Meet America's Math Legends: The Winning Schools of the 2026 Prodigy National Cup™
More than 6 million students from across the country answered 840 million math questions in the world’s biggest math competition - competing for hundreds of thousands of dollars in technology grants and other prizes
Toronto, June 03, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nine U.S. elementary schools are celebrating after students used their math skills to win a share of hundreds of thousands of dollars in technology grants and other prizes, earning the status of math legends in the Prodigy National Cup™ — the world's biggest math competition.
Since the start of the 2025/26 school year, more than 6 million students from almost 78,000 schools answered more than 840 million math questions on game-based learning platform Prodigy Math, as they competed for a chance to qualify for the national cup finals, held over a two-week period in May.
Almost 3,000 schools made it to the grand final, with those students answering 24.6 million questions during a thrilling finale where schools battled it out for the top prizes and a chance to earn the title of national math champions. Prizes valued at $400,000 were up for grabs - including swag, Prodigy memberships, and the technology grants. Schools competed in three tiers — Heroic, Mythical, and Titan — grouped by school student enrollment size, with the top three finishers in each tier winning technology grants ranging from $5,000 to $100,000.
Nile Garden Elementary School in Manteca, California, claimed the top prize in the Titan Tier, earning a $100,000 technology grant after students correctly answered an extraordinary 602,165 math questions. Deborah Noceti-Ward, Principal at Nile Garden, said the win was the result of a school-wide commitment that brought every member of their community together.
VIDEO: Watch the moment students at Nile Garden Elementary School learned they’d won a $100,000 tech grant for their school
“Winning the Prodigy National Cup Titan Tier Championship is an incredible accomplishment and a reflection of ‘Panther Pride’ in action,” she said. “Over the past four years, math has been a major districtwide focus, and we have worked hard to help students see themselves as mathematicians and understand that math isn't just something you do in a classroom; it is all around us every day. I am incredibly proud of our students for their persistence and willingness to challenge themselves, and deeply grateful to our teachers and staff for the way they build confidence and make learning meaningful. This achievement belongs to our entire school community and reflects our shared belief in high expectations, growth, and student success.”
In the Mythical Tier, Medford Area Elementary School in Medford, Wisconsin, followed-up a runner-up spot last year to claim first place and a $50,000 technology grant — answering an almost unbelievable 1,117,847 math questions correctly over the two-week period. Teacher Scott Woller, who even wrote and produced a motivational rock song for his students, said it was a case of unfinished business.
"Our whole theme this year was 'together as one, we'll get this done,'" said Mr. Woller. "We pushed the winners all the way last year, and this time we were determined to get the top spot. They really brought their A-games and showed that even a smaller school like Medford can accomplish amazing things when we pull together. We hope this win inspires others."
VIDEO: Watch the moment students at Medford Area Elementary School learned they’d won a $50,000 tech grant for their school
New Century School in St. Paul, Minnesota, took the Heroic Tier title and a $25,000 technology grant after students answered 198,379 math questions correctly. Shelbi Pool, K-8 Director at New Century, said the result reflected the sense of collective purpose that ran through every corner of the school.
"We've always known our students are capable of remarkable things when they put their minds to it," said Ms. Pool. "But watching them rally together around this challenge — pushing each other, cheering each other on, and showing up every single day — was something truly special. This win belongs to all of them, and to every teacher and family member who encouraged them along the way."
VIDEO: Watch the moment students at New Century School learned they'd won a $25,000 tech grant for their school
Full Results
- Heroic Tier
- 1st Place — New Century School, St. Paul, MN | 198,379 questions answered | $25,000 technology grant
- 2nd Place — Cascade Elementary School, Atlanta, GA | 196,119 questions answered | $10,000 grant
- 3rd Place — Stetsonville Area Elementary School, Stetsonville, WI | 168,297 questions answered | $5,000 technology grant
- Mythical Tier
- 1st Place — Medford Area Elementary School, Medford, WI | 1,117,847 questions answered | $50,000 technology grant
- 2nd Place — Pine Valley Elementary School, Wilmington, NC | 364,265 questions answered | $15,000 technology grant
- 3rd Place — Cornerstone Christian Academy, Morristown, TN | 268,856 questions answered | $5,000 technology grant
- Titan Tier
- 1st Place — Nile Garden Elementary School, Manteca, CA | 602,165 questions answered | $100,000 technology grant
- 2nd Place — A.G. Richardson Elementary School, Culpeper, VA | 484,349 questions answered | $25,000 technology grant
- 3rd Place — Riverton Intermediate School, Huntsville, AL | 224,714 questions answered | $10,000 technology grant
Alex Peters, Co-CEO of Prodigy Education, said this year's National Cup had surpassed all expectations in demonstrating the power of Prodigy to positively transform students' relationship with math.
"What we witnessed in this year's contest was genuinely extraordinary, with more than 6 million students inspired to practice math and compete on behalf of their schools,” he said. “Seeing this kind of motivation and engagement is exactly why we built Prodigy and is at the heart of our mission to help every child in the world love learning. Huge congratulations to every school that competed this year, and especially to our nine incredible National Cup champions. Stories like these remind us every day why our mission matters, and why student motivation is so vital.”
About the Prodigy National Cup
The Prodigy National Cup is the world's biggest math competition, open to all U.S. schools using Prodigy Math. Schools qualify through monthly Prodigy State Challenges held throughout the school year. In the National Cup finals, schools compete over a two-week period to see which schools’ students can correctly answer the most math questions on Prodigy Math. Schools are grouped into tiers by student enrollment size to ensure fair competition, with the top three finishers in each tier winning technology grants for their school.
About Prodigy Education
Prodigy Education is a global leader in game-based learning. Our mission is to help every child in the world love learning, motivating more than 20 million students a year to practice standards-aligned math and English. Prodigy maximizes student engagement and is completely zero-cost for all educators. More than a million teachers use Prodigy as a free instructional tool which adapts to individual student needs while supporting differentiated instruction. Fun, motivating, and research-based, Prodigy is the EdTech platform students actually ask to use. Visit www.prodigygame.com to learn more.
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James Bigg Prodigy Education 6476389281 james.bigg@prodigygame.com
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