NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE DOES NOT IMPROVE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING.
1. HOW TO ENTER CHALLENGE 1: Teachers should go to scholastic.com/hardestmathcontest any time between September 15, 2022, at 12:01 a.m. ET and December 5, 2022, at 11:59 p.m. ET. Have the students fill out the Challenge 1 entry sheet that teachers can print out from the site. On the entry form, students may answer the question that corresponds with either their current grade or a grade above their current grade. Students may enter by answering at least one question at or above their current grade level. For each problem submitted, only one answer may be submitted. The teacher or the student’s parent must submit the entries on the students’ behalf in one of three ways: by mail to Scholastic Inc., The Hardest Math Problem Student Contest, ATTN: SNP, 557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012; by email at hardestmathproblem@scholastic.com, or online by uploading entries through the online entry portal at scholastic.com/hardestmathcontest.
ONLY A STUDENT’S TEACHER OR PARENT/ GUARDIAN MAY SUBMIT THE ENTRIES. Please make sure each entry form is filled out completely.
Scholastic Inc. (“Scholastic” or “Sponsor”), and The Actuarial Foundation are not responsible for lost, late, damaged, misdirected, postage-due packages, or mail, or typographical or other errors in the printing of this offer. Entries must be postmarked by December 5, 2022 and received by December 16, 2022. Online Entries—which should consist of a scan of the completed entry form—must be uploaded by a teacher at scholastic.com/hardestmathcontest or sent via email to hardestmathproblem@scholastic.com by December 5, 2022.
It is essential for the proper and legitimate operation of this contest that each entry must be the student’s own original work. If the Sponsor, or The Actuarial Foundation or their respective parent companies, subsidiaries, dealers, and dealer personnel, advertising and promotion agencies (collectively referred to as “Sponsors’ Related Entities”) discover at any time, during or after the contest, that an entry contains previously published and/or copyrighted material, the student and teacher who submitted the entry may be immediately disqualified and may be obligated to immediately return any and all prizes that may have been provided to them in connection with their entries.
2. HOW TO ENTER CHALLENGE 2: Students who correctly answered in Challenge 1 will be invited to participate in Challenge 2. Scholastic will send an email to the teachers of eligible students inviting them to participate in Challenge 2 on or around January 27, 2023, or teachers of eligible students may download the entry packet from scholastic.com/hardestmathcontest. Challenge 2 will be open from January 27, 2023, at 12:01 a.m. ET to March 20, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. ET, for teachers to have their students complete the Challenge 2 entry form that teachers can print out from the site and answer the question that corresponds with their current grade or a grade level above them, by providing a numerical answer as well as a written explanation of their reasoning that makes a math argument to explain how they arrived at the solution. Students may enter by answering at least one question at or above their current grade level. For each problem submitted, only one answer may be submitted. The teacher must submit the entries on the students’ behalf in one of three ways: by mail to Scholastic Inc., The Hardest Math Problem Student Contest, ATTN: SNP, 557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012, by email at hardestmathproblem@scholastic.com or online by uploading entries online through the online entry portal at scholastic.com/hardestmathcontest.
ONLY A STUDENT’S TEACHER OR PARENT/ GUARDIAN MAY SUBMIT THE ENTRIES. Please make sure each entry form is filled out completely.
Entries must be postmarked by March 20, 2023 and received by March 31, 2023. Online Entries-- which should consist of a scan of the completed entry form and complete student entry -- must be uploaded by a teacher at www.scholastic.com/hardestmathcontest or sent via email to hardestmathproblem@scholastic.com by March 20, 2023.
3. a. ELIGIBILITY CHALLENGE 1. The Hardest Math Problem Challenge 1 Student Contest (the “Contest”) is open to students in the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth grades in one of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia, or United States territories, who are residents of the United States or its territories, and who attend a public school, accredited private school, or home school in compliance with the laws of its state. The submitting teacher or parent/guardian must be over 18 at the time of submission. The Contest is subject to all applicable federal, state, and local laws. The Contest is void where prohibited by law and in every territory other than the United States and its territories. Employees of Sponsor, or the Actuarial Foundation, their related entities, and their immediate families (spouse, parent, child, sibling, and their respective spouses and those living in the same household of each employee, whether or not related), and all other associated with the development and execution of this Contest and their immediate families (spouse, parent, child, sibling, and their respective spouses and those living in the same household of each employee, whether or not related) are not eligible to participate in the Contest.
