The first contest in a series of free nationwide online math competitions hosted by Brock’s Department of Mathematics will take place this month.

There are six Caribou math contests, known collectively as the Caribou Cup. The competition is for students in Grades 3 to 8 at any school in Canada, including home schools.

Students participate online under the supervision of a teacher or librarian. They have one hour to complete the 24 multiple-choice question tests. Marking is done automatically. Participants are eligible for cash prizes, and a portion of the funds are awarded to the student’s school.

The first contest will be Oct. 13 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Upcoming contests for the 2010/11 school year will be on Nov. 17, Jan. 19, Feb. 16, April 20 and May 18.

For more information, visit brocku.ca/caribou