Brainstorms! Montana STEM Educator Network

January 2024

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.

Please forward to a colleague and encourage them to subscribe – including your school administrators and school counselors, too! For questions or ideas, contact the MSU Science Math Resource Center.

FREE: Citizen science kits for schools or libraries;

water testing mini kit or Arduino coding kit for teachers

Water testing mini kit

Sensing for Science: Arduino kit

The Montana National Science Foundation-supported CREWS project (Consortium for Research on Environmental Water Systems) is coming to an end, and we have a few educational items to disseminate to Montana libraries or educators at no charge. Supplies are limited and are first come/first served to qualified educators.

Citizen Science Kit for libraries or classrooms

The citizen science kit focuses on biodiversity and holds everything needed to gather data. Use the binoculars, lenses and your smartphone to take and share detailed pictures of nature and help create a living record of life on Earth. By recording and sharing your observations on iNaturalist, you’ll create research-quality data for scientists working to better understand and protect nature. You can also connect with people who can identify the species you spot! These kits can be used over and over with a group and are best for a classroom or school/public library.

Water testing mini kit

We have a small supply of our Crowd the Tap and Optical Brightener (OB) Testing mini kits left. These are ideal for one person or a family, rather than a whole class or community. Although the Crowd the Tap national project is sunsetting, you will learn about its mission and can still take part in future localized data collection. The Tampling Optical Brightener project is now featured on SciStarter; this mini kit will introduce you to the project so you can undertake it on a larger scale with students or community members.

Sensing for Science: Arduino coding kit

Explore how to use Arduino and create an electrical device that will collect data on water quality. This simulates the research being done by Montana scientists and engineers and will help you as an educator learn more about Arduino and coding as well as connect your students to potential careers. This kit is accompanied by six levels of video tutorials and extensive instructions. See the Sensing for Science: Arduino coding kit program page for more information (anyone can access these tutorials, even if you don't have the kit)

If you are an educator interested in receiving these items, please contact us before Jan. 23. We're happy to mail them out if you're not in Bozeman. Email Julia Wente with your name, shipping address, school/organization and grade level/age of students. Supplies are limited and available first come/first served.

AMC8 math competition (free!) for middle schoolers is Jan. 18 at MSU. Register by Jan. 16

The AMC 8 competition for middle schoolers is Jan. 18, 2024 at MSU, and registration is open through Jan. 16 (extended from original deadline of Jan. 10). AMC 8 covers topics up through 8th grade.

The American Mathematics Competitions are a series of examinations and curriculum materials that build problem-solving skills and mathematical knowledge. Students who are inspired to learn advanced math beyond the classroom, test their proficiency on a national level, and meet fellow students interested in mathematics are encouraged to participate. National registration fees are covered by the center, and SMRC staff proctors the exam.

Read more on our AMC page, where you can also sign up to be notified of other math-related opportunities from the Science Math Resource Center. Registration deadline is Jan. 16.

It's not too late to start a Science Olympiad team!

Science Olympiad is one of Montana's premier STEM competitions with opportunities to win medals in topic events and an overall team trophy. But participating in the annual Science Olympiad tournament is much more than the tournament itself -- we also offer STEM Night at the Museum of the Rockies; Talks & Tours of MSU's labs, studios and classrooms; and the chance to hang out at MSU and enjoy the college vibe for a day.

The 2024 tournament is Friday, April 19 at MSU - Visit our website

Subscribe to our coaches' newsletter • Visit our Getting Started page

Applications open for summer STEM experience for elementary teachers

Montana State University will host a six-week Research Experience for Teachers (RET) for elementary teachers in Summer 2024. 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, 2024.

Visit www.montana.edu/ret for more information and a link to the application. No STEM degree or prior experience is required, and all elementary teachers are encouraged to apply.

Montana State receives $26.7 million grant for facility to test and promote quantum technology; robust education and workforce development activities will support teachers and students

With a new $26.7 million grant from the U.S. Air Force, Montana State University will establish a facility with the mission of moving advanced quantum technology applications in cybersecurity, communications technology and national defense from concept and testing to market. The 20-month grant from the Air Force Research Laboratory will support MSU’s Applied Quantum CORE facility and equipment to test prototype quantum components in the extremely cold environments in which they operate. Read the news article.

The Science Math Resource Center will develop activities to support teachers and students, including a summer research experience at MSU for teachers; STEM camps and opportunities for youth; and activities to celebrate World Quantum Day on April 14.

If you would like to stay in the loop on quantum in Montana and how K-12 and higher education can be on the forefront, please email smrc@montana.edu with "Quantum" in the subject line, and we will add you to our interest list.

