IMA-MathCEP Math Modeling Camp

2026 IMA-MathCEP Math Modeling Camp for High School Students

How is math used to solve important problems facing our world today? Mathematical models help us to study the effects of traffic on a bridge, predict trends in population and disease, or estimate the climate’s impact on natural resources.

Format

June 22nd through 26th.

For the Summer of 2026 we will be meeting in person on the Minneapolis campus of the University of Minnesota. Students should expect to be on campus from about 9am-3:30pm each day; specific details will be sent in the weeks leading up to the camp. 

Eligibility

Students should currently be enrolled in high school and have completed a year-long course in single variable calculus by the end of the 2025-2026 school year. High school seniors who will have graduated by July are still eligible!

The math modeling camp is not a residential program; we do not provide housing or meals to any students. Participants live in or near the Twin Cities metro area and travel to and from campus each day from home. We do not recommend that interested students travel from other states, unless they are already coming to Minnesota to visit relatives or some other similar situation. If you are not from Minnesota, you should contact [email protected] to explain your situation before filling out the application form.

Application

There are two steps to the application process.

  1. Fill out the online application form. The application should be filled out by the student, not a parent/guardian!
  2. Ask a math teacher to email a short letter of recommendation for you to [email protected]. You can tell them we're interested in your mathematical skills, but also your aptitude for problem-solving, ability to collaborate with others and to focus on tasks for a long stretch of time. (Exception: if you are an UMTYMP student, you don't need to ask for a letter of recommendation; the UMTYMP faculty will go through the list of applicants.)

The application deadline is May 31, 2026. The program may fill up before the deadline, in which case registrations will be paused. Students selected to participate in the program will be notified as soon as possible after the deadline.

Questions about the program or submitting an application? Please contact the Math Center for Educational Programs at [email protected].  

Instructor and two students at board at Math Modeling Camp
Students working on a problem involving food deserts

 

Choo Choo Equation on Whiteboard from Math Modeling Camp
A project analyzing potential routes for a light rail system