The Montana Girls STEM Collaborative seeks to unite and support educators, parents and other champions of STEM so we can engage and inspire the next generation!
In this issue....
Girls Cybersecurity Challenge
NASA Apollo 50th Anniversary Challenge
App Challenge in Kalispell
Montana Conservation Corps for middle and high school
Apply for NASA Girls STEM Ahead funding
STEM Billings update
Montana NSF EPSCoR overview
Summer STEM learning for adults
plus tons of spring and summer STEM camps and events!
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Governor Bullock announces Montana's participation in Girls' Go CyberStart Initiative
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Governor Steve Bullock announced this week that Montana is partnering with the SANS Institute to provide high school girls the opportunity to learn cybersecurity skills and compete for college scholarships through the
Girls Go CyberStart challenge
.
Female students in grades 9-12 are invited to compete in the challenge to win access to the CyberStart Game, an online game designed to help students develop cyber and critical skills. Participating students and their teachers need only a computer and Internet connection to participate, and no prior cybersecurity knowledge or IT experience is needed. Through the program,
at least ten high school girls in Montana will win $500 scholarships to help them pay for college.
Team prizes are also available. Register your interest by March 20.
A college opportunity for both male and female students will follow in April.
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Montana chosen to host Apollo 50th anniversary challenge; teams can win a trip to Johnson Space Center
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The Montana Learning Center, MSU Academic Technology & Outreach and the Montana Office of Public Instruction are hosting a NASA robotics competition celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Apollo moon landings. The top high school team will receive a trip to the Johnson Space Center in Houston.
The competition recreates the challenges that faced the Apollo 11 moon landing.
Registration for 25 high school teams closes March 30
. Teams must be affiliated with an organization such as a school, library, museum, after-school program or club.
Registration and regional hub info is online
.
High school teams will compete at the Montana Learning Center at Canyon Ferry Lake on July 19. There is no cost to enter, but teams will have to provide for the equipment they will need in addition to travel costs. Scholarships are available to fund equipment, travel and a coaching stipend; each of the $1,750 team scholarships will be focused on under-served and under-represented groups in Montana.
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Kalispell-based technology project offers scholarships of $5000, $2500 and $1000!
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The Northwest Regional App Challenge is an invitation for U.S. and Canadian 4th thru 8th grade girl teams to design, create, and present an App/Computer Coding project with their Business Plan. Girls will network with other girls with similar interests and participate in team-building exercises. Winning teams are awarded Scholarship prizes. The competition takes place in Montana's Flathead Valley.
Who: 4th – 8 Grade girls
When: May 11 & 12, 2019
Cost: Free
App: The App can be programmed in any computer language or block code, but must be demonstrable. This could be a mobile app, a website, or even a robotics project. Judging will be based on the International Technovation Competition rubric.
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Montana Conservation Corps offers summer expeditions for Montana youth aged 12-17
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Expeditions operate out of MCC’s four regional offices, located in Bozeman, Helena, Kalispell, and Missoula. Expeditions are open to ALL Montana teens, no matter their city of residence.
High School Expedition
is a four-week volunteer service experience for Montana teens ages 14 to 17. High School Expedition members spend the majority of their time outdoors, camping, working, and exploring. Each crew is led by two Crew Leaders, who are graduates of MCC’s Leadership Training Program. Expedition members receive on-the-job training, including technical and outdoor skills, Leave No Trace principles, and safety standards, all while working, serving, and learning in some of Montana’s wildest places. Each teen receives marketable know-how and job experience while completing 160 hours of community service. Participants receive a $270 Service Award upon completion of the program.
Learn more or apply
.
Middle School Expedition
is a one-week volunteer service experience for Montana youth ages 12 to 14. Middle School Expedition crews engage in trails maintenance and habitat enhancement projects, spending the majority of their time outdoors, camping, working, and exploring. Middle School Expedition members work together as a crew of six, led by two Crew Leaders, who are graduates of MCC’s Leadership Training Program.
Learn more or apply
.
For the first time, Middle School Expeditions will operate out of our Helena and Kalispell offices (in addition to our Bozeman and Missoula offices.)
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Funding available to use NASA Girls STEAM Ahead resources
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These resources are free,
and
there is funding available to help you to implement the use of these great tools. Funds are only available to programs that have not yet received funding for this project, are restricted to use for the implementation of Girls STEAM Ahead with NASA resources, and may not be used to cover overhead, salaries, capital expenditures, or other general operating expenses. However, consumables directly related to the project may be funded.
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Congrats, STEM Billings - you're four!
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STEM Billings
is into its fourth year of providing exciting, fun and eye-opening activities for kids in grades 2-8. STEM Billings is a collaboration of business, industry, education and nonprofit STEM enthusiasts who provide inspiring and career-relevant adventures four times a year.
