The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Vicksburg District and the Vicksburg Post of the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME) hosted a math competition for local students Jan. 31 at the district’s headquarters in Vicksburg.

The math competition was for sixth, seventh, and eighth graders. Students from St. Aloysius High School, Porter’s Chapel Academy, Academy of Innovation (AOI), Bovina Elementary, Beechwood Elementary, Redwood Elementary, and St. Francis took part in the event.

Vicksburg District Commander Col. Chris Klein welcomed the students and explained how science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) is essential to the USACE mission. Chief of Engineering and Construction Henry Dulaney recognized winners and presented awards.

The format of the competition was inspired by MATHCOUNTS, a national program that allows students to participate in live, in-person mathematic contests with their peers. The SAME math competition is designed to build the confidence and challenge the problem-solving skills of local students.

The USACE Vicksburg District is engineering solutions to the nation’s toughest challenges. The Vicksburg District encompasses a 68,000-square-mile area across portions of Mississippi, Arkansas and Louisiana that holds nine major river basins and incorporates approximately 460 miles of mainline Mississippi River levees. The Vicksburg District is engaged in hundreds of projects and employs approximately 1,100 personnel.