How Did We Get an Entire City to Solve Math Problems?

Sweaty palms, a racing heart, and a head full of confusion – it’s time for a math test. Why are so many of us afraid of math? The path to knowledge shouldn’t be intimidating, especially in a world that increasingly demands mathematical thinking. How can we break the fear of numbers, improve attitudes towards math, and encourage young people to choose advanced math courses in high school? With these questions in mind, META Advisory and its partners launched the largest online math challenge in Estonian history. How did it go, and what did we learn along the way? 

Firstly, let’s answer the question: why do we need math? Beyond practical skills like financial literacy or statistical analysis, math trains our brains and develops logical thinking. Without it, society simply wouldn’t function. Yet math has acquired a reputation of being difficult, tedious, and unnecessary. This is especially evident to lecturers at Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech), who notice a steady decline in math skills among incoming students year after year.

The gap is most pronounced between high school students who follow the “narrow” and “broad” math curricula. Those studying narrow math often lack a solid foundation after three years. Moreover, students who take the narrow math exam cannot even apply to TalTech. The university’s experience also shows that many first-year students who studied broad math still need significant support to catch up. Unfortunately, we cannot afford engineers who build bridges that collapse or programmers who confuse ones and zeros.

To raise awareness of TalTech’s concerns, we envisioned a national campaign culminating in a collective math-solving event. Inspired by Estonia’s e-dictation (e-etteütlus) tradition, we proposed the idea of an “e-math challenge“ (e-rehkendus). The plan was to involve students but also, more importantly, their parents, who often guide young people in choosing between narrow and broad math tracks. 

Objectives

• Highlight the importance of math in Estonian society

• Influence parents and students to opt for the broad math curriculum in schools

• Improve the average national math exam scores of potential university applicants

Preparation Before PR

The first step was finding partners to support our initiative. Securing a trusted media partner and a major sponsor was crucial. Fortunately, both Estonian Public Broadcasting (ERR) and SEB Bank immediately understood the campaign’s value and shared our passion for promoting math. Foremost, ERR also has invaluable experience with e-dictation.

Next, we needed to create the math challenge — the “product” we would promote. Hats off to the developers at Reiven Solutions and the math teachers who created the math problems involved. Countless work hours, including late nights, went into this effort throughout August and September. Although we had the idea already in spring, the first lines of code were written only at the end of August. By early autumn, we were feeling a mix of excitement and nerves, much like preparing for a math test ourselves.

Strategy

Before the ads for “e-rehkendus” appeared on radio, social media, and in shopping centers, TalTech’s rector, Tiit Land, had already published two opinion pieces emphasizing the importance of math. These articles gave us a rallying slogan: “Math should be Estonia’s second language.” The campaign gained further momentum with appearances on popular shows like “Terevisioon,” “Vikerhommik,” “Huvitaja,” “Ringvaade,” and “Hommik Anuga.” Even unprompted, organizations like Metrosert stepped in to support the cause. Metrosert’s director, Aigar Vaigu, solved math problems live on “Ringvaade.” Meanwhile, ERR aired radio promos, and our banner prominently featured on their website.

We also reached out directly to schools through principals and math teachers. SEB Bank notified all its clients about the event, and word spread through personal networks. As the event approached, we issued press releases, and then the big day arrived: October 2.

Just before 10 a.m., when the “e-rehkendus” platform went live, President Alar Karis spoke on Vikerraadio, encouraging everyone to participate. The president’s endorsement was a major win and undoubtedly boosted participation. Within minutes of launch, the platform began receiving correct answers. By the end of the day, the results were staggering, over 10,000 participants had submitted their answers in just a few hours.

Results

• Nearly 30,000 participants overall

• 11,019 submitted answers

• Over 60 media mentions across national and local outlets

Lessons Learned

What could we do differently? First, we need to engage schools earlier, as many teachers and students didn’t hear about the challenge in time. Our PR strategy could also benefit from a broader range of spokespersons, including those who can discuss math’s relevance in various fields, such as the humanities and social sciences.

What’s Next? The “e-rehkendus” is not a one-time event. Math will remain important tomorrow, next year, and for decades to come. We’re committed to ensuring that math truly becomes Estonia’s second language. See you at the next event on October 9!

A Bonus Challenge for You: here’s a sample problem from the “e-rehkendus”, reflecting a second-grade level. Good luck solving it! 

What time is it if the time remaining until the end of the day is four hours more than the time that has passed since the start of the day?