(DoDEA Photo by Public Affairs Officer Charly Hoff/Released)

ONNA VILLAGE, OKINAWA — February 7, 2011 — For those willing to look a little deeper, numbers have an alluring beauty that can transform how we view the world. And for Department of Defense Education Activity high school students attending the Far East Mathematicafest, the challenge to “explore and communicate the beauty of the golden ratio” could not go unanswered.

The golden ratio—a unique number expressed as approximately 1.618 and frequently observed in nature, art, architecture, and mathematics—has intrigued mathematicians, scientists, artists and philosophers for hundreds of years.

60 DoDEA Pacific students and 15 teachers are working together in collaborative, small groups this week to go beyond the classroom and DoDEA mathematics standards. Their goal is to make math more meaningful by rediscovering numbers in exciting, conceptual terms like the golden ratio and Fibonacci sequence.

Students began the Far East Mathematicafest Sunday by mixing into small groups and navigating an opening activity called “Triangle Trouble” that blended cooperative puzzle solving with a treasure hunt.

Monday, DoDEA Pacific Director Diana Ohman provided opening remarks. Ohman was followed by a keynote presentation on the golden ratio delivered by Dr. Robert Sinclair, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology’s principal investigator with the mathematical biology unit.

Additional scholastic activities are scheduled throughout the week with culminating presentations on selected mathematical themes scheduled for Thursday in a rigorous, peer-review setting. The team presentations will be judged and awarded Thursday evening.

Students will also participate in the American Mathematics Competitions sponsored by The Mathematical Association of America.  The AMC is dedicated to strengthening the mathematical capabilities of American youth. The AMC contests are intended for everyone from the average student at a typical school to the advanced student at a highly selective school.

The first Mathematical Contest was held in 1950 and for over six decades, many rigorous exams have been prepared by individuals throughout the mathematics community to provide secondary students an opportunity to participate in challenging problem solving and enriching mathematics experiences.

Top scoring students will qualify for the American Invitational Mathematics Exam held in March. All DoDEA students will receive certificates and awards for their participation in the American Mathematics Competitions.

For further information, including locations and a detailed event schedule, please contact the Far East Mathematicafest Co-Directorat 080-3459-4185, or the DoDEA Pacific Activities Coordinator at 080-2700-8554.

About DoDEA Pacific Far East Activities and Athletics:
In addition to Mathematicafest, DoDEA Pacific sponsors 24 other unique Far East athletic and scholastic opportunities throughout the school year. Scholastic events include Far East Journalism, Harvard Model Congress, Science and Research Academy, LinguaFest, and many more while athletic competition includes tennis, cheerleading, cross country, track and field, football, baseball, wrestling, among others. Far East events also include several art and music offerings such as the Film and Entertainment Arts Festival, Creative Expressions, Culinary Arts, Honor Music and Jazz Honor Festivals, etc.

Far East events reinforce DoDEA core curriculum by providing students area-wide festivals, symposiums and competitions to showcase their creative, academic and athletic talents. The events are coordinated and managed by the DoDEA Pacific area office with guidance provided by the Far East Activities and Athletic Councils.

About DoDEA Pacific:
DoDEA Pacific provides a comprehensive preK-12 education to the children of military and eligible civilian personnel families serving throughout Asia. The 48 schools in DoDEA Pacific are comprised of more than 24,000 students and 3,100 full-time professional educators and support staff. The schools are geographically organized into four districts: Guam, Japan, Okinawa and South Korea.