Date posted: 07/25/2007*

A Wake Forest, N.C., family will receive out-of-this-world treatment with a VIP trip to Washington, D.C., courtesy of Raytheon and MathMovesU.

Twelve year-old Nicholas Grazio won the “Mission to Mars” contest on MathMovesU.com by successfully answering a series of space-themed math questions. The family of four will travel to Washington for Mars Day! at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum July 20, where scientists will lead interactive demonstrations and conduct a 3-D exploration of the red planet.

“The biggest excitement for us is that all of Nicholas’s favorite subjects — math, space exploration and studying about Washington, D.C. — are all encompassed in this trip,” said his father, Randy. “He is so excited because he has always wanted to see D.C. and the Smithsonian. We had a discussion about how rewarding using math can be later in life, but Nicholas has learned that using math, even at an early age, is already paying dividends.”

MathMovesU is working to reverse the national trend in declining math scores by helping make math more fun for middle school students. Studies have found that it is during this time when students tend to lose interest in the subject. The Raytheon math initiative also showcases how math connects to “cool” things, people and experiences in their lives.

“Our goal is to use the Mars Day! event to show students how fun math and science can be when applying it to space exploration,” said Raytheon Community Relations Manager Jennifer Chan. “We’re excited for the Grazio family and look forward to interacting with all of the visitors who will attend Mars Day!”

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