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Where Bright Minds Belong: Help Shape the Next Generation of STEM Leaders

What if one math class could change the course of a life?

At Project MEGSSS, we have seen it happen again and again—for over 40 years. Hidden inside classrooms across St. Louis are students who think differently, ask deeper questions, and hunger for challenge. Many of them are bored, overlooked, or misunderstood in a traditional math class. That is where we come in.

Founded in 1980 as a spin-off of a St. Louis educational research lab, Project MEGSSS offers advanced mathematics programming for highly-talented students in grades 6 through 8. Our curriculum, Elements of Mathematics, was built specifically for students who are ready for more—not just more math, but richer math, deeper thinking, and connection to a future in STEM.

We have tested over 5,000 students and taught more than 3,500 of them—many who now credit MEGSSS as the spark that launched their careers in science, engineering, medicine, and mathematics. In fact, 70% of our alumni who responded to a recent survey have earned STEM degrees. These are the innovators and problem-solvers of tomorrow—and it all started with a class that finally fit.

We are proud to welcome students from all types of schools—public, private, parochial, and homeschool—and from a wide diversity of backgrounds. Our classrooms reflect the real world, and our programs honor the brilliance that can come from any zip code. We also offer financial assistance to ensure that cost is never a barrier to learning. From need-based aid to targeted support for families eligible for the federal lunch program, we keep MEGSSS affordable and accessible.

Today, we are expanding to meet growing demand. Our MathJam and LOGIC summer camps open the doors to even more students. We are adding new bootcamps, online learning options, and programs that reach rural and underserved communities.

But we cannot do it without you.

Today on Give STL Day, your gift will help us:

  • Reach more high-potential students with placement testing and enrichment programs

  • Expand MathJam & LOGIC Summer Camps to new schools and communities

  • Provide critical financial aid so every qualified student can participate

  • Support part-time staff and instructors who deliver extraordinary experiences on a modest budget

If every MEGSSS alum, parent, and supporter gave, we could open the door for the next generation of math thinkers. Will you join us?

Give now—and help build the future one brilliant mind at a time

DONATE TODAY

MEGSSS Puts The M In STEM!

math camp students
working together at math camp
floor puzzle
logic camp challenge
math summer camp attendees
math camp chess
math jam camp grads
math camp group photo

What Is Project MEGSSS?

(Mathematics Education for Gifted Secondary School Students)

Our dedicated, part-time staff makes every dollar work hard for this very special group of kids. Please support us at this turning point in our long history—as we retool for a future that will benefit more math-focused students.

Project MEGSSS was incorporated as a 501(c)3 organization in 1980, the offshoot of a Saint Louis-based, government-funded educational research project.

Based on the Elements of Mathematics, a curriculum designed to enrich and expand the mathematical abilities of middle school students, this unique core program broadens exposure to the world of mathematics and focuses on reinforcing elementary and middle school math concepts and logic in preparation for high-level mathematics in secondary school and college.

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Hear From Project MEGSSS Alumni

No where in my son’s life has he had peers that were as excited and impassioned about math as he is, or teachers that could introduce him to ideas that challened him in a deep way. He gets so excited by the concepts and frameworks he has never encountered before.

His homework is finished before I even think to mention it (and trust me, this is not the case for most of his schoolwork!). I really believe that knowing his MEGSSS class day is coming, helps him get through the mundane and give him a vision for the rest of his academic life.
The highlight of the program was the care and interest that the teachers invested in the students. The care and investment in the students was obvious from the first day when I met the teachers. You have a gifted group of teachers!
What she got from MEGSSS was a love of math, a confidence that she can learn any math, and a sense that math is valuable. She brought her own hard work and persistence.
I participated in Project MEGSSS from 1991-1994. I just finished by Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering this past December, and after the graduation ceremony, my parents and I were reminiscing about some of the experiences I had in middle school and high school that led me to pursue my degree. The three of us agreed that it all started with MEGSSS and logic classes.

Project MEGSSS obviously helped me develop an interest in math and science which was reinforced in high school, but more importantly than that, Project MEGSSS taught me how to form and argumen and think critically about a problem. My ability to express ideas clearly has been one of my greatest strengths ever since then, and it most definitely helped me to write my dissertation.
I am an alumnus from MEGSSS from many, many years ago. I am a Forsyth School graduate from 2000, and graduated from John Burroughs School in 2006. I attended a summer session from MEGSSS during the summer of 5th and 6th grade. I have been thinking about my experience at MEGSSS lately, and found your website. I just wanted to update you on what your alumni are doing several years after the program. I

am a graduate from George Washington University with a BA in International Affairs, with concentrations in Africa and Conflict and Security, with a minor in History. I am currently a saffer for a US Congresswoman in her office on the Hill in Washington DC. As I remember, MEGSSS is an extremely well-run program that allowed me to enter John Burroughs excellently prepared for the rigorous mathematics course load I undertook. To this day, I don’t know how I ended up in the program. I don’t see my self in any way possessing “extraordinary gifts in mathematics,” but I feel very fortunate that I was able to benefit from the program.