Welcome, New Team Advisors!
How Does the Math Video Challenge Work?
- Educators register in the fall and receive a Producers Kit of materials so their students can create an original video.
- Students work in teams of 4 to make their video projects and by March 5 submit their video on the Math Video Challenge website. The team advisor ensures the team's video is appropriate and approves it online to finalize the team's video submission.
- In March, Quarterfinalists (50-100 videos), Semifinalists (12 videos) and Judges' Choice Winners (5 videos) are announced.
- In April, 4 Finalist Videos are selected, and teams receive an all-expenses-paid trip to the Math Video Challenge Finals, where students competing in other MATHCOUNTS programs at the National Competition vote to determine the winning video.
What Resources Are Provided?
Math Video Challenge Playbook
Free hard copy mailed to every registered team advisor as part of the Producers Kit + free online resource
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250 problems organized by math topic to make it easy for students to pick their video's inspiration
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answer key + problem index showing difficulty level
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guide for new team advisors
Smartphone Tripod for Filming
Free tripod mailed to every registered team advisor who opts in (one per team)
We recommend students use a smartphone camera (such as an iPhone or Samsung smart phone) to shoot their Math Video Challenge video. To help your students keep the camera steady, each registered team (who opts in) will receive a free table-top tripod that adjusts to hold different sized smartphones, as well as small digital cameras.
Technical Guidelines
Free online resource
- video specs/format requirements
- recommendations for filming
- recommendations for free editing software
Copyrighted Materials Guidelines
Free online resource
- step-by-step flowchart to guide teams
- common pitfalls to avoid
- frequently asked questions about Public Domain, Creative Commons and other types of copyrighted works
Outside Help Guidelines
Free online resource
- examples and scenarios to guide teams
- common pitfalls to avoid
- frequently asked questions about what types of outside help are and are not allowed in the contest
Video Spotlight
Free online resource
- past submissions that excelled in mathematical content, communication, creativity and/or real-world scenario
- detailed summaries of what judges liked about each video
The Role of a Team Advisor
Every team advisor must:
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Collect parent/guardian permission forms (either offline or online) for all 4 team members.
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Ensure students do not receive outside help on their video.
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Ensure students follow rules regarding the use of copyrighted material in their video.
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Approve the students' video after verifying it follows the contest rules and is appropriate.
Team advisors do not need to:
- Know how to solve MATHCOUNTS problems or make a video...the students should do this, and we provide numerous resources to help them succeed!
- Spend their own money for their students to be successful. In fact, we recommend your students use the free materials and resources.
Learn More
If you'd like more information:
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See all the resources available for Math Video Challenge teams.
You can advise your team to math movie success using just the free resources above, but if you are interested in purchasing additional materials or swag for your students, check out the MATHCOUNTS online store.
Contact us anytime at info@mathcounts.org! We're happy to help with any questions you have about being a team advisor, the Math Video Challenge or resources available to you.
