2022 Abacus Bee for Students

On Saturday, December 10, we’re hosting our first-ever Abacus Bee finals for students across the United States! Traveling from Florida and Washington State, students ages 5 to 21, who are blind and low vision, will gather right down the street from APH at the Kentucky School for the Blind to test their mathematical skills using the abacus.

“We know the importance of math within STEM curriculum, and for children with vision loss, math can be a challenging concept to grasp,” said Leanne Grillot, Senior Director of Outreach Services. “The abacus introduces early math concepts and supports skills such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Abacus training helps children gain procedural fluency, and work through complex math equations with an accessible, manipulative tool at their fingertips.”

Earlier this fall, students competed in regional competitions to qualify for the finals held in our hometown of Louisville, KY. The top three participants with the highest overall scores from each level are invited to compete in the finals. Congratulations to the regional winners below!

Starters:

• Louis-Philippe Hackett, from Summerfield, FL
• Leangelo Rivera, from Wenatchee, WA
• Emir Solis Pineda, from Plant City, FL

Movers:

• Macy Lynch, from Pasco, WA
• Sophia Simpach, from Bonney Lake, WA

Riders:

• Noelle Batchelor, from Hansville, WA
• Gabriel Maduro, from Tacoma, WA
• Adelyo McNew, from Toutle, WA

Flyers:

• Owen Bulger, from Vancouver, WA
• Theo Burkhalter, from Rosburg, WA
• Victoria Eastman, from Vancouver, WA
• Luke Stolarczyk, from Punta Gorda, FL

Blasters:

• Maggie Ralph, from Vancouver, WA
• Max Teply, from Rockledge, FL

These students will embark on a daylong competition to test their abacus skills alongside their peers, with winners from each abacus group announced during an awards ceremony. We can’t wait to celebrate the skills and knowledge of these math all-stars!

The APH Abacus Bee is sponsored by APH and is the only national abacus contest for students who are blind and low vision. Students compete in regionals, to advance to the finals. We’re excited to see these bright young minds come together to show off their skills as they solve equations, make new friends, and share their knowledge with peers.

The Abacus Bee is presented by Science Sandbox, an initiative of the Simons Foundation with additional support provided by PNC Bank and Peter Papano.