Courtesy photo. Students earning at least $35 got a St Jude's T-shirt and ticket to Six Flags.

Published on: Wednesday, June 23, 2010

By Aleita Johnson

Students at Hyattsville Elementary school are learning what it means to give back, while honing up on their math skills.

Each spring, students from pre-K to grade six participate in a Math-A-Thon to raise money for St. Jude's Children Hospital.

Students raised $3,160 this year, more than $70,000 in total since Hyattsville Elementary school first started the Math-A-Thon in 1995.

All proceeds go to St. Jude's Children Hospital, who use the donated money to help kids in Prince George's County.

Courtesy photo. Students earning at least $75 received a t-shirt, a Six Flags ticket and a St. Jude's gym bag.

"[Our] kids do know that they are helping others and it is important to give back to society," said Shari Sternberg, math specialist at Hyattsville Elementary school and sponsor of the Math-A-Thon. "They are willing and able to give back to society, even at this age."

Students are given three weeks to find family, friends and neighbors to sponsor them, finish math problems and collect the money from sponsors.

For each problem they solve, their sponsors will match that with a certain amount, such as 10 cents a problem. If a student solves 200 math problems, they will have raised $20 from that sponsor.

The Math-A-Thon kick-off is done the week before spring break each year. This is done to ensure the safe door-to-door collection of sponsors.

Courtesy photo. Top 4 earners in the school. Each of these students earned $125 or more. Bryce Terrell (back left) was the top earner in the school. He raised $250 from sponsors.

During the kick-off, St. Jude's plays a video showing children with cancer that is heart-wrenching for students to watch, said Sternberg.

The video also features a different celebrity each year to talk about the importance of participating in the Math-A-Thon.

Miranda Cosgrove of “iCarly,” a teen sitcom on Nickelodeon, was the featured celebrity this year.

Every participant of the Math-A-Thon receives a certificate.

As an added incentive, those who raise $35 receive a t-shirt and a ticket to Six Flags.

Those who raise up to $75 receive a gym bag in addition to the t-shirt and ticket to Six Flags.

For some kids, just doing the math problems is an enjoyable experience of the Math-A-Thon, said Sternberg.

"They are doing fun math while raising money and helping others," Sternberg said.

The reward incentives act as a good motivator for the students.

T-shirts were handed out June 7, and students were given the option to wear their shirts the next day instead of wearing their uniforms.

The whole school is involved in the Math-A-Thon, including the teachers. Some teachers make it a contest in their class, where students may get a grade for the completion of their math problems or receive a monetary award, said Sternberg.

As an at-risk Title I school, said Sternberg, "no matter how we are, we can always do something to help someone else."

The Math-A-Thon is just one of the fundraisers held by St. Jude's Children Hospital.