Get a free citizen science / neuroscience kit for middle school students. Applications due June 23

The MSU Science Math Resource Center is offering a free citizen science / neuroscience kit to 10 programs that serve middle school students. Applications are due June 23 and kits will be sent immediately after. Programs are asked to use the materials by Sept. 30 and fill out a short post-program survey.

The kit includes a video tutorial, instructor's guide and physical materials to complete two online citizen science projects: one on Alzheimer's Disease and another on relationships between the eye and the brain. The supplies are yours to keep and use again and again! The kits are supported by the MSU Outreach and Engagement Council as part of their seed grant program to promote engagement with external partners, improve quality of life and benefit the public. The kits were created by MSU student Chloe Moreland with support from Montana Afterschool Alliance.

Apply here by June 23 or contact Jeannie Chipps for information.

MSU campus tree trek was a success!

To celebrate Citizen Science Month, MSU’s Science Math Resource Center hosted the Campus Tree Trek from April 17 to May 4, 2023. We selected six common tree species across campus and organized a scavenger hunt for students, staff, and visitors. Highlighted species included the green ash, Douglas fir, blue spruce, quaking aspen, ponderosa pine, and the limber pine. Along with the scavenger hunt, participants were able to scan QR codes on each tree that redirected them to a site where they could learn more about the species and submit a short survey. 

To aid participants in their search, we shared a list of approximate locations and hints about the tree’s appearance when we promoted the activity in MSU Today, the SMRC website, and SciStarter. In total, 10 participants completed the entire trek, including 4 undergraduate students, 4 graduate students, and 2 faculty and/or staff members. 

Thanks to Dr. Danielle Ulrich’s Plant Physiology Ecology Lab and the MSU Arborist Team for helping execute the project! If you are an MSU research team that would like to do something similar as part of a Broader Impacts plan, please email us at smrc@montana.edu

Learn more about citizen science this summer

If you're attending either the OPI Summer Institute or the STEM Summer Institute at MSU this summer, we hope you will join SMRC for talks and workshops on citizen science.

• OPI Summer Institute: Citizen Science: It's More than Just Science (Wednesday, June 21 at 11:45am) Registration is free for Montana educators and administrators. Visit the conference website

• STEM Summer Institute: Citizen Science: How to Get Started or Take It to the Next Level. July 31-Aug. 2. SSI is an amazing 3-day conference for Montana educators of any grade level or situation. Registration is just $225. Learn more.

Project suggestion: The non-profit organization, 5Gyres, is officially making Plastic-Free Parks an annual campaign to track plastic pollution trends in U.S. National Parks and federal lands. Data collected using the TrashBlitz app will contribute to a report that will detail the materials, items, and brands of waste found in national parks, along with recommended solutions. 

This citizen science project is open to volunteers around the country, and if you’re not near a National Park, volunteers are still encouraged to participate on federal land or NPS units near them. Be sure to check out the 2022 Plastic-Free Parks Report as well!

Head to any national park, do a cleanup, and submit your data. Sign up here.