Limit one (1) submission per student per grade-level problem.
3. b. ELIGIBILITY CHALLENGE 2. The Hardest Math Problem Challenge 2 Student Contest (the “Contest”) is open to eligible students in the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth grades who correctly answer the question in Challenge 1. Teachers of students who have qualified for Challenge 2 will be notified on or around January 27, 2023. The entry forms may only be submitted by the students’ teacher or parent/guardian, who must be over 18 at the time of submission.
Limit one (1) submission per student per grade-level problem for each Challenge. For both Challenges, all Contest entries become the sole property of The Actuarial Foundation, and the receipt of contest entries will not be acknowledged or returned.
Each entry must be in keeping with the image and standards of Scholastic and The Actuarial Foundation, and may not be offensive or inappropriate, as determined by these parties in their sole discretion. Furthermore, an entry may not defame or invade publicity rights or the privacy rights of any person, living or deceased, or otherwise infringe upon any person’s personal or property rights or any other third-party rights. The above parties reserve the right to disqualify any entry they deem to violate any of the above.
4. STUDENT WINNERS—CHALLENGE 1. Students who have correctly answered Challenge 1 will be invited to participate in Challenge 2. Teachers of students who have qualified to participate in Challenge 2 will be notified on or around January 27, 2023.
5. TEACHER WINNERS—CHALLENGE 1. Three winning teachers will be selected at random from the list of eligible teachers. An eligible teacher is one that submitted at least three eligible entries (if a teacher has fewer than three eligible students in their class, that teacher will still be eligible to win). The winning teachers (“Teacher Recognition Winners”) will be selected by Scholastic and The Actuarial Foundation from among all eligible entries on or about February 15, 2023. The Teacher Recognition Winners will be notified by email on or about February 17, 2022. The Teacher Recognition Winners will each receive a $500 American Express gift card, Approximate Retail Value (ARV) $500. Taxes on the prizes, if any, are the sole responsibility of the Teacher Recognition Winners. Teacher Recognition Winners should allow approximately six (6) to eight (8) weeks after notification and completion of affidavit for delivery of prizes.
The three potential Teacher Recognition winners will be selected randomly from among all eligible entries received by a judge employed by Scholastic. Scholastic reserves the right to not award all prizes if, in their sole discretion, they do not receive a sufficient number of qualified and eligible entries in Challenge 1.
6. STUDENT & TEACHER WINNERS - PRIZES/ODDS FOR CHALLENGE 2. Three (3) Grand Prize winning students, one from the pool of entries for each of sixth, seventh, and eighth grade problems, and three (3) Runner-Up winning students, one from the pool of entries for each of the sixth, seventh, and eighth grade problems, will be selected for among all eligible entrants. Grand-Prize and Runner-Up winning students are collectively “Student Winners.” Student Winners will be selected by Scholastic and The Actuarial Foundation from among all eligible entries and notified by email to the teacher or parent who registered their entry on or about May 3, 2023. The Grand-Prize Student Winners will each receive a laptop computer with Microsoft Office Home and Student Office products (ARV $550) and a $5,000 contribution to a 529 plan (a college savings account) (ARV $5,000). The three teachers who submitted the entries of the Grand-Prize Winners (the “Challenge 2 Teacher Recognition Winners”) will each receive a $500 American Express gift card for classroom use (ARV $500). The three Runner-Up Student Winners will each receive a tablet computer, which does not include a data plan (ARV $125).
Regarding the 529 plan, (a) the parent or legal guardian of the Grand-Prize Student Winners will need to set one up if they do not already have one, and communicate the new or existing plan to The Actuarial Foundation so the $5,000 contribution can be deposited, (b) the parent or legal guardian is responsible for any fees both based on the initial set up and any on-going fees or taxes associated with the plan/account, and (c) any restrictions of the 529 plan that they set up, or as governed by applicable law, will apply.
Delivery of a laptop or tablet requires the student’s home address. Delivery of a $500 gift card requires the teacher’s school address. (No PO Boxes.)
