12 Los Alamos students compete in Math Kangaroo USA contest

Twelve Los Alamos elementary school students took part in the Math Kangaroo USA test at Atomic Learners Academy at 1350 Central Ave., Suite 202, putting a small local group into one of the world’s largest math competitions. For a county that often measures itself by academic ambition, the turnout was a clear sign that families are looking for advanced math opportunities outside regular school hours.

Math Kangaroo USA describes itself as an international competition for students in grades K-12 that centers on problem-solving, logical reasoning and a love of mathematics. In 2026, the program reported 60,504 participants nationwide and 1,682 centers across the country. New Mexico accounted for 82 participants, which means the Los Alamos contingent made up nearly 15 percent of the state total.

The local setting mattered as much as the numbers. Atomic Learners Academy operates as an after-school program in Los Alamos with offerings that include math, science, chess, judo and hip-hop. Its studio space sits on the second floor next to the Bradbury Science Museum, a familiar stretch of Central Avenue that has become a practical access point for families seeking academic enrichment close to home.

The contest also underscored how much of Los Alamos’ student experience now extends beyond the public school calendar. Rather than treating advanced math as something confined to classroom hours, families are using local programs and community learning spaces to give children a chance to work through puzzles and logic problems in a more competitive setting. For elementary students, that kind of event can build confidence as much as skill, especially when the challenge is framed around reasoning rather than rote performance.

Atomic Learners Academy was still renovating the space in 2025 and planned open house sessions at the end of July and in the first week of August, a reminder that the county’s enrichment network is still growing. The Math Kangaroo turnout suggests there is room for that network to expand, and that Los Alamos families are ready to use it.