NEW NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL MATH COMPETITION PARTNERSHIP LAUNCHED

OTTAWA, Ontario — The Canadian Mathematical Society (CMS) has formed a unique partnership with the University of Toronto and Université Laval to stage the 2011 Sun Life Financial Canadian Open Mathematics Challenge (COMC), Canada's premier national math competition for high school students.

The CMS chose two universities as partners in order to further the development of the COMC and to provide both students and teachers a more accessible and interesting competition.

"This partnership is an exciting development for the COMC that allows us to build on the significant outreach and international expertise of the University of Toronto and Université Laval," said Bill Sands, Chair of the CMS competitions committee. "It also strengthens our ability to better support students in their language of choice - important not only for Canada but for the increasing number of international participants attracted to the COMC."

The partnership is expected to gradually improve the constitution of the COMC which, starting in 2011, is expected to have broader and more accessible problems as well as an improved awards structure to highlight student excellence.

The COMC, with title sponsorship from Sun Life Financial, is Canada's national pre-eminent math competition, and the first in a series leading to the selection of students for Math Team Canada to compete in the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO).

About the Canadian Mathematical Society (CMS)

The CMS is the national mathematics organization whose goal is to promote the advancement, discovery, learning, and application of mathematics. The Society's activities cover the whole spectrum of mathematics including: scientific meetings, research publications, and the promotion of excellence in mathematics education at all levels. The CMS annually sponsors mathematics awards and prizes that recognize outstanding achievements.