7. JUDGING FOR CHALLENGE 2. The three potential Grand-Prize Student Winners and the three potential Runner-Up Student Winners will be chosen by a judge(s) employed by or volunteering for Scholastic and/or The Actuarial Foundation who apply the judging criteria to students’ numerical answer and written explanation of their reasoning. The judging criteria are delineated in the following numerical rubric:
The decisions of the judges are final and binding. Scholastic reserves the right to not award all prizes if, in their sole discretion, they do not receive a sufficient number of qualified and eligible entries.
8. GENERAL. By entering and submitting an entry, entrant and the submitting teacher agree to release and hold harmless the Sponsor, The Actuarial Foundation, and their parents, affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising and promotion agencies, prize suppliers, and all others associated with the development and execution of this Contest, and the respective officers, directors, shareholders, agents, and employees of the foregoing (collectively, the “Released Parties”) from any and all claims, injuries, damages, or losses to the person or property and/or liabilities of any nature that in any way arise from participation in this Contest or acceptance or use of the prize. The Winners may be required to sign and return an affidavit of eligibility and liability/publicity release within ten (10) business days of notification attempt or an alternative winner may be selected. Subject to all applicable laws. By entering the Contest and/or accepting the prize, entrants and the submitting teachers grant to the Sponsors, and their designees the right to use their names, likenesses, hometowns, biographical information, school names, and entry for any lawful purposes, including advertising and promotional purposes, in any and all media now or hereafter known throughout the world, in perpetuity, without further notice, permission, or compensation, except where prohibited by law.
The Released Parties are not responsible for interrupted or unavailable network, server, Internet service provider (ISP), website, or other connections; for lack of availability or accessibility or miscommunications due to failed computer, satellite, telephone, or cable transmissions or lines; for technical failure or jumbled, scrambled, delayed, or misdirected transmissions; for computer hardware or software malfunctions, failures, or difficulties; or for any other computer, network, technical, typographical, human, or other error, problem, or malfunction related to or in connection with the Contest, including, without limitation, errors, problems, or malfunctions that may occur in connection with the administration of the Contest, the announcement of the prizes, the processing or judging of entries, or any Contest-related materials. The Released Parties are not responsible for any incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by site users, tampering, hacking, or by any equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Contest and assume no responsibility for any injury or damage to participants’ or to any other persons’ computers (whether hardware or software), relating to or resulting from downloading materials or software in connection with this Contest.
If for any reason (including, but not limited to, infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, or any other cause beyond the control of the Released Parties which corrupts or affects the administration, security, fairness, integrity, or proper conduct of this Contest) the Contest is not capable of being conducted as described in these rules, Sponsor shall have the right, at its sole discretion, to cancel, terminate, modify, or suspend the Contest. By entering the Contest, entrants and the submitting teachers agree to be bound by these rules and the decisions of Scholastic, which will be final and binding in all matters relating to the Contest.
Each entrant represents and warrants that The Actuarial Foundation shall own the entry and all rights in and to the entry submitted (including all rights embodied therein in winning entries). Further, by entering, the submitting teachers agree to abide by these rules. Teachers and students who do not comply with these Official Rules, or attempt to interfere with this promotion in any way, shall be disqualified. Prizes is nontransferable. No substitutions or cash redemptions.
Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to cancel, terminate, modify, or suspend this Contest should (in their sole discretion) viruses, bugs, nonauthorized human intervention, or other causes beyond their control corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, or proper conduct of the Contest. In such case, Scholastic will select the Winners from all eligible entries received prior to and/or after (if appropriate) the action taken by Scholastic. All personal information collected in the entries will be retained by Scholastic in accordance with its privacy policy found at scholastic.com/privacy.htm, and The Actuarial Foundation at actuarialfoundation.org/privacy-policy.
9. WINNERS’ NAMES. The names of the three Grand-Prize Student Winners, and the three Runner-Up Student Winners will be available on approximately May 24, 2023. You may request these names and the names of the Teacher Recognition Winners by sending an email to hardestmathproblem@scholastic.com with “The Hardest Math Problem” in the subject line by May 24, 2023.
10. SPONSOR. Scholastic Inc., 557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012.
For any questions or concerns regarding this Contest, please contact hardestmathproblem@scholastic.com