Ahead of one of the year’s biggest—and one of the only— math-based holidays, Mathnasium’s across Canada are prepping their on-the-nose prizes, games and giveaways
In celebration of the irrational number 3.14159.., or simply Pi, Mathnasium Learning Centres across Canada will host free-to-attend celebrations on March 14, or Pi Day. With activities for all ages, families can explore centres in an open, non-intimidating way while enjoying themed treats, prize giveaways, according to a Mathnasium-issued press release.
Salina Tam, owner of Calgary’s Mathnasium of Killarney, said the event has really caught on with students since its first event in 2020.
“It’s been pretty incredible. Our students that return, they ask us, ‘what are we doing this year for Pi Day?’ So they are wondering what are we going to do that’s new, and every year we do try to introduce something new, no spoilers, but we will definitely have pizza and always also serve traditional pie,” she said.
As a partnership with Pizza Pizza, Mathnasium’s Pi Day events include slice giveaways, something that has become an easy first step into tutoring for students.
“One of the great things about being a community event is that it’s free for all, everyone is welcome and when students can see, ‘Oh, I get to do something hands-on, so I’m going to do some learning, but I’m going to have fun with it’ and they don’t even necessarily realize that they’re learning,” Tam said.
“Suddenly it’s like, ‘oh, we’re having pizza. Oh, I like this idea, I can have more than one slice?’ It’s such a great way for students to actually say this is a really great place to learn.”
Because of the event’s open-door policy, Tam said Pi Day is rowdy in the best way.
“It is great, energetic fun in an environment where you don’t feel like, ‘oh my gosh, I’m coming here to do math,’ no, it’s ‘I’m coming here to have fun and play games and learn’ without even knowing that you’re learning.”
Nationally, Mathnasium and Pizza Pizza are offering a theme-fitting $3,140 educational scholarship and a $314 Pizza Pizza gift card. Entry is open until March 14.
Outside factors impacting Calgary students
Aside from content understanding, Tam said outside factors impacting her students’ math skills are not only real, but compounding.
In the past six years, students have learned through COVID-19, 2023’s curriculum change, and 2025’s teachers’ strike.
“Unfortunately, we see a lot of our high schoolers who are very good students already, but everyone is feeling a bit of that pressure of, ‘Am I going to get into the university that I want?’ So outside of what people call traditional tutoring, we do a lot of enrichment with them, where we’re teaching them ahead of what’s going to happen in class, to get them prepared for those upcoming concepts, so then they’re more confident when they hear it from their teacher,” Tam said.
“On the flip side, right now, the junior high group is probably our most challenged right now. Over the last few years, our current junior high group are the ones who had the most misfortune with COVID. A couple of years of on and off learning, along with significant increases in enrollments in schools, it’s tough.”
Tam said that for all students, tutoring has been in overdrive this year, as the centres do their best to get students ready for their next grade during this shortened 2025-26 school year. Because of the pressures facing students, opportunities like Pi Day can be very helpful in making the student bridge to tutoring easier to cross.
“We change what is being offered relative to math, and when a student comes on a traditional day, we think about assessing a student, so we figure out where they are, level-wise, and in terms of skills and knowledge,” she said.
“When they come into something like Pi Day, they can say, ‘Oh, wow, yeah, I know how to do that, I can sit with these other kids who also know how to do that.’ They might be a grade younger, they might be a grade older. It doesn’t matter. We send that welcoming energy to say, ‘just come in and give it a try, we’re all here to help you and support you, and it’s okay to have questions, and guess what? Today, we’re just celebrating that you’re here and that you have an opportunity to learn with us.’”
