Date posted: 09/28/2007*

MathMovesU, along with video game developer Mark Skaggs, gave students something to think about the next time they hit ‘start’ on their home videogame system.

Skaggs, an instrumental developer of the video game The Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle Earth, led interactive demonstrations at Raytheon’s MathMovesU exhibit at the Long Beach, CA Convention Center September 18-20. The display was part of Education Alley at the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Space Conference.

Thousands of students visited Education Alley, where Raytheon and several other high-tech companies were on display. Kids who stopped by the MathMovesU exhibit were treated to Skaggs’ presentation of how math is used to develop video games and how math plays an important role in other daily encounters. The future engineers and scientists were amazed at the shapes and formulas that make up the very games they play. Skaggs’ message to students was to focus on a strong math and science education so they will be prepared for “cool” jobs in the future.

“The highlight of the whole event was interacting with the kids and answering their inquisitive questions about the gaming industry,” he said. “They realized that math isn’t just doing homework, it is everywhere. Math demystified the games as the kids connected geometric shapes with the construct of the characters, and the calculations needed to progress from one level to the next. Teachers also took away tools they can use to instruct in the classroom and found new ways of presenting math to kids,” Skaggs explained.

“It was satisfying to see the kids take such an interest in the MathMovesU presentations,” said Kristin Hilf, Raytheon’s vice president of community relations. “We were able to connect with the students directly on their terms, using their mediums, and engage them in MathMovesU firsthand. If just one of those students goes onto a successful career in math and science, perhaps as a video game developer, a rocket scientist, or engineer, all our efforts at the space conference were worth it.”

Raytheon’s MathMovesU initiative is working to reverse the national trend in declining math scores among middle school students by showcasing how math connects to “cool” people, careers and experiences. Since November 2005, MathMovesU has awarded more than $2 million in grants and scholarships.  More than 500,000 people have visited the Web site since its initial launch.

Raytheon is pleased to continue its successful partnership with American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and will be the Education Alley Sponsor in 2009.

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