Innovative Math Solutions, Inc. (IMSI) will host the inaugural Figurd Math Bee at 6 p.m. on April 23 at St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Parish, 7020 Concord Rd on Wilmington Island. The event is free and open to the public.

The competition will feature the fourth- and fifth-grade finals, where student relay teams will compete to solve math problems with speed and accuracy. Awards will be presented to the winners and finalists following the competition.

Students participating in the Math Bee were introduced to Figurd at the start of the school year, a multi-platform, gamified arithmetic learning tool developed by IMSI. Since then, students have practiced both online and with printed materials in preparation for the finals. Unlike traditional academic competitions, the Figurd Math Bee is team-based, emphasizing collaboration and problem-solving skills aligned with today’s workforce needs.

The event is proudly supported by local sponsors, including GA Eye, Woof Gang Bakery, Miller Dental, Luba Lowry Art Studio, Vinyl Industries, and Edward D. Jones – Chris Auclair’s office, with more sponsors joining every day. Please feel free to attend to make the event a memorable and rewarding experience for the kids. We will also have some great door prizes for attendees, provided by our generous, community-minded supporters.

“As the AI and technology revolution accelerates, K–12 math scores are declining—even though strong math skills matter more than ever,” said Rick Buchner, president, CEO, founder, and patent holder of Innovated Math Solutions. “Figurd was created to rebuild math confidence and mastery through fun, competition, and community engagement. Long-term math fact fluency leads to stronger learning outcomes across all subjects.”

Buchner explained that the concept for Figurd was inspired by historic spelling bees and literacy initiatives that emerged during the Industrial Revolution to prepare students for a changing workforce. “Those efforts helped raise literacy rates when industry demanded new skills. Today, we are in a technology and AI revolution, and math fluency is foundational for STEM careers and future economic success,” he said.

Research supports the approach. According to the Ohio Association for the Education of Young Children, children learn 20 to 40 times faster through play, accelerating the formation of new neural connections. Longitudinal studies have shown that the best early indicators of SAT math performance are third-grade math performance.

Buchner developed Figurd after selling his previous business and observing troubling trends in education outcomes. His patent for the game was approved in 2014 while he was living in Atlanta. A pilot program at Stripling Elementary School, a Title I public school in Gwinnett County, showed significant results. Students in grades three through five played the games three times per week for 15 minutes per session, resulting in an 8.88% increase in math mastery, compared with a 1% countywide average gain during the same period.

“The game is fun, and that matters,” Buchner said. “When kids enjoy learning math instead of fearing it, they become engaged and build confidence that carries forward for years.”

For more information about Innovated Math Solutions and Figurd, visit www.figurd.com. You can also play for free every day at www.play.figurd.com, similar to Wordle and other popular NYTimes games.