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Dear Friends of the Montana Girls STEM Collaborative Project...
Welcome to 2014 and another great year of supporting STEM for girls in Montana. Thanks for being part of our team!
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Mini-Grants Update
The Montana Girls STEM Collaborative Project launched its mini-gr
ants program this fall.
We were excited to
offer the program in partnership with the
Women's Foundation of Montana, which doubled the amount of money we could disperse.
We received some strong proposals, but we did not give away all the money that we have. That means we will be opening a
STEM Mini-Grants "Round 2" sometime this spring. Stay tuned...you'll hear about it here!
The proposals that we have recommended for funding have been sent to our National Girls Collaborative Project national office. Once those projects have been officially notified and registered, we will announce them here.
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Good-bye, Martha!
On Jan. 1, 2014, Martha Peters, one of the co-leaders and founders of the Montana Girls STEM Collaborative Project, accepted a new job with the College of Nursing at Montana State University. We are excited for Martha, but unfortunately, she will no longer be able to continue as a co-leader of Montana Girls STEM.
Martha has been a huge advocate for our efforts and we will miss her smile and energy. Thanks for everything, Martha, and good luck in your new job!
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Are YOU in the program directory?
And, look who's new!
It's amazing how many people are closely involved in or supportive of Montana Girls STEM Collaborative yet have never listed their programs in our online program directory! It's the ultimate networking tool! Use it to find resources, partners and just learn more about the great programs happening in Montana. Not sure if you're listed? Visit
http://www.ngcproject.org/collaborative/montana-girls-stem-collaborative/programs
To submit a program to the online directory, you first need a personal account on the NGCP Website. Go to
www.ngcproject.org and look for Create an Account at the top. Once you have a personal account, look for the big blue button that says SUBMIT a program to our directory.
Our newest program is
LittleBigPlanet Club (LBP Club) of Great  Falls, a program that teaches teamwork, entrepreneurship, time management and computer skills through a simulated video game studio. Students use Sony's LittleBigPlanet 2 (
www.LittleBigPlanet.com), a game that includes powerful tools for 3D art and programming. Students are tasked with coming up with a theme (sometimes tied to STEM or history) and working together to research their theme and create an interactive experience to educate their peers. LBP Club is run by Team KAIZEN and the Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art. To learn more (or maybe collaborate?) visit
http://www.ngcproject.org/program/littlebigplanet-club
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Leadership Team Profile
Mike Stone, STARBASE
Michael Stone has been a member of the Montana Girls STEM Collaborative Project leadership team since Day 1. A 1980 graduate of the University of Montana majoring in Education/Science and also a 1985 graduate of Montana State University with a Master's in Education Administration, he has taught 7-12 science in Richey, Montana and was the High School Principal/science instructor at Clyde Park, Montana before returning to active duty with the US Army at Montana State University as part of the MSU ROTC program in 1990.
Upon retiring from active service, Michael started in the Fall of 2006, the first of two STEM elementary level programs conducted through the Department of Defense called STARBASE which are currently located at Fort Harrison, Montana and Great Falls. To date, over 7,200 elementary 4th-6th grade students have participated in the STEM program from Helena, East Helena, Montana City, Lincoln, Augusta, Highwood, Cascade, Centerville and Great Falls Elementary Schools.
" When you see a sparkle in a student's eyes upon understanding a new concept in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, the feeling is just plain exciting," he said. He brings that enthusiasm to everything he does with us, and we're proud to have Mike on our team!
PHOTO: Mike is pictured (in red) with Karen Peterson (left), National Girls Collaborative Project; Major General Matthew Quinn, adjutant general for the state of Montana and a member of our champions board; and Wendy Fechter, director, STARBASE Great Falls.
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Program Profile: Women's STEM Round-up
Feb. 22, 2014
Coming to Helena: The 3rd annual Women's STEM Round-up inspires Montana's next generation of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics career women through interacting with role models in those fields. Held on the campus of Carroll College this event features a full day of interactive and hands-on STEM workshops in college laboratories and classrooms, by and for women and girls.
This event will be of interest to women in STEM careers, middle/high school girls interested in STEM topics, community members who like our mission, volunteers who want to help.
Keynote Speaker: Eva Vertes is a microbiology prodigy. Her discovery, at age 17, of a compound that stops fruit-fly brain cells from dying was regarded as a step toward curing Alzheimer's. Now she aims to find better ways to treat -- and avoid -- cancer.Check out her
TED talk!
If you'd like more information on attending, sponsoring, volunteering, or presenting at this fun, educational and inspirational event please email Beth Steele at
beths@explorationworks.org.
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Storytelling in Science: Using Fiction to Engage Girls in STEM
A National Resource from NGCP
The National Girls Collaborative offers
a guest post from Michelle Manno, an Associate Editor at Teach.com, where she writes about education reform, disability advocacy, and pop culture pedagogy.
This interesting post includes how educators can align
works of literature and student interests to STEM fields. Especially cool...you can learn about using the Hunger Games: Catching Fire to engage girls. Read the post at
http://www.ngcproject.org/blog/storytelling-science-using-fiction-engage-girls-stem
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What's Happening
News, Opportunities and Events in Montana
Jan. 9, Missoula. Junk Drawer Robotics after-school club begins. Ages 10-14. In partnership with 4-H. http://spectrum.umt.edu/
Jan. 15, Missoula.
