Education transforms lives. This medal opens doors.
Teams from Escola Estadual Maurício Murgel (Belo Horizonte) and Escola Estadual Doutor Luiz Pinto de Almeida (Santa Rita do Sapucaí) earned bronze at the Grande Finale 2026. Students underwent intensive preparation including specialized training sessions, practice problems, and family involvement, demonstrating the value of structured academic support.
- Two Minas Gerais public schools won bronze at Mathématiques sans frontières Grande Finale 2026 in France
- Escola Estadual Maurício Murgel (Belo Horizonte) and Escola Estadual Doutor Luiz Pinto de Almeida (Santa Rita do Sapucaí)
- Seven students total: four from Belo Horizonte (grades 10-11), three from Santa Rita (grades 6-7)
- Intensive preparation: custom problem sets, three weekly classes, family involvement
Two public schools from Minas Gerais won bronze medals at the International Mathematics Without Borders Olympiad in France, showcasing the impact of intensive preparation and community support on student achievement.
Two public schools in Minas Gerais sent teams to France this year and came home with bronze medals from Mathématiques sans frontières—Mathematics Without Borders—the international olympiad's grand finale. The Escola Estadual Maurício Murgel in Belo Horizonte and the Escola Estadual Doutor Luiz Pinto de Almeida in Santa Rita do Sapucaí each fielded a squad of high school students who competed against teams from Brazil and France in a competition designed to test not just mathematical prowess but also cultural exchange and collaborative problem-solving.
The Belo Horizonte team consisted of four students: Audrey Andrada de Oliveira, Filipa Mezomo Maia, and Miguel Mayrink da Costa, all in their second year of high school, alongside Luan Marques da Silva from the third year. The interior school's delegation was younger—Felipe Junqueira Barros Dias in sixth grade, and three seventh graders: Maria Eduarda Aguiar Balbino, Elisa Cristina Silva e Souza, and André Rojas Nogales. Neither team arrived in France unprepared.
At the Maurício Murgel school, preparation was relentless. The vice-director and project coordinator, Cristiano de Sousa Rodrigues, explained that instructors created problem sets modeled directly on the olympiad's format, drilling students through the specific style of reasoning they would face. The school's director, Sônia Marinho Amaral, saw the bronze as validation of something larger than a single competition. "It's a joy that spreads through the whole school," she said, "and it shows young people what they can achieve through education and effort."
In Santa Rita do Sapucaí, the approach was similarly structured. Students attended preparatory classes three times a week, worked through past competition papers, and studied materials the school had developed internally. But the school's director, Mônica Flores de Carvalho, emphasized that families were woven into the effort. Parents encouraged study, reinforced the importance of preparation, and created an environment where academic ambition felt supported rather than isolated. "Education transforms lives," Carvalho reflected. "This bronze medal reflects the dedication of the entire school community. It's not an easy process, but it opens doors."
The competition itself was designed as more than a math test. It brought together high-performing teams for both academic challenges and cultural activities meant to foster connection among students and teachers across borders. The olympiad's structure—emphasizing collective problem-solving and cross-cultural engagement—meant that what these students gained extended beyond their scores. They returned home with evidence that public school students from the interior and capital of Minas Gerais could compete at an international level, and that systematic preparation, institutional support, and family involvement could make that possible.
Notable Quotes
It's a joy that spreads through the whole school and shows young people what they can achieve through education and effort.— Sônia Marinho Amaral, director of Escola Estadual Maurício Murgel
Education transforms lives. This bronze medal reflects the dedication of the entire school community. It's not an easy process, but it opens doors.— Mônica Flores de Carvalho, director of Escola Estadual Doutor Luiz Pinto de Almeida
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
What made these two schools decide to send teams to France in the first place?
The competition itself—Mathématiques sans frontières—actively recruits teams from Brazil and France. But the schools had to identify students capable of competing at that level and then commit to months of intensive preparation. It wasn't a casual decision.
How much time did students actually spend preparing?
The Belo Horizonte school created custom problem sets based on the olympiad's style. The interior school held prep classes three times a week for months. We're talking about a serious commitment—not a weekend workshop.
Did the younger students from Santa Rita do Sapucaí feel out of their depth competing against high schoolers?
The source doesn't say they struggled. What's notable is that a sixth grader and three seventh graders were selected at all. That suggests the school saw something in them worth developing at an international level.
What does a bronze medal actually mean for these kids' futures?
The directors framed it as opening doors—showing students what's possible through education. For public school kids in Brazil, competing internationally and winning is not a small thing. It changes how they see themselves.
Was family involvement really that important?
The Santa Rita director specifically mentioned it. Parents weren't just passive supporters—they actively encouraged study and reinforced the value of preparation. That kind of home environment matters as much as the classroom training.
What happens to these students now?
The source doesn't say. But they've proven they can compete at an international level. That's the kind of credential that shapes what opportunities they pursue next.