Read the Montana STEM Summit 2023 report

or watch the presentation and learn about next steps for collaboration in Montana

An online presentation featuring an overview of the Montana STEM Summit was hosted Dec. 12, 2023 (the Summit was in April in Helena). The report and presentation include national and Montana-specific STEM data; the challenges, barriers, ideas and opportunities put forward by Summit attendees to advance STEM learning for youth in Montana; and next steps for building more communication and collaboration across Montana as we go forward.

> Watch the recording here

> Read or download the STEM Summit report here

If you would like a printed copy of the report, please email Julia Wente - julia.wente@montana.edu

SAVE THE DATE! STEM Summer Institute is Aug. 5-7, 2024 at MSU

Save the date for Montana's premier professional development conference on STEM education. This conference has tracks and sessions for all levels of educators K-12 plus outstanding keynote speakers, exhibitors and fun networking events.

Calls for speakers will go out soon!

New from MSU: Club for high school students interested in becoming a rural teacher

The MSU Rural Pathways Program is starting a Bridge to College initiative whereby current high school students are invited to be part of an online professional learning community called the Future Rural Educators' Club, led by Glendive Superintendent Stephen Schreibeis. The club will meet virtually 1-2 times per month and participation in the club enables students to apply for additional opportunities such as paid campus visits. If you have any questions, please contact Marcie Reuer at marcie.reuer@montana.edu.

Partner programs and opportunities

Become a CDC Science Ambassador Fellow. Deadline Jan. 15.

Middle and High School STEM Teachers: Apply to become a CDC Science Ambassador Fellow! You'll spend a week at CDC HQ this summer engaging in interactive sessions on foundational epidemiology, emerging public health topics, and career pathways for your students. Apply by January 15.

Montana Environmental Education Association offers online Environmental Justice course

This online course supports educators in understanding the importance of teaching environmental justice as a part of environmental education and provides educators with the tools and skills to integrate environmental justice education into their learning settings.

The course lasts 6 weeks with specific module due dates and takes approximately 8-12 hours to complete, including reading and/or watching course content and completing course assignments. The courses are asynchronous, allowing you the opportunity to complete the coursework at your own pace.

The Environmental Justice course will be open from January 29-March 11, 2024.

With support from the EPA, this eeCourse is available for FREE, normally valued at $75-$150. Participants will receive a certificate of completion and eligibility for your school to apply for a small grant of $500-$1500 to implement a project related to the course topic.

Visit Environmental Justice eeCredentials Course to complete and submit your application. The course moderator will be in touch by Jan. 28 or sooner about your application acceptance.

Invite the Space Public Outreach Team to visit your classroom

The Space Public Outreach Team (SPOT) provides free presentations about current NASA missions and research for Montana K-12 schools. This year's presentation is the 2023 & 2024 Solar Eclipses. If you are interested in having a SPOT Ambassador come to your classroom to talk about NASA, please contact us at spot.montana@gmail.com to request a presentation. In the subject line please put the event name or name of school and the location. In the body of your email please include the following information:

Your name
Your email address and phone number
Your school/organization
What grade(s) the presentation will be for with the number of students/participants
When you would like a presentation, please give as many options as possible

For more information, visit the SPOT Team

Make Your Own Image of the Crab Nebula with NASA Astrophoto Challenge

Join NASA's Universe of Learning for an exciting opportunity to use real astronomical data and tools to create your own images of the Crab Nebula. Use your images to explore how this dynamic dead star behaves across different types of light and how it is changing with time. Or just create an image that you think is beautiful. You can capture your own real-time telescope image using the MicroObservatory robotic telescope network. You can also work with an archival set of data files taken with multi-wavelength NASA, ESA, and CSA space telescope mission (Webb, Hubble, Chandra, and XMM-Newton).

The NASA’s Astrophoto Challenge provides learners of all familiarity levels authentic experiences using real astrophysics data, including those from NASA space-based missions. Participants engage in the scientific practices of a scientist through accessible data tools and experiences while they create and share their composite images.

The NASA’s Astrophoto Challenge includes instructions on how to turn the data into beautiful composite images with a simple and free web-based image processing tool used by professional astronomers. The JS9 image processing tool is widely used by the astronomical community to process and analyze the data from the world’s premiere research telescopes. NASA’s Astrophoto Challenge uses a version of this tool, JS9-4L, developed for learners.

The challenge also features a short video by professional astronomers. These subject matter experts provide science content knowledge of the Crab Nebula as observed over time and across the electromagnetic spectrum. Submit your creations to the challenges and they may be highlighted as standout entries commented on by scientists.

Join the NASA's Astrophoto Challenge here. The challenges are open December 18, 2023 - February 29, 2024. You can also learn more about other opportunities to discover the universe for yourselves at NASA's Universe of Learning.

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