Raleigh Kids Crunch Numbers for Pratham

On the morning of Saturday, March 26, more than 70 kids gathered at the Country Inn and Suites (generously provided by Dr. Sharad Vohra) in Morrisville, North Carolina for the second annual Pratham Raleigh Math Competition.

Students ranging in age from 10 to 13 answered questions designed by the event’s creator and organizer, Cary 11th-grader Sachin Raghavendra, along with a group of fellow teen volunteers; an award ceremony followed.

The competition, held to raise money for Pratham programs, was conceived of by Sachin after a family trip to India in 2014, where he witnessed first-hand the poverty and lack of educational resources faced by many of the country’s children.

Wanting to help in some way, he decided to use his own love of math to raise money, and the Pratham math competition was born.

And Raghavendra wasn’t alone in his desire to help.

“As a student in America,” explained teen volunteer Maydha Devarajan, “it’s often easy to take the ability we have to read and write for granted, and Pratham is a reminder as to why we can never give up on the fight to push for education for all children.”

Another youth volunteer Shravan Sulikeri added, “Volunteering in Pratham is very rewarding and fulfilling experience. It’s a great way to gain valuable experience and make a difference in the community.”

While the inaugural event raised an impressive $1,200, this year’s competition surpassed it with a whopping $6,400—every cent of which will go to Pratham.

Now that’s some impressive math.

Want to get involved in our next event? Join the RTP chapter.