RUSMP and Houston ISD co-host a round of Bebras Computing Challenge

By Alice Fisher

To help get students excited about computing and problem-solving, the Rice University School Mathematics Project (RUSMP) and Houston Independent School District (HISD) co-hosted an invitational round of the Bebras Computing Challenge Oct. 1 at Rice. The more than 50 students who participated were the top scorers out of 7,000 HISD fifth- through 12th-grade students who participated in the first invitational round last November.

Emil Augustin, a teacher at T.H. Rogers School, is shown with students from his school who participated in the invitational round of the Bebras Computing Challenge at Rice.

The annual Bebras Challenge is held in more than 30 countries to promote interest in computing. HISD is the No. 1 participant nationwide in the challenge, which is a 45-minute online competition consisting of 15 multiple-choice questions.

In addition to the online competition, the event at Rice included a motivational talk by Illya Hicks ’00, Rice professor of computational and applied mathematics, and an awards ceremony. Parents and teachers were also invited, and they attended a session with Eljakim Schrijvers, founder and contest director of the Bebras Challenge, who showcased several Bebras questions and highlighted the importance of computational thinking. All students received certificates of participation, and the top three scorers in each of the four levels of skills received certificates and small prizes.

The Bebras Challenge precedes the annual Computer Science Education Week, which is Dec. 5-11 this year. The Bebras Challenge also serves as an impetus for more engagement and participation in the yearly worldwide Hour of Code events that also take place during Computer Science Education Week to help provide every student with an opportunity to learn computer science.

Jawad Tahiri, HISDecoded project manager, said the Bebras Challenge “provides a unique opportunity to expose students to computational thinking as a fundamental way of thinking, problem-solving and understanding of people and the world around them, and also increases student engagement and interest in computer science and computational thinking, which are indispensable in preparing students for in-demand, highly paid career opportunities in computer science.”

“RUSMP was proud to be able to partner with Houston ISD to promote such an important international event for Houston-area students and their parents and teachers,” said RUSMP Director Anne Papakonstantinou.

HISD schools that were represented at the challenge were Carnegie Vanguard High School, Clifton Middle School, Eastwood Academy, Garden Oaks Montessori Magnet, Herod Elementary School, Horn Elementary, Pershing Middle School, Roberts Elementary, Sharpstown International High School, T.H. Rogers School and Young Women’s College Preparatory Academy.

–Alice Fisher is director of technology applications and integration for the Rice University School Mathematics Project.