How CEMC Supports Educators in Teaching Math and Computing

CEMC (the Centre for Education in Mathematics and Computing at the University of Waterloo) supports educators through free online tools and resources, grade-organized teaching materials, professional workshops and events, and internationally recognized contests that can be used to stretch students in the classroom. Its stated mission explicitly includes increasing interest, enjoyment, confidence, and ability in mathematics and computer science "among learners and educators," and it says it works closely with the entire education community to support educators. The support is organized so that a teacher can find material for a specific grade band rather than searching a single undifferentiated library.

What CEMC offers educators

According to the CEMC homepage, its work for the education community falls into three main areas, each reachable from the main navigation:

• Tools and resources — free, online materials for teaching and learning math and computing.
• Workshops and events — interactive sessions created to build confidence in math and computing.
• Contests — 16 contests designed by teams of mathematicians, computer scientists, and educators for students in Grades 5 to 12.

The homepage also highlights a Problem of the Week that anyone can access, which is a low-prep way to bring a regular problem-solving routine into a classroom.

Finding the right material by grade

The homepage organizes its contests, workshops, and free online tools and resources into grade-level sections, so educators can go straight to the band they teach:

Each section links to the CEMC contests, workshops, and online tools appropriate for that level. This matters for educators because a Grade 4 teacher and a Grade 11 teacher need very different entry points, and the site separates them rather than presenting one mixed catalogue.

Using contests as a teaching tool

CEMC describes its contests as suitable for "students across a range of abilities—from learners who want to explore math and computer science and develop their confidence to advanced students who want to stretch their limits." For an educator, that means a contest can serve two purposes at once: a confidence-building activity for students who are new to problem-solving, and a challenge for students who need to be pushed further.

One educator from British Columbia, quoted on the CEMC homepage, frames the contests as developing "resilience, adaptability, persistence, and strategy-based thought," and as preparation for both post-secondary study and everyday challenges. If you are deciding whether to introduce contests in your classroom, that is the practical case for them: they are not only a competition, but a structured way to build problem-solving habits.

Scale and credibility

CEMC states that it has operated since 1963, making it, in its own description, the largest outreach organization of its kind in Canada. Its reported reach is:

• 300,000 students
• 85+ countries
• 16 contests

For an educator choosing materials, this scale is a signal that the resources and contests are used widely and are internationally recognized, rather than being a small local program.

Where to start

If you are an educator new to CEMC, the most direct path is:

1. Go to the grade-level section matching what you teach.
2. Open the Tools and resources link in that section to see the free online materials.
3. Check the Workshops and events link for sessions relevant to your level.
4. If you want a recurring classroom activity, start with Problem of the Week before committing to a full contest.

If you want to understand how the contests themselves are structured and who can enter, the "How contests work" page linked from the contests section is the next step.