Aren Emrikian spends his Saturday afternoons teaching competition-level math to middle schoolers for free.

Emrikian, a senior at New Trier Township High School, founded Kids Inspire Kids Math Circle in 2024. The program meets Saturdays from 1 to 2 p.m. at St. John's Lutheran Church, 1235 Wilmette Ave., and draws up to 16 students each session, according to The Record North Shore.

"I wanted to have a math circle where students solved engaging problems and learned problem solving skills by tackling problems from older competitions," Emrikian told North Shore Weekly.

A parent wrote on the program's website that their student "rarely says ‘I don’t know how to solve it’ anymore, and instead has been taught to say ‘I have a few ideas I can try.’"

Sessions cover problems from MATHCOUNTS, the American Mathematics Competition (AMC) 8 and 10, algebra, geometry, number theory and counting and probability. Students work through 15 to 20 problems of varying difficulty, with time to think before each one is discussed as a group, according to the program's website.

"The most rewarding moments are when students eagerly raise their hands to explain their approach to solving a problem," Emrikian told North Shore Weekly, "when I see the smiles on the kids’ faces, knowing they are there because they want to be and not because they have to be."

Emrikian completed AP Calculus BC as a freshman and finished Differential Equations through the University of Illinois NetMath program. He qualified for the American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME) in February 2026 and earned a spot on the Chicago American Regional Math League (ARML) All-Star Team in May 2026.

He attended the Ross Mathematics Program, an intensive six-week math exploration program in Indiana, both summers. In 2026, he returned as a junior counselor.

The math circle started at the Winnetka Public Library in June 2024. A policy change restricting meeting-room reservations to Winnetka, Northfield and Kenilworth cardholders forced Emrikian, a Wilmette resident, to find a new home, The Record reported in September 2024. The program moved to St. John's Lutheran Church.

Beyond Kids Inspire Kids, Emrikian founded a MATHCOUNTS club at Evanston's Chute Middle School ahead of the 2025-26 school year. It was Chute's first math club in more than 15 years, his mother Ani Emrikian told The Record North Shore. Four students from the club competed in the official MATHCOUNTS Competition Series at a chapter event on Feb. 7 in Skokie. Three competed for the first time.

Emrikian is also fundraising for the MATHCOUNTS Foundation. He raised just under $1,500 last year and set a $5,000 goal for this year, The Record North Shore reported in August.

He and his mother are working to recruit more girls. "Sometimes all the participants are boys, and I think girls are just as capable of solving math problems. I hope parents encourage girls to join the math circle," Emrikian told North Shore Weekly.

Emrikian plans to run the math circle at least through graduation and said he hopes to continue giving back in a similar way in college. He told North Shore Weekly that his friend, Joseph Shu, who co-teaches the beginner group with Henry Liu, has expressed interest in continuing the math circle after he graduates.

The program is open to students in fifth through eighth grade. Registration is free at kidsinspirekids.net.