Below, you'll find some answers to common questions and other useful information about Math Quest.
Registration for next summer will open March 2025. If you'd like to be informed once registration has opened for the year, please email mathquest@queensu.ca to let us know.
Residential Campers
Residential campers are to be dropped off on Sunday afternoon/evening, and then picked up at the end of the week on Friday after lunch.
Day Campers
Day campers are to be dropped off in the morning Monday through Friday, and then picked up at the end of the day after the day camp programming has finished.
Any campers who will be arriving late and/or leaving early – we ask that you please let us know the details as soon as possible via email to mathquest@queensu.ca.
- If Math Quest is forced to cancel the camp after registration has been opened, a full refund will be given to students who have registered.
- If Math Quest and/or Queen’s University is prevented, due to forces beyond their control (Force Majeure), from providing the advertised facilities and/or services, registrants agree not to hold Math Quest and/or Queen’s University liable (financially or otherwise).
- Force Majeure will be exercised in, but not limited to the follow circumstances:
- Construction activities; acts of terrorism; strikes; labour disputes, including boycotts; acts of God; government restrictions; judicial orders; fire or other casualties; civil unrest; loss of a utility; emergencies or causes beyond its reasonable control which would make it illegal or impossible to provide the proper facilities and/or services to run the program.
- If a registered camper decides to withdraw, please email mathquest@queensu.ca as far in advance of the camp as possible.
- If notification of the withdrawal is received more than three weeks ahead of the start of the camp then a full refund (minus a $50 administrative fee) will be provided.
- If notification of the withdrawal is received between 1-3 weeks ahead of the start of the camp, a 50% refund will be provided.
- Refunds will not be provided if the withdrawal occurs within a week of the start of camp, unless there is a valid medical reason (or emergency)
- If at any time the withdrawal is due to a medical or other type of emergency, a full refund (minus a $50 administrative fee) will be provided. Math Quest reserves the right to ask for supporting documentation of the emergency.
That will depend on whether you are a residential camper (who will stay overnight in Watts residence and participate in evening activities), or a day camper (who will be participating only during daytime activities).
In both cases, students will participate in our daytime programming, which runs 9 am -12 pm and 1 pm - 4 pm Monday through Thursday, as well as 9am-12pm Friday.
For residential campers, the week will look roughly as below:
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | |
| 7:00 AM | Wake up | Wake up | Wake up | Wake up | Wake up | |
| 7:30 AM | Breakfast | Breakfast | Breakfast | Breakfast | Breakfast | |
| 8:00 AM | ||||||
| 8:30 AM | Travel | Travel | Travel | Travel | Travel | |
| 9:00 AM | Classes | Classes | Classes | Classes | Classes | |
| 9:30 AM | ||||||
| 10:00 AM | ||||||
| 10:30 AM | ||||||
| 11:00 AM | ||||||
| 11:30 AM | ||||||
| 12:00 PM | Lunch | Lunch | Lunch | Lunch | Lunch | |
| 12:30 PM | ||||||
| 1:00 PM | Classes | Classes | Classes | Classes | Departure | |
| 1:30 PM | ||||||
| 2:00 PM | ||||||
| 2:30 PM | ||||||
| 3:00 PM | ||||||
| 3:30 PM | ||||||
| 4:00 PM | ||||||
| 4:30 PM | Drop-off/Check-in | Open Time | Open Time | Open Time | Open Time | |
| 5:00 PM | ||||||
| 5:30 PM | Dinner | Dinner | Dinner | Dinner | Dinner | |
| 6:00 PM | ||||||
| 6:30 PM | Evening Activities | Evening Activities | Evening Activities | Evening Activities | Evening Activities | |
| 7:00 PM | ||||||
| 7:30 PM | ||||||
| 8:00 PM | ||||||
| 8:30 PM | ||||||
| 9:00 PM | Return to Residence | Return to Residence | Return to Residence | Return to Residence | Return to Residence | |
| 9:30 PM | On Floors | On Floors | On Floors | On Floors | On Floors | |
| 10:00 PM | In Rooms | In Rooms | In Rooms | In Rooms | In Rooms | |
