BHHS Students Turn Probability Into a Live Carnival

Beverly Hills High School students recently brought math off the page and into action through the school’s annual Probability Fair, a student-led event that turns lessons in chance and statistics into a live carnival-style experience.

Held as part of the school’s Probability and Statistics course, the project is led by mathematics teacher Mr. Glass and asks students to create original games based entirely on chance. Each game is built around theoretical probability and expected value, requiring students to calculate outcomes, test fairness and consider whether a game would be profitable before anyone plays it.

Once the games were complete, students hosted them for their peers and gathered real gameplay data to compare against their original projections. The exercise gave students a direct way to measure how closely theory matched reality while reinforcing classroom lessons through observation, analysis and reflection.

“This annual tradition is a powerful example of how our students bring academic concepts to life through meaningful, hands-on learning,” said Dr. Alex Cherniss, superintendent of the Beverly Hills Unified School District. “Through experiences like the Probability Carnival, our students are developing critical thinking, creativity, and analytical skills that prepare them to thrive in a complex, ever-changing world.”

The fair has become a longstanding tradition at Beverly Hills High School and reflects the campus’s continued focus on interactive, student-centered instruction. By connecting mathematical theory with real-world decision-making, the event gives students a practical understanding of probability while showing how academic concepts can be applied beyond the classroom.

District officials said the Probability Fair continues to reflect Beverly Hills High School’s broader commitment to innovative learning and the district’s standard of Educational Excellence.