WDL Hosts The World’s Most Inclusive Math Competition
Math courses are no longer just about abstract formulas on a whiteboard, they’re about solving real-world problems with real-world data, and WDL’s World Insights Competition is here to lead the way.
The World Insights Competition (WIC) is the world’s most accessible math competition thanks to its thoughtful, inclusive, and forward-looking design. Participation is completely free for both schools and students, with no need for travel or specialised tools. Anyone with internet access can join from anywhere. With a focus on applied mathematics, students can engage at their own level using existing math skills to explore questions that interest them. Moving away from traditional metrics like speed and advanced problem-solving, the WIC invites students to tackle real-world problems through creative poster projects that celebrate thinkers, researchers, and problem solvers alike.
Welcoming a broader, more diverse range of participants than ever before, schools register in the autumn and organise through maths classes or clubs to develop a research question. Students analyse data, conduct research, and design a visual display of their findings. Projects are submitted electronically and reviewed in three rounds: first by educators, then by a panel of mixed professionals, and finally by World Data Lab’s data scientists. Winners receive the Florence Nightingale Grand Prize and a chance at a World Data Lab internship.
This Year’s Student Projects
This year’s competition saw over 30 students from across the globe submit more than 15 diverse and impactful projects. Topics ranged from local environmental issues to global climate change trends and the environmental cost of consumption. While students approached these challenges from different angles, they were united by a critical skill: the ability to build and apply data analysis and visualisation techniques, essential tools for navigating today’s data-driven world, and a clear appetite to keep learning and exploring complex global issues.
Math Education Is Shifting towards Practical Applications
Over the last few decades, maths education has steadily shifted from abstract theory toward applied, real-world problem-solving. Where students once focused solely on exercises like factoring polynomials or solving equations in isolation, today’s classrooms increasingly use practical contexts, whether it’s interpreting medical test results or tracking carbon footprints, to teach mathematical concepts. A key driver of this shift is the growing emphasis on data analysis, which helps students apply their skills to real datasets to uncover trends, make predictions, and address community issues.
This is where programmes like the World Data Lab’s World Insights Competition (WIC) play a vital role. The WIC not only inspires the next generation of data scientists, but also offers high school students and teachers a unique opportunity to be at the forefront of integrating data analysis, visualisation, and applied problem-solving into early education, establishing these as critical skills for success in an increasingly digital world. Designed to foster creativity and critical thinking, the competition empowers students to explore data, identify patterns, and communicate insights on issues that matter, all while gaining hands-on experience with innovative tools provided by WDL.
Register Your Local School
For more information or to register, visit the World Insights Competition Link and learn more about bridging the gap between classroom mathematics and real-world applications.