach last summer, and now it feels nearly effortless and really exciting. The difference is tangible, and deeply appreciated.

National Math Stars Parent