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Middle Schoolers looking for insects on a beating sheet

Citizen Science Activities at Chief Joseph Middle School Outdoor Days

On Thursday, September 27th, employees of the Montana State University Science Math Resource Center attended Chief Joseph Middle School Outdoor Days at Gallatin County Regional Park. They set up an activity station and information table for six classes of sixth grade students. The students participated in three hands-on, citizen science activities.

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Gathering at Lubrecht Experimental Forest

SMART FIRES team investigates citizen science opportunities during Lubrecht Experimental Forest visit

On a beautiful fall day in September, a team of Montana NSF EPSCoR researchers, students and outreach professionals from several Montana colleges and universities gathered at the University of Montana’s Lubrecht Experimental Forest near Greenough, Mont.

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Land Cover GLOBE Observer

Citizen Science demo during All-Hands Meeting 2024

All participants in the EPSCoR All-Hands Meeting on Sept. 16-17, 2024 are invited to participate in citizen science investigation using a free app supported by NASA that allows volunteers to learn more about our shared environment by taking observations of the land, clouds, trees and mosquito habitat.We will use the app, called GLOBE Observer, during our trip to the Lubrecht Experimental Forest on Tuesday, Sept. 17.

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Richard Schoenberg and Reilly Tunby working on the story map together.

SMART FIRES Smoke Vulnerability GIS Mapping Project

Kristen Intemann, Professor of Philosophy and Director for the Center for Science, Technology, Ethics, and Society (C-STES) at Montana State University (MSU), is working with graduate students in Land Resources and Environmental Sciences (LRES) at MSU to construct maps to analyze which communities and Tribal Nations are particularly impacted by both wildfire smoke and smoke from prescribed burns in Montana and across the U.S. This project is a product of the Social Psychology, Economics, and Ethics (SPEE) thrust of the SMART FIRES project.

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Libby Metcalf, Professor at the UM Franke College of Forestry and Conservation

Women in STEM Feature: Libby Metcalf

Learn more about Libby Metcalf, her work on EPSCOR projects, and what inspired her to pursue a career in science!

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Participants engage at the spectrUM Discovery Area

SpectrUM Day of Smoke and Fire Science

Students from Polson and Ronan High Schools on the Flathead Reservation visited the University of Montana on January 29, 2024, for a day of smoke and fire science with SMART FIRES. During a morning field trip to spectrUM Discovery Area, UM’s hands-on science center, the students explored the concept of the fire triangle and experienced a matchstick “forest” simulation, activities from the USFS’s FireWorks curriculum.

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Sensors Across the Curriculum: Modules Developed for K-12 Classrooms

At Montana State University, the Science and Math Resource Center (SMRC) and the EDU 370 class (Integrating Technology into Education) partnered to build the capacity of 45 undergraduate, pre-service teachers in their thinking about integrating sensors into diverse classrooms. SMRC supplied the class with microcontrollers (Circuit Playground Express) and any additional accessories for each member of the EDU 370 class.    

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Montana STEM Summit 2023 findings and next steps will be presented online Dec. 12

Key findings from the 2023 Montana STEM Summit will be shared in an online presentation on Tuesday, Dec.

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Project Highlight: "The Future Isn't Written"

Dr. Arica Crootof of UM Western assists in a project surrounding effective communication about contamination and remediation efforts of the Warm Springs Ponds at the headwaters of the Clark Fork River.

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Graduate student Tasha Stryker stands next to a development version of the online Crash Course game

Online college simulation game introduces players to STEM concepts and pathways

The online learning game, Crash Course, is a virtual college simulation that introduces players to various STEM concepts and pathways.

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Upcoming Events

Montana Reverse Site Visit with NSF

The Reverse Site Visit is required in Year 2 of an RII Track-1 project. Montana is scheduled to meet with NSF On April 3, 2025.The RSV is a review/evaluation conducted by teams of external reviewers and the NSF staff.

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SMART FIRES Year 3 All Hands Meeting

SMART FIRES will hold our year 3 all hands meeting on September 8-9, 2025. 

More SMART FIRES Year 3 All Hands Meeting

Montana Reverse Site Visit with NSF

The Reverse Site Visit is required in Year 2 of an RII Track-1 project. Montana is scheduled to meet with NSF On April 3, 2025.The RSV is a review/evaluation conducted by teams of external reviewers and the NSF staff.

More Montana Reverse Site Visit with NSF

SMART FIRES Year 3 All Hands Meeting

SMART FIRES will hold our year 3 all hands meeting on September 8-9, 2025. 

More SMART FIRES Year 3 All Hands Meeting