Below is a sample schedule for a day at the Institute:

DAILY PUZZLER: (1-1:20 pm) Students begin each day with a 15–20-minute problem solving session in which they are presented with a puzzler, usually dealing with logical deduction or numerical manipulation. They work collaboratively to try to solve the puzzler, and are encouraged to present their solutions to the group at the end of the session.

INSTRUCTIONAL SESSION 1: (1:20 pm - 2:20 pm): Students attend a workshop exploring either a mathematical topic or lesson in Mathematica programming techniques. For example, during a math workshop students might explore the properties of various regular polyhedra by constructing them in three dimensions using modeling kits, and then derive Euler's rule relating the faces, edges, and faces of these polyhedra. During a Computer Science lesson, students might develop a way to write a program to find all examples of twin primes lower than a certain bound. (See "What topics are covered?" question below for greater detail about the content of instructional sessions.)

SCREEN BREAK: (2:20 pm - 2:40 pm) Students are encouraged to take a break from their device during this time.

INSTRUCTIONAL SESSION 2: (2:40 pm -3:40 pm): Students attend a workshop exploring either a mathematical topic or lesson in computer programming techniques. If they attended a math workshop during the first instructional session of the day, they attend a Computer Science workshop during the second instructional session, and vice versa. (See "What topics are covered?" question below for greater detail about the content of instructional sessions.)

SCREEN BREAK: (3:40 pm - 4:00 pm) Students are encouraged to take a break from their device during this time

GAME TIME (4:00 pm - 4:55 pm): Students participate in a host of fun online games that employ mathematical logic and strategy. Students sign up for games and tournaments earlier in the afternoon to ensure expeditious assignment of campers to various Zoom breakout rooms where these games are played. Various individual and team tournaments take place during the 2-week session for the most popular games.

CLOSING/DISMISSAL (4:55 pm - 5 pm) - Instructors debrief about the day with students, make announcements about upcoming activities, lessons, and competitions.

Here are some of the math topics that might be explored in the 2023 Summer Math Institute:

1. Principles of Cryptography- Students will explore a host of encryption techniques used over the centuries and evaluate the strengths of weaknesses of each.

Sample Activity: Students generate their own unique encrypting and decrypting algorithms, using variations on encryption schemes they have studied.

2. Combinatorics - Students will explore more advanced combinatorics techniques such as partitioning and complementary counting. four dice is less than 12.)

Sample Challenge: Find the probability, in the most efficient manner possible, that when four dice are rolled, the sum of all dice a prime number

3. Game Theory- Students will explore games based on binary logic and develop strategies for winning them.

Sample Activity - Students play the following game and develop a winning strategy based on numerical logic. "Players start from 0 and add any number from 0 to 10 to a cumulative. The player who reaches 100 wins."

4. Transfinite Numbers and Density of Sets- Students will explore the various levels of infinity, and how these levels define sets of numbers and their density.

Sample Challenge: Explain why there is an irrational number between any two rational numbers and a rational number between any two irrational numbers.

5. Non-Euclidean Geometry - Students will investigate Non-Euclidean principle and explore their application to modern applied math fields such as topology and GPS navigation.

Sample Activity: Calculate GPS location of object based on data from 4-6 satellites

6. Contest Preparation - Students will learn tricks for tackling the most challenging problems on middle school math competitions such as the AMC 8, ISMAW Math Meets, and MathCounts. In particular, problem-solving shortcuts (such as searching for parity in probability or counting scenarios) will be explored to widen students' problem-solving toolkit.

Sample Challenge: Eight identical unit cubes are glued together to create a 2x2x2 cube. Suppose vertex A is at the front, bottom, left corner of the 2x2x2 cube, and vertex B is at the back, top, right corner of the 2x2x2 cube. Suppose a "short path" from A to B is defined as a path of 6 "moves", where each "move" is either one unit up, one unit right, or one unit back along the edges of the original cubes that were glued together. How many "short paths" are possible?

There are no prerequisites in math or computer science. All that is required is a love and aptitude for mathematics and a strong desire to tackle problem solving challenges. The DCSMI curriculum in math and computer science is designed to be accessible to any bright middle schooler, but it does not presuppose prior knowledge in the topics being explored. Both the mathematics and computer science lessons are primarily self-paced and offer exercises of varying levels of difficulty and abstraction so that all students can feel comfortably challenged, irrespective of his or her math and/or computer science background. Most coding instruction involves the languages of Java, JavaScript, and Python.

If you would like your child to participate, fill out the form on the Registration Forms page.

The curriculum at the Institute is unique for each summer session, so students are encouraged to return to the Institute as long as they are eligible (entering 6th, 7th, 8th or 9th grade in the fall following the summer session.) Students who participate successfully in a summer session are automatically guaranteed a spot a future summer session for which they are eligible if they decide to return.

The program will cost $1400 per child for the 2-week session.   Financial aid is available for Sidwell Friends students who currently receive financial aid.  In addition, students who are currently attending a DC public school or DC public charter school are eligible to apply for the DC Summer Math Institute's Math Scholars Program.  Math Scholars receive a scholarship that covers the entire cost of the 2-week session.   (Contact Andrew Callard at callarda@sidwell.edu if you would like to seek financial aid or have your child apply to the Math Scholars program.)