New program offers STEM resources to afterschool programs

A new project from Montana State University’s Extended University and the Montana Girls STEM Collaborative offers free science, technology, engineering and mathematics -- known as STEM -- resources and training to educators who work with middle school students in after-school programs.

 

The program is a combination of two efforts: Science Action Club, a hands-on STEM program from the California Academy of Sciences, and Small Town STEM, a Montana Girls STEM Collaborative program supported by the Women’s Foundation of Montana. It is open to sites that serve both boys and girls. Participants from Montana’s smallest towns are highly encouraged to apply.

Participating educators will receive a complete Science Action Club kit featuring high-quality science equipment and classroom supplies for 20 students, plus digital resources to provide opportunities to extend learning.

Educators selected for the program will complete a two-hour online module and attend a half-day training at MSU in Bozeman on Thursday, Oct. 20. Travel scholarships are available.

Afterschool programs serving grades 5 through 8 can apply online at: http://bit.ly/MT-SAC. The application deadline is Oct. 6.

The Montana Girls STEM Collaborative has co-leaders at MSU’s Extended University and the University of Montana and is supported by the National Science Foundation’s Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research program.

For more information, contact Suzi Taylor, MSU Extended University, (406) 994-7957 or taylor@montana.edu.