The Montana Girls STEM Collaborative seeks to unite and support educators, parents, professionals and other champions of STEM so we can engage and inspire the next generation! |
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Code Girls United win Congressional App Challenge |
The Code Girls United Tech Trio team from Kalispell has won the Congressional App Challenge for Montana’s Congressional district.
The Congressional App Challenge is a nationwide event that allows middle and high school students from across the country to compete against their peers by creating and exhibiting their software application, and is the most prestigious prize in student computer science. Winning teams apps are put on display in the U.S. Capitol Building.
The Tech Trio's app DriveRight was developed as a result of the recent tragedy involving a young girl hit when a vehicle failed to stop for a school bus. The girls felt there was a lack of understanding of the state driving laws. Their app helps new and existing drivers learn Montana’s state driving laws in a way that is fun and interactive. The girls conducted research with the Montana Highway Patrol and Montana Department of Transportation to develop their app. Learn more about Tech Trio and their app!
Code Girls United is extremely proud of the hard work the Tech Trio team put into their creation. CGU's after school program combines real-world coding for young girls in fourth to eighth grade with practical business skills. And, our approach works: program participants have won scholarship money, statewide competitions, and this is the second year in a row that a Code Girls United team has won the Congressional App Challenge.
Studies have shown that 80% of girls participating in programs like Code Girls United have increased self-confidence. Additionally, 58% of participating girls go on to pursue further Computer Science education. Code Girls United mission is to expand the future career opportunities of 4th-8th grade girls through hands-on experiences in coding, technology, and business. The program runs throughout the school year, and has expanded to four Montana locations outside of the Flathead Valley, in addition to an online program, and an advanced program.
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STEM events and opportunities |
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CyberStart America offers fun cybersecurity challenges and scholarships for high school students |
On Nov. 19, Gov. Steve Bullock announced that Montana will again participate in CyberStart America, an innovative program promoting cybersecurity. The partnership with the SANS Institute provides high school students with a free and fun opportunity to learn cybersecurity skills and qualify for the National Cyber Scholarship Competition.
Montana participated in Girls Go CyberStart the previous two years. That initiative focused on girls and continues as a girls-only community within this year’s expanded competition called CyberStart America which is open to high school boys and girls. Girls Go CyberStart is featured as a exclusive community within CyberStart America and can be selected on the
registration page.
The Girls Scouts of Montana & Wyoming have created an innovative companion program called GirlSCOUTS Go CyberStart which provides Girls Scouts registered for the Girls Go CyberStart competition with additional opportunities for collaboration and supplemental activities to aid Girl Scouts in completing the requirements for their Cybersecurity badges. Learn more about the Girl Scouts program.
Registration for CyberStart America is open now at www.cyberstartamerica.org/. Students must reach the qualifying level in the CyberStart Game by March 8, 2021 to be invited to the National Scholarship Competition.
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Montana Destination Imagination offers free STEAM challenges |
Montana Destination Imagination encourages you to Accept the Challenge to Make STEAM Learning (More!) Fun with Destination Imagination. Receive a free set of quick STEAM challenges to get you started. Contact montanacq@mt-di.org for information on how to start a new team and receive a discounted set of program materials. Email us your contact information to receive the FREE Accept the Challenge materials and more information about Destination Imagination and how to Start A Team. Also follow The Montana DI Facebook page for more STEAM Based Instant Challenges.
This school year, Destination Imagination redesigned its program so that students can participate 100% virtually. We offer seven different STEAM-based (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) Team Challenges that kids solve together—without any interference from adults. Teams that participate also have the opportunity to showcase their innovative Challenge solutions through a Destination Imagination tournament—the ultimate celebration of their creative journey together. And no matter which Challenge your kids choose to solve, each one helps them improve their creative thinking, problem-solving, project. Email Heather Geiger for more information montanacq@mt-di.org
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Women in STEM
Cool Career: Dr. Arica Crootof — Environmental Sustainability
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Thank you to Dr. Arica Crootof of University of Montana-Western and Montana NSF EPSCoR, who shares her career with girls in Montana!
Dr. Crootof is an assistant professor of environmental sustainability who helps her students explore how human activities interact with the natural world and learn how to work with others to develop sustainable solutions that can help protect and enhance natural resources.
As a researcher, she looks for ways we can improve how we manage water resources. She and her students are examining the Warm Springs Ponds outside Anaconda, Montana, and Dr. Crootof works in Nepal where she students hydropower development and how it supports farmers.
What did you like to do as a young person? At what age and how did you know you wanted to be a scientist?
I loved and still love to socialize with friends. Before cell phones and texting, I spent my after-school hours instant messaging with friends online. I also played sports and enjoyed hiking and skiing.
