While most 11-year-old boys are playing football or video games, a special group of Dellwood Middle School students are mastering the art of mathematics.Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity started an impressive programme last October teaching M1 students how to tackle large mathematical sums in their heads without pens, paper or calculators.Yesterday morning the young boys blew staff, family and friends away with their new skills while taking part in a competition.Mastering complex sums such as 11 x 23 53 / 50 in a matter of seconds was only half the battle. They also had to answer some of the equations in French, Spanish, Japanese and Chinese.At the end of the 30-minute math war, Saige Crockwell, Kenai Joel and Connor Tumbridge won first, second and third place prizes respectively.Saige received a six-day trip to a space camp in Huntsville, Alabama; Kenai was given a new netbook computer; and Connor was awarded a digital camera.Mother ErinTumbridge applauded the boys' efforts.“I was surprised with all of them really. They trained really hard and go every week. I am proud of Connor for coming third. It's a really great achievement.”Second-place winner Kenai, 12, thanked his teacher for aiding in his success.He told The Royal Gazette: “I kind of feel happy for myself because most times everything I do I don't really place in anything.”Other participants included: Jameko Mallory, Nathan Morgan, Matteo Turner, Zion Simmons, Jayden Stovell, Zahyinde Lightbourne-Cann, and Charles Anthony.All ten boys, aged 11 and 12, enthusiastically took part in an academic-mentorship programme with the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity.They are aspiring to become pilots, architects, businessmen and doctors, according to tutor Michael Wellman.He said the programme was opening up doors for a lot of the students.“The basic hope is they will develop a love for learning that will carry on, not only for mathematics, but other subjects as well.“I feel very encouraged and inspired by their development. What they have done in one year of M1 middle school has been phenomenal. It just shows when challenged they will rise to whatever level you will challenge them to.”The boys will learn algebra next year and by M3 they will learn real-world applications and how to recognise arbitrage something usually taught at the university level.Mr Wellman added: “Recognising where Bermuda is and what our Bermuda competitive advantage is in the world it is all related to math, from our reinsurance, hedge-funds, banking and finance.“If we can help and gear our curriculum towards math it will be of benefit to them and the Island.”In addition, the programme allows the students to meet fraternity members excelling in their chosen careers. This gives them the chance to prepare academically and mentally for the job they hope to have, Mr Wellman said.The programme, developed by Mason West, is sponsored by the Bermuda Government, Belco, CableVision and RenaissanceRe.