January kids explored “Adventures in Health and Medicine” with various healthcare professionals. On
March 30
, kids will take on “Adventures in Coding and Computer Science.” Go to
stembillings.org
to find out more. You can also
follow STEMBillings on Facebook
.
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Thank you, Montana NSF EPSCoR
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The Montana Girls STEM Collaborative would not exist without
Montana NSF EPSCoR
, a National Science Foundation-funded project that builds Montana's research competitiveness. Montana NSF EPSCoR stretches across the
Montana University System
including the state's seven tribal colleges to
advance excellence in science and engineering research and education
.
The focus of Montana's most recent project is
water quality.
...watch for many education and outreach opportunities over the next five years, including professional development for educators and other adults in business, industry and government; STEM programming for youth, especially those in Montana's smallest communities; and projects that bring diversity to the STEM pipeline.
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Start a Girls Who Code Club in Montana: Free resources
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Girls Who Code is now an official partner of the Montana Girls STEM Collaborative. This group offers free, accessible after school clubs and other programs that create clear pathways for girls and young women to explore computer science careers and join the computing workforce.
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News from the national STEM world
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Talk about
Girls in STEM
! A new film from Paramount Pictures --
Wonder Park
--tells the story of a magnificent amusement park where the imagination of a wildly creative girl named June comes alive. The National Girls Collaborative Project is helping spread the word about this great film and its "STEM for All" theme.
Watch the trailer
or
download free curriculum materials!
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Emerging Female Scientist (EFS) is the first electronic, peer-reviewed, open access scientific journal promoting and
publishing articles by
female middle and high school students.
In addition to original research, students can submit interviews with female STEM leaders, historical vignettes of noted female scientists, and/or current science and technology review articles. Visit
www.emergingfemalescientists.com
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The STEM Effect:
Montana is proud to be part of a national team working to understand the long-term impacts of STEM programs on girls.
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Summer STEM professional development for adults
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The
Montana Afterschool Alliance
is partnering with MSU's Science and Math Resource Center and Southwest Montana School Services for a week of professional development this summer in Bozeman.
- The Montana Science Summer Institute is Aug 6-7. The MTAA Afterschool and Beyond Conference is Aug. 8-9.
- The early afternoon of Aug. 7 is reserved for required training for 21st Century Community Learning Center providers
- Both groups will gather for a STEM industry panel in the late afternoon of Aug. 7.
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Upcoming STEM events and opportunities
If you offer a STEM event or opportunity that we missed, be sure to post it on our
Facebook page
as well as in
The Connectory
-- it's free!
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MARCH
GLENDIVE: Welding for Middle Schoolers
at Dawson Community College.
Girls on March 13; boys on March 14
.
Register by March 12
.
BOZEMAN - Bozeman Children's Museum:
- Pi Day: Science, March 14, 10am to noon. Bozeman Children's Museum. Math-focused activities, plus each child will get a coupon for a free slice of Pi(e) at Delicious Bakery right down the street.
- Spring Fling: Science: March 16-23 11 am-3 pm, Bozeman Children's Museum. We are celebrating the changing seasons with weather science and colorful experiments!
- STEAMLab–Every Tuesday 4pm to 7pm and Fridays 10am to noon, plus Extended Open Lab During Spring Break: Monday March, 18: 1:00-5:00 pm; Tuesday March 19: 4:00-7:00 pm; Wednesday March 20: 11:00-2:00 pm; Friday March 22: 10:00-2:00 pm. Connect with our community of makers. All the tools of the STEAMlab at your disposal – Arduinos, Raspberry Pis, 3D printers, and more – plus a resident expert on-hand to help out
- Learn more about all March events
BILLINGS: MSU Billings Science Expo. March 22-23
at MSU Billings. Check out hundreds of science projects.
Learn more!
HELENA:
ExplorationWorks Spring Break Workshops. March 26-29
. Registration Opens March 11. More info (including specific dates/times) can be found here:
www.explorationworks.org/workshops
BOZEMAN: Expanding Your Horizon
s, a day of STEM for middle school girls.
Saturday, March 30, 2019
. Choose from hands-on workshops in a variety of fields. Register online or learn more at
http://ato.montana.edu/eyh
BILLINGS: Adventures in Coding and Computer Science
from STEM Billings, March 30, 1-4pm. City College at MSU Billings. Go to
stembillings.org
to find out more.
APRIL
LEWISTOWN: Montana Enviro-thon. (High school), April 29-30.
The Envirothon was established as a competitive, problem-solving, natural resource event for high school students to challenge them about the environment. Thousands of high school students have met the challenge and and have come away wiser and more concerned about the natural world and their environment. Students are trained and tested in five natural resource areas: soils, aquatics, forestry, and wildlife plus a fifth environmental issue that embraces a current problem such as recycling or land-use management.
Learn more
!