| 10:30 PM | Lights Out | Lights Out | Lights Out | Lights Out | Lights Out |
For day campers, the week will look more like this:
|
|
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
|
8:45 -9:00 AM |
Drop-off |
Drop-off |
Drop-off |
Drop-off |
|
9:00 AM |
Orientation |
Classes |
Classes |
Classes |
|
9:30 AM |
||||
|
10:00 AM |
Classes |
|||
|
10:30 AM |
||||
|
11:00 AM |
||||
|
11:30 AM |
||||
|
12:00 PM |
Lunch |
Lunch |
Lunch |
Lunch |
|
12:30 PM |
||||
|
1:00 PM |
Classes |
Classes |
Classes |
Pick-up |
|
1:30 PM |
|
|||
|
2:00 PM |
||||
|
2:30 PM |
||||
|
3:00 PM |
||||
|
3:30 PM |
||||
|
4:00 PM |
||||
|
4:00-4:15 PM |
Pick-up |
Pick-up |
Pick-up |
Our curriculum varies each year, so I can’t say for sure what is in store for the summer. Sessions are designed in the weeks leading up to the camp by our instructional team, who are for the most part graduate students in mathematics and statistics. Generally speaking, our sessions are designed to be hands-on, fun and interactive, and expose our campers to areas and applications of mathematics that they might not normally see in a high school classroom, including interdisciplinary topics that connect math to other subjects in the sciences and arts. Some of the topics that we have covered recently include: the four color theorem, math and astronomy, how to measure the height of a building using simple tools and trigonometry, trying to estimate the gravitational constant with a ball, a metre stick and a stopwatch, mathematics and the symmetric group of frieze patterns, a mathematical escape room, a group challenge involving writing the numbers 1-100 using only the digits 2,5,8,9 and the basic arithmetic operations, to name a few.
Like the daytime programming, events and activities in the evening vary from year to year. Our evening supervision is coordinated through Queen’s Event Services, who hire Queen’s undergraduate students to lead and supervise campers in afternoon/evening activities. Our campers will get to interact in the evenings with other students who are coming to similar residential camps (e.g. Engineering Connections). The focus in the evenings is on non-academic social and team-building activities to enhance the participant experience (campus tours, karaoke, movie nights, etc.). You can find out more about Queen's event services at: (https://www.queensu.ca/eventservices/planning/ESU)
Math Quest residential campers will receive breakfast, lunch and dinner one of the Queen’s cafeterias (https://www.queensu.ca/food/ ), as well as small snack breaks periodically during the day. The cafeterias offer a variety of options including vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and dairy free choices. The fees for these meals are included in your program fee. Please note that Queen’s University is NOT a nut-free environment. Queen’s Food Services works closely with all students and guests to campus who self-identify their allergies and food restrictions to make appropriate accommodations. Therefore, it is important to provide us with all necessary dietary and medical information when registering (there is a form during registration where you can fill in all these details) and update us on any changes in medical history so that we can ensure a safe and enjoyable dining experience on campus.
Yes, bursaries are available for campers in financial need. Please note that we have a limited number of funds available for the bursary program.
Here's how the application process for bursaries works:
- You can apply for a bursary during the registration process.
- When you register, select the bursary option for payment
- We will review your bursary and let you know the amount of funding available
- Your balance owing will be updated in the registration portal
The cost of registration is $300.
Included in this fee is:
- camp programming and materials costs
- daily lunch and snacks
- a camp T-shirt
If a camper wishes to register for the residential option, the additional fee is $796 + HST.
Included in this fee is:
- accommodation in Queen's residence for five nights, including all meal (daily breakfast, lunch and dinner) in the residence dining halls
- camp programming and materials costs (including both daytime and evening programming)