I didn’t know environmental science as a field existed until I was applying to colleges. I signed up for Environmental Sustainability for my first college class and was hooked. I was learning how to use science to create social change, which blended my love of science and history.
I think it’s important to note that while I liked my science and history classes growing up, I really struggled in math classes. That said, in graduate school I did go on to take a lot of calculus that I enjoyed and did well in. My reason for wanting to learn changed and so did my study habits!
One summer in college, as part of an undergraduate research fellowship (REU), I was flown to the Luquillo Experimental Forest in Puerto Rico to study how road development was affecting sediment transport in mountain streams. I learned that as a scientist I could get paid to travel and learn. Again, I was hooked and then sought international research opportunities.
For my master’s research in hydrology – the study of water – I traveled to Uzbekistan in Central Asia. Here, I was working with scientists from around the world, examining pesticide (DDT and Lindane) contamination in irrigation-fed ponds. Then, for my PhD research, I traveled to the Indian and Nepali Himalayas to research how run-of-the-river hydropower development is affecting rural farming communities. Using the science from my research, I am now working to promote practices that make this development more social and environmentally sustainable.
"In all of the places I’ve traveled, I’ve met amazing young female scientists who are passionate about trying to understand the world we live in so they too can create change. These women are dear friends as well as colleagues and these days we stay connected via WhatsApp and Skype.
While I’ve been able to collect important and interesting data, the thing I love most about my job is that I am continually challenged as both a teacher and researcher. I love new experiences, meeting new people, and learning about other cultures. I feel fortunate to have landed a job where I can revel in learning."
What advice would you give to a Montana kid who is interested in being a scientist?
It’s hard to know about the range of careers that exist, even within the sciences, so I recommend you find ways to get involved. Congrats, if you are reading this, you are already taking this important step! For every environmental issue – or just about any issue – there’s an organization or few working on it. So find something that interests you and go learn about the people involved, the different perspectives on the issue and think how you want to get involved.
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spectrUM Discovery Area distributes science kits in central Montana |
spectrUM Discovery Area has been preparing over 2,000 hands-on science kits for students in central Montana. With support from Enbridge, students in Lewistown, Harlowton, Stanford, Joliet, Fromberg, and Ryegate will receive hands-on science activities made by spectrUM’s educators.
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Opportunities for STEM educators |
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GSK Science in the Summer™ National Network
2021-2022 Call for Applications
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GSK Science in the Summer™ is a free, informal science summer program for children entering grades 2-6. The program is designed to inspire students to become the next generation of scientists and engineers, through hands-on explorations based in real science careers, which may be implemented through in-person or virtual program models. The program seeks to serve children from traditionally underrepresented populations in STEM, including people of color, low socioeconomic status populations, rural communities, and girls. Sponsored by GSK, offered in partnership with The Franklin Institute, and supported by NGCP, the goal of this program is to increase children’s value of and confidence in doing science and pursuing STEM careers. Learn more and apply.
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Free nano workshop for educators |
Thanks to the Montana Nanotechnology Facility (MONT) at MSU for sharing this with us! What is nano? Why should I be teaching nano? How do I create nano lessons? What resources are available? Nanotechnology is at the frontier of most STEM disciplines and is integral in our everyday lives, including health, electronics, building materials, household products, alternative energy, and even fashion.
· Gain a basic understanding of nanotechnology.
· Deepen your understanding of current nanoscience research.
· Learn about opportunities and pathways for your students.
· Discover activities and content you can use to create your NGSS-aligned lessons or workforce development programming.
Free, virtual workshop on six consecutive Friday, Jan. 22 - Feb. 26, 2021, noon - 2:00 pm ET, via Zoom. (1/22, 1/29, 2/5, 2/12, 2/19, 2/26)
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Get ‘Em Outside’ Mini-grant program from the Montana Environmental Education Association. Deadline 12/31/20
Formal and informal educators can apply for grants of up to $500 for programs connecting students to the outdoor world around them. Applications are due December 31, 2020.
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Montana Science Olympiad now open for registration |
The Montana Science Olympiad will be virtual this year and will be held in Spring 2021. Preliminary registration is now open for middle and high school teams. This exciting team-oriented competition offers a variety of STEM events, from Disease Detectives to Astronomy to engineering challenges.
Learn more on the MSU Science Math Resource Center web page
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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. This material is based upon work supported in part by the National Science Foundation EPSCoR Cooperative Agreement OIA-1757351. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
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Suzi Taylor
Montana State University
Bozeman, MT
(406) 994-7476
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Jessie Herbert
University of Montana
Missoula, MT
(406) 243-4828
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