Welcome to Brainstorms!, the monthly e-newsletter of the MSU Science Math Resource Center. We share cool opportunities for Montana STEM educators of all grade levels, subjects and settings, including upcoming professional development workshops through MSU and our partners; grant applications and STEM resources; STEM events and contests for students; and more.
Whether you teach science, technology, engineering, mathematics or something else related, this newsletter is for you. Please forward to a colleague and encourage them to subscribe – including your school administrators and school counselors, too!
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Feb. 4: Deadline for elementary teachers to apply for a six-week paid summer research experience at MSU
Montana State University will host a six-week Research Experience for Teachers (RET) for elementary teachers in Summer 2023. The experience includes a stipend plus housing and travel expenses.
In the energy-themed program, teachers gain hands-on experience in state-of-the-art engineering research labs and will visit multiple energy facilities such as hydroelectric dams and oil refineries. The field trips include visits to nearby American Indian cultural sites and discussions about Indigenous perspectives in engineering, with a focus on integrating STEM with Montana's Indian Education For All curriculum.
The application deadline is Feb. 4, 2023. Please visit www.montana.edu/ret for more information and a link to the application or email smrc@montana.edu.
No STEM degree or prior experience is required, and all elementary teachers are encouraged to apply.
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MSU Research in Action continues in Spring 2023; Fall videos are posted
If you missed our fall MSU Research in Action series, you missed meeting an MSU engineering student who studies insect flight; an MSU chemistry post-doc who is working to understand how methanogens use pyrite as a nutrient; and an MSU engineering student who is developing low-cost tests for diseases such as Alzheimer's. What's best is that in addition to learning about the research, you also truly meet and hang out with the researchers and learn about their STEM journey so you can use it to engage and inspire your students. All sessions are facilitated by SMRC's own Dr. Jeannie Chipps, who guides the sessions to blend cutting-edge content with authentic pedagogy.
Visit our professional development page to see archived videos from Fall 2022 and stay abreast of upcoming dates for spring. We will also share them in this newsletter!
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It's not too late -- bring a Science Olympiad team to the state tournament at MSU on March 8, 2023.
Science Olympiad is not just about the competitions (although those are awesome.....) Registered Science Olympiad teams also get to participate in:
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STEM Night at Museum of the Rockies - March 7, 5:30 to 8:30pm. Free private event for teams, coaches and chaperones! See all the exhibits, enjoy a planetarium show and visit STEM demonstration tables by MSU faculty and clubs. This value of this event alone exceeds the team registration fee for Science Olympiad!
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MSU Talk & Tours -- Science Olympiad teams can sign up to visit labs and studios or hear about exciting research at MSU. These are free and take part after competitions have ended and before the awards ceremony begins on March 8.
Coach office hours will be held on Jan. 18 and 24; see our Science Olympiad School Teams and Coaches page for info. Team registration deadline is Feb. 3, 2023.
If you have any questions, please email mtscioly@montana.edu or Subscribe to our Science Olympiad e-newsletter
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STEM Summit 2022 report
The 2022 Montana STEM Summit was held virtually on April 28, 2022; a new report gives an overview of the event, which is hosted biennially by the Montana Afterschool Alliance and MSU Science Math Resource Center with the goal of bringing together representatives from education, business, afterschool, government, industry and non-profits along with other engaged citizens to discuss how Montana can continue to grow a strong STEM ecosystem across the state.
The full report is available online You can also read details from past events here, too.
A limited number of printed copies are available; email smrc@montana.edu for info.
SAVE THE DATE: The Montana STEM Summit 2023 will take place in Helena on April 13. More details coming soon
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American Mathematics Competitions (AMC) 8 is Jan. 23 at MSU
The Science Math Resource Center will host the AMC8 competition for middle schoolers on Jan. 23. The AMC 8 is part of the American Mathematics Competition series developed by the Mathematical Association of America. It is designed to provide an opportunity for middle school students to develop positive attitudes toward analytical thinking and mathematics that can assist in future careers. Students apply classroom skills to unique problem-solving challenges in a low-stress and friendly environment.
The material on the 25-question, 40-minute test includes topics from a typical middle school mathematics curriculum. Students up through eighth grade and under 14 1/2 years on the day of the competition are eligible to participate. Registration is free. The deadline is Jan. 15.
Visit our AMC8 web page or email smrc@montana.edu with any questions.
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Learn about Arduino coding and sensors that are used for science and engineering with our Sensing for Science PD program for teachers. Plus, free kits!
This program was launched at the STEM Summer Institute in July 2022 and continues on as a free on-demand video series through the Science Math Resource Center. If you are a Montana teacher and intend to complete the program in the next three months, we’ll send you a free Arduino kit, AND if you complete the course and share some information about how you intend to use the program with your students, you could get a free Arduino kit for your whole class! This could be the perfect PD project to complete over the holiday break.
Visit https://www.montana.edu/smrc/sensingforscience/ and get started today.
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Save the date: STEM Summer Institute is July 31 - Aug. 2 at MSU-Bozeman
Save the date for the 2023 STEM Summer Institute! We will once again bring several exciting days of professional development, networking and social opportunities in partnership with School Services of Montana. Watch this newsletter for the call for presenters.
Conference registration will open in Spring 2022. You can read about last year's event for a great taste of what to expect next summer -- with even more!
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Teachers: Earn a free trip to Houston for Liftoff Summer Institute!
The Montana Space Grant Consortium is sponsoring one Montana 5-12 teacher to attend the 2023 Texas Space Grant Consortium’s LiftOff Summer Institute, June 25 – 30, in Houston.
MSGC will pay for airfare and registration, which includes lodging, meals and tours. The deadline for MSGC is Jan. 20, 2023 by 5pm.
Visit their website for more information or email Meredith Hecker at MSGC: meredith.hecker@montana.edu
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New York Times STEM writing contest. Could MSU help your students??
Th New York Times invites students to choose an issue or question in STEM or health, then write an engaging 500-word explanation. Contest Dates: Jan. 18 - Feb. 15, 2023.
This is cool, but what if your students wrote about something happening at MSU? We could connect them with students and researchers who can help give them great content!
Learn more about the contest and email smrc@montana.edu if you want to brainstorm an MSU connection.
Photo: Anja Sommerfeld from the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research launched an “ozone-sonde,” an instrument that measures ozone levels. Esther Horvath for The New York Times
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Citizen science corner: Snow!
We love citizen science for its potential to engage ALL youth in the scientific process.
In this short video, MSU student and Aspiring Educators president Camille Sampley reviews a free citizen science project called Sknowledge, which is perfect for the Montana winter.
And, you can learn about more snow-related citsci projects with SciStarter Live on Jan. 24. Learn more and register
to stay informed on all things Citizen Science at MSU (and beyond) subscribe to our quarterly MSU Citizen Science Network e-newsletter: https://bit.ly/msu-citscinews
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Do you know a Montana STEM teacher interested in cool opportunities? Please share this newsletter so they can follow along for next year! Or, they can subscribe at bit.ly/smrc-news
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