STEM Summer Institute 2026: Full Schedule

Salish Kootenai College, in partnership with collaborators, has created a six-unit resource for educators to teach middle school students about the science of food related to the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT). Each thematic unit includes hands-on activities to enhance students' understanding of food science and Montana's local food systems. The units cover topics such as the molecular science of food, the importance of seasonal availability, and the origins of food, considering geography and culture. Students explore their senses and how they influence food choices, engaging in tasting native plants. A unit titled "Food as Medicine" integrates indigenous knowledge and modern practices around health and healing. Finally, students create a seasonal menu featuring native plants, reinforcing their learning and encouraging practical application. This program aims to connect students to their cultural heritage and contemporary food practices, enriching their educational experience.

Speakers

Charla Lake

Teacher, Ronan Middle School

Wednesday August 5, 2026 11:00 - 12:00 MDT
Norm Hall: Room 153

Breakout Session 4, Strand 4: Place-Based & Environmental STEM

Grade Level 6-12 Educators

11:00 MDT

Data Science Across K-12: Building Student Engagement and Future-Ready Skills

Wednesday August 5, 2026 11:00 - 12:00 MDT

Norm Hall: Room 337

Data shapes modern life: from apps to news to decisions in health, business, and government, yet most students graduate without exposure to data science concepts. As Montana focuses on integrating data science skills into state standards, understanding what curriculum-agnostic data instruction looks like across all grade levels becomes essential. This session explores why data science is critical for all K-12 students, not just future data scientists, and demonstrates how it increases student engagement by connecting to real-world problems students care about. You'll see how data literacy develops from elementary through high school, discover what age-appropriate instruction looks like across grades and subjects, and explore ready-to-use activities that bring these concepts to life. Whether you teach math, science, social studies, or other subjects, you'll leave with grade-appropriate entry points and practical strategies for infusing data literacy into your classroom, preparing students to thrive as informed, critical thinkers in our data-driven world.

Speakers

Lee Ellen Harmer

Partnerships Manager, Data Science 4 Everyone (DS4E)

Wednesday August 5, 2026 11:00 - 12:00 MDT
Norm Hall: Room 337

Breakout Session 4, Strand 1: Discovering STEM Learning Through Data

Grade Level 6-12 Educators, K-5 Educators

11:00 MDT

Explore Quantum Career Connections

Wednesday August 5, 2026 11:00 - 12:00 MDT

Norm Hall: Room 149

Educators will experience new quantum activities related to careers in emerging technology fields related to quantum computing, quantum communication, and quantum sensing. Participants will walk away with new resources and activities that allow students to explore career paths in Montana that support quantum technologies.

Speakers

Jeannie Chipps

Instructor, Professional development lead, SMRC, Montana State University

Jeannie Chipps facilitates professional development at the Science Math Resource Center. As a former high school science teacher and after school science team coach/makerspace director, she enjoys working with teachers to create learning environments that support diverse learners... Read More →

Molly Iversen

Wednesday August 5, 2026 11:00 - 12:00 MDT
Norm Hall: Room 149

Breakout Session 4, Strand 5: STEM Careers

11:00 MDT

Fire, Soil, and Sensemaking: Designing STEM Investigations That All Students Can Access

Wednesday August 5, 2026 11:00 - 12:00 MDT

Norm Hall: Room 325

This session presents an interdisciplinary STEM project designed for 4th and 5th-grade students that examines how fire affects soil, air, and plant life. The project began with questions about climate and land use and developed into a hands-on investigation using local Eastern Montana soil. Students compared heat-treated and untreated soil, planted seeds to observe regeneration, and monitored changes over time using transparent planting containers.
Students collected CO₂ and air moisture data using Vernier sensors, explored microbial activity through MudWatt systems, and documented plant growth as evidence of how soil conditions support life. Math, reading, and writing were embedded throughout the project as students measured and graphed data, interpreted informational texts and data displays, and wrote explanations supported by evidence. Students also used Makey Makey kits to create interactive displays that communicated their findings in accessible ways.
The session will walk through the full structure of the project, the tools used, and examples of student work, highlighting how inquiry, real data, and hands-on investigation supported meaningful STEM learning.

Speakers

Acer Pitas-Pilo

Resource Teacher/Consultant, Big Country Educational Cooperative

Acer Pitas is a resource teacher with over a decade of experience dedicated to building student confidence and resilience. Holding advanced training in both early childhood and mathematics education, Acer focuses on empowering students through hands-on initiatives that nurture personal... Read More →

Wednesday August 5, 2026 11:00 - 12:00 MDT
Norm Hall: Room 325

Breakout Session 4, and Industry Connections

11:00 MDT

Lessons from the Field: Building Your Own AI Literacy-Focused Community of Practice

Wednesday August 5, 2026 11:00 - 12:00 MDT

Norm Hall: Room 137

Explore aiEDU's proven approach to building communities of practice using AI literacy-focused curriculum and aiEDU’s AI Trailblazers Fellowship as a model. Examine aiEDU's AI Readiness Framework to identify the student competencies essential for AI literacy and readiness, and use it as a lens for evaluating curricular resources. Apply these competencies to analyze instructional practice, discuss strategies for replicating AI-focused CoPs in your own setting, and develop an actionable implementation plan.

Speakers

Connor Mulvaney

Trailblazers Lead, aiEDU

Talk to Connor about:
- Talking to Students and Staff about AI
- AI Literacy/AI Readiness (what it is and how to access FREE curriculum)
- How AI works
- Vibecoding
- District level AI support roles
- Your favorite Talking Heads song

Wednesday August 5, 2026 11:00 - 12:00 MDT
Norm Hall: Room 137

Breakout Session 4, Strand 2: Future of AI and Technology in STEM

11:00 MDT

STEM Opportunities in MSU's College of Letters & Science

Wednesday August 5, 2026 11:00 - 12:00 MDT

Norm Hall: Room 329

The College of Letters & Science at Montana State University is at the heart of innovation, discovery, and service. Imagine your students uncovering the biology of diseases, delving into the realm of astrophysics, digging up fossils as they explore geologic time, or advocating for ethics in science and technology. This session will highlight education and career opportunities in Science, Technology, and Mathematics through MSU's largest academic unit, the College of Letters & Science. Hear from a panel of experts, including College of Letters & Science academic department leaders and top faculty. Learn important information to help your students plan for their future.

Wednesday August 5, 2026 11:00 - 12:00 MDT
Norm Hall: Room 329

Breakout Session 4, Strand 5: STEM Careers

Grade Level 6-12 Educators, K-5 Educators

12:00 MDT

Lunch

Wednesday August 5, 2026 12:00 - 13:00 MDT

TBA

Wednesday August 5, 2026 12:00 - 13:00 MDT
TBA

Whole Group

13:00 MDT

