WALTHAM, Mass., May 4, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) will host the nation's top 224 middle school math minds as the title sponsor of the 2011 Raytheon MATHCOUNTS National Competition May 5-8 at the Renaissance Washington, D.C. Downtown Hotel. The MATHCOUNTS finalists will compete to earn the titles of 2011 National Champion and National Champion Team.

Finalists competing at this year's national competition advanced beyond more than 100,000 middle school students from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories, Department of Defense and State Department schools, to win their school, local and state competitions. The Raytheon MATHCOUNTS National Competition is the culmination of the MATHCOUNTS enrichment and coaching program that promotes middle school mathematics achievement throughout the country.

"These Mathletes, as well as their coaches, teachers and parents, should all be extremely proud of the accomplishment of advancing to this National Competition," said William H. Swanson, Raytheon Chairman and CEO and 2011 MATHCOUNTS honorary chairman. "Raytheon is honored to provide these outstanding students and the subject of math itself, a well-deserved spotlight in our nation's capital and on national television."

The 2011 Raytheon MATHCOUNTS National Competition is partnering with ESPN to distribute live coverage of the event. The Countdown Round takes place Friday, May 6, at 3-4:30 p.m. EDT. It will be carried live exclusively on ESPN3.com, which reaches approximately 70 million U.S. homes at no additional cost to fans who receive their high-speed Internet connection or cable TV video subscription from an affiliated service provider. It is also available to approximately 21 million U.S.-based college campuses and military bases. A broadband sports network of ESPN, ESPN3.com is the same network that carries the early rounds of the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

In advance of the competition, MATHCOUNTS Nebraska state champions and national competitors Erin and Emma Cooney, 13-year-old twin sisters, will appear on "LIVE! with Regis & Kelly" Thursday, May 5. During the live national telecast, Erin and Emma will do amazing math "warm-ups" and generate awareness for the Raytheon MATHCOUNTS National Competition.

Raytheon is also featuring an interactive Facebook challenge based on real MATHCOUNTS competition questions. Users will be able to answer questions, advance to higher playing levels and challenge their friends to see if they can achieve Mathlete status. Raytheon invites both adults and middle school students to complete the quiz on the MathMovesU Facebook page.

The individual Raytheon MATHCOUNTS National Competition Champion will receive a Donald G. Weinert Scholarship to the college of his or her choice along with a trip to U.S. Space Camp in Huntsville, Ala. Members of the winning team will also receive college scholarships and trips to attend space camp.

"The Raytheon MATHCOUNTS National Competition allows all students to push themselves to the highest possible levels they can achieve in mathematics," said Lou DiGioia, executive director of MATHCOUNTS. "Our partnership with Raytheon enables us to continue delivering our program's mission of inspiring excellence, curiosity and confidence in mathematics to all U.S. middle school students. We support Raytheon's campaign of motivating and inspiring students to study and pursue careers in mathematics and science."

Sponsorship of the Raytheon MATHCOUNTS National Competition is a core component of Raytheon's MathMovesU® program, an initiative designed to engage middle school students in math and science and help inspire the next generation of technologists and innovators. Raytheon is the title sponsor of the Raytheon MATHCOUNTS National Competition through 2014.

About MathMovesU

Raytheon's MathMovesU program is committed to increasing middle school students' interest in math and science education by engaging them in hands-on, interactive activities. The innovative programs of MathMovesU include Raytheon's Sum of all Thrills™ experience at INNOVENTIONS at Epcot®, which showcases math in action as students design and experience their own thrill ride using math fundamentals; the "In the Numbers" game, a partnership with the New England Patriots on display at The Hall at Patriot Place™ presented by Raytheon; the company's three-year sponsorship of the MATHCOUNTS National Competition; and the MathMovesU scholarship and grant program providing more than $1 million in annual funding to students and teachers. Follow us on Twitter @raytheonmmu.

Raytheon Company, with 2010 sales of $25 billion, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, homeland security and other government markets throughout the world. With a history of innovation spanning 89 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration and other capabilities in the areas of sensing; effects; and command, control, communications and intelligence systems, as well as a broad range of mission support services. With headquarters in Waltham, Mass., Raytheon employs 72,000 people worldwide.

About MATHCOUNTS

MATHCOUNTS is a non-profit national math enrichment, club and competition program that promotes middle school mathematics achievement in every U.S. state and territory, and is one of the most successful education partnerships involving volunteers, educators, industry sponsors and students in America. MATHCOUNTS offers teachers, students and parents free materials to aid them in math enrichment and to help them prepare for a high-tech future that will require mathematics-related skills to achieve success. Materials and information are available at www.mathcounts.org.

SOURCE Raytheon Company