Genetics and Biology Homeschool Club begins. For ages 12-15.
http://spectrum.umt.edu/
Jan. 17, Missoula. Junior Robotics Homeschool Club begins. Six-week session for children ages 5-7. http://spectrum.umt.edu/
Jan. 20, Missoula. Flight Physics club at spectrUM Discovery Area. http://spectrum.umt.edu/
Feb. 8, Great Falls. LittleBigPlanet video game development club begins. The Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art and Team KAIZEN will help participants learn to make video games and use tools for 3D art and programming. For boys and girls in grades 4-8. Call (406) 727-8255 for information or to register.
Feb. 8, 2014, Bozeman. Girls for a Change statewide conference. https://www.allthrive.org/programs/girls-for-a-change/girls-for-a-change/annual-statewide-conferences/2014-girls-for-a-change-conference/
Feb. 17, Missoula. Rad Explosions Club at spectrUM Discovery Area. http://spectrum.umt.edu/
Feb. 22, Helena. The 3rd annual Women's STEM Round-up sponsored by ExplorationWorks and held at Carroll College. This day-long event features hands-on science, a keynote speaker, and great opportunities for girls and STEM women to interact. If you'd like to be a presenter or sponsor, please contact Beth Steele at [email protected].
Feb. 22, Kalispell. Mini Maker Faire. Part science fair, part county fair, and part something entirely new, Maker Faire is an all-ages gathering of tech enthusiasts, crafters, educators, tinkerers, hobbyists, engineers, science clubs, authors, artists, students, and commercial exhibitors. All of these makers come to Maker Faire to show what they have made and to share what they have learned through interactive exhibits, hands-on demonstrations, and informative presentations.
http://kalispellminimakerfaire.com/
Feb. 26, MSU-Bozeman. Women's Center Sack Lunch Seminar. Best Practices for Engaging Girls in STEM, presented by Montana Girls STEM Collaborative. All are welcome.
Feb. 28-29, Great Falls. A Night At The Museum (Grades 2-5), 6:00 PM - 8:00 AM Join us for an overnight experience filled with art, learning and fun under the roof of one of Great Falls' most historic buildings - Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art! Cost: $25/Girl; $15/Adult. Registration available at www.gsmw.org
March 1, Billings. Ready, Set, Robots! (Grades 2-5) 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM This program is a great introduction to robots. The WeDo Lego program combines creativity, logic, and team work to problem solve through hands on activities! This program opens doors and minds to science and high-tech possibilities while having fun. Join us in building, programming, and operating the Lego robots and be a technology superhero. Cost:$6/Girl, register at www.gsmw.org
March 29, Missoula. Engineer That!
April 1, Bozeman. Equal Pay for Equal Work Summit.
April 3, Helena. Bubble Trouble (Grades 6-12) , 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM Have you ever been told to stop blowing bubbles in your milk? Here you will be able to blow bubbles in paint until your heart's content! All of your efforts will result in a unique bubble creation. Cost:$14/Girl; $14/Adult, register at www.gsmw.org
April 5, Bozeman. Expanding Your Horizons for Girls. This day of STEM for girls in 6th, 7th and 8th grade features hands-on workshops and fun with college women who serve as role models. If you'd like to be a presenter or want posters for your school or organization, contact Nicole Soll: (406) 994-6633 or [email protected] Registration will open in mid-February. Visit http://eu.montana.edu/continuinged/youth/
April 5, Bozeman. Astronomy Day at Museum of the Rockies. Hands-on space science for kids and adults. Free. http://eu.montana.edu/astronomyday
April 10, Helena. Tiny Bubbles (Grades K-5) 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Have you ever been told to stop blowing bubbles in your milk? Here you will be able to blow bubbles in paint until your heart's content! All of your efforts will result in a unique bubble creation. Cost:$14/Girl; $14/Adult. Register at www.gsmw.org
April 12, Billings. Chicks in Science. "Chicks in Science" was developed in 2008 to encourage grade school and middle school-aged girls to enter math- and science-related fields. The event routinely draws hundreds of participants and about 50 booths from area science- and math-based exhibitors. http://www.msubillings.edu/chicks/
April 12-13, Helena. "Imagine Your Future" ExplorationWorks Science Center Girl Scout STEM Overnights. Young women working in STEM careers talk about how they got started in science and technology and offer Scouts in grades 5 through 8 (friends welcome too) fun hands-on experiences designed to inspire Girl Scouts on a path to exciting STEM careers of their own. While Scouts are the primary audience, any girls in the appropriate grades may attend. Participants will spend the night at the museum and enjoy dinner and and a movie along with their STEM oriented activities. Register via http://gsmw.org
April 25, Missoula. Night at the Museum with Girl Scouts and spectrUM Discovery Area.
April 26-27, Helena. "Imagine Your Future" ExplorationWorks Science Center Girl Scout STEM Overnights. Young women working in STEM careers talk about how they got started in science and technology and offer Scouts in grades 5 through 8 (friends welcome too) fun hands-on experiences designed to inspire Girl Scouts on a path to exciting STEM careers of their own. While Scouts are the primary audience, any girls in the appropriate grades may attend. Participants will spend the night at the museum and enjoy dinner and and a movie along with their STEM oriented activities. Registration will be open via http://gsmw.org
May 2014, Missoula. SciGirls Club comes to Missoula! Stay tuned for details. http://spectrum.umt.edu/
June 15-20, Bozeman. Peaks and Potentials Camp, MSU-Bozeman. A week-long camp for high-ability, high-potential youth in grades 5, 6 and 7. http://eu.montana.edu/peaks
Have a STEM event to share with our readers?
E-mail Suzi Taylor at [email protected]
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