NOTE: The
“Girls-n-Science” event in Billings
typically held in spring has been moved to the fall at MSU-Billings. Stay tuned for info!
SUMMER
HELENA: ExplorationWorks Summer Camps begin
June 10-August 22. Registration is now open! More info (including specific dates/times) can be found at
www.explorationworks.org/summer-camps
LUBRECHT EXPERIMENTAL FOREST, GREENOUGH: Montana Natural Resources Youth Camp, June 14-19.
Drop the Wii and get in the woods! Summer Camp in Montana for all youth ages 14-18. A wonderful opportunity to get the kids outside where learning and recreation come together, to foster understanding and instill appreciation for the natural amenities of Montana.
Learn more
.
BOZEMAN/HYALITE CANYON: Montana Youth Range Camp. June 25-29, 2019
. Campers will be introduced to 25 of Montana’s important range plants—grasses, forbs, and shrubs—and will learn about the interaction of soils, water, plants, wildlife, and livestock on the range. Scholarships available.
Learn more
.
MONTANA LEARNING CENTER at Canyon Ferry Lake. Camps begin July 7. Opportunities for grades 1-12
.
- Camp Discovery is daytime-only camp for grades 1-3. Campers are bused to the MLC from Helena. July 8 - 11 - Nature Knows Best. July 15 - 18 - Science Detectives. July 22 - 25 - Make It Move. July 29 - August 1 - Nature Knows Best. August 5 - 8 - Science Detectives
- Camp Young Naturalist Adventures is a five-day overnight camp for students entering grades 4-6. July 7 - 11 - Grossology. July 14 - 18 - Space Quest. July 21 - 25 - Upcycled Ecology. July 28 - Aug. 1 - Grossology. Aug. 4 - 8 - Upcycled Ecology
- Camp Innovations is a five-day overnight camp for students entering grades 7-9. July 7 - 11 - The Wonders of Water. July 14 - 18 - Montana Treasures. July 21 - 25 - All Girls STEAM Camp. July 28 - August 1- Montana Treasures. August 4 - 8 - Crime Scene Investigation
- Explore the Universe, for students entering 9-12 grade. July 7-11. Using state-of-the-art telescopes and cameras to image the night sky, campers will gain astronomical knowledge and enhance their observing skills. They will develop a plan to continue exploring space, the final frontier.
- Lewis & Clark Leadership Course is an eight-day overnight camp for students entering grades 9 - 12. Aug. 6-13. Campers experience the actual sites and scenes of Lewis and Clark’s journey of discovery. Activities include a canoe expedition through the wild and scenic Upper Missouri River and outdoor discovery training at the lake and in the Big Belt Mountains.
- Extreme Yellowstone Expedition is a five-day overnight camp for students entering grades 7-9. August 11-15. The American Explorers Basecamp in Paradise Valley will be the hub for lodging, science experiences and a jumping off point for excursions to Geyser Basin, Yellowstone Falls and Lamar Valley.
MISSOULA: SciGirls Get Tech, Ages 8-13,
July 22-26, 9am-4pm
Explore, design, and create at spectrUM in this girls-only science camp! Meet with female scientists as you explore the exciting world of computers. Use your imagination and new skills to design your own computer game and learn how to code.
Register Now
MISSOULA: Girls Interested in Math
- For Campers entering Grades 5 and 6 July 22-25, 9 am to 12 pm with lunch option, The University of Montana, Mathematics Building. This camp is for students at or above grade level who are interested in further enrichment in mathematics. During the week, students will explore challenging problems that relate to Number Theory, Algebraic Thinking, and Geometry through hands-on activities, games, and puzzles. $95. See registration info below.
- For Campers entering Grades 7 and 8. July 29-Aug. 1, 9am to Noon with lunch option. The University of Montana, Mathematics Building This camp is for students at or above grade level who are interested in further enrichment and challenge in mathematics. During the week, students will have opportunities to ask and develop questions about mathematics, integrate technology into learning, and explore challenging mathematics problems. $95.
BOZEMAN: Free summer STEM Camp: “Innovations in Mobility: A Camp to Get Everyone Moving"
from The Western Transportation Institute. July 22-26 at MSU-Bozeman. Students entering grades 6-9 are invited to attend. Participants will join in fun hands-on activities related to urban design, engineering, coding, ecology, and water resources. The camp will run from 9am to 3pm, Monday – Friday, July 22-26, 2019. For more information and to register,
email Susan Gallaghe
r, call 994-6559 or
Register online
.
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About the Montana Girls STEM Collaborative
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The Montana Girls STEM Collaborative was founded as an outreach program of
Montana NSF EPSCoR and has co-leaders at Montana State University and the University of Montana as well as volunteer board members across the state.
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Suzi Taylor
Montana State University
128 Barnard Hall
Bozeman, MT
(406) 994-7957
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Jessie Herbert
University of Montana
Missoula, MT
(406) 243-4828
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