What happens when you challenge students to think like mathematicians, scientists and engineers and support them every step of the way? You get LCPS Bridge to Enter Advanced Mathematics (BEAM): the Summer Math Discovery designed to inspire rising seventh and eighth graders to embrace the beauty and power of advanced mathematics.
LCPS BEAM, a summer program run by the LCPS Mathematics Department held at the Academies of Loudoun, helps students who have completed Math 6 work toward their goal of taking Algebra 1 in grade 8. Each day from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., students from across all LCPS middle schools dove into rich learning experiences designed to build confidence, strengthen skills and ignite a passion for math. Transportation and catered meals were provided to ensure students could fully focus on learning and discovery.
More than 240 students participated in the program, including about 180 rising seventh graders and 65 rising eighth graders. All were enrolled in two to four targeted math courses and had access to Open Math Time twice a day, a chance to explore puzzles, work through challenging problem sets or collaborate on strategy games with peers.
Students explored engaging topics such as fractions, rates and ratios, primes and programming and cryptarithms. In the Fractions course, students revisited foundational concepts through mental math, games and visual models. They examined advanced ideas like fractals and limits while developing a deeper understanding of how to make sense of numbers. In Rates & Ratios, students used manipulatives and models to explore proportional reasoning and apply strategies to real-world scenarios.
And the math didn’t stop at course content. During Open Math Time, students tackled the 100 Problem Challenge, developed logic through strategy games and worked both independently and in groups to extend their understanding beyond the textbook.
The goal of LCPS BEAM goes far beyond test scores. It’s about building resilience. Students learn there’s more than one way to solve a problem and that the process matters as much as the answer. Take this question, for example:
A 60% off coupon was used to buy a set of watercolor paints. If the sale price was $4, how much was the original cost of the paints?
Students approached this using ratios, equations and estimation, eventually solving that the original price was $10. Along the way, they practiced persistence, communication and flexible thinking, skills that extend far beyond the classroom.
Resilience is at the heart of LCPS BEAM. Students stretch their thinking, navigate complex challenges and grow in their belief that they can do hard things. With the guidance of passionate LCPS teachers and a community that values effort, they develop habits of mind that will benefit them for years to come.
LCPS BEAM wrapped up with student-led tours on July 15, where families, community members, LCPS staff and business partners were invited to see the program in action and hear directly from students about their growth, favorite math challenges and how they’re preparing to level up for the school year ahead.
Now, you try:
A 60% off coupon was used to buy a new speaker. If the coupon took off $45, how much was the original cost of the speaker?
Thanks to the partnership with the Art of Problem Solving BEAM program and generous support of the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation (a proud School Business Partnership Executive Council member), Dominion Energy, RTX and the Loudoun Education Foundation, LCPS BEAM continues to open doors, raise expectations and make summer learning a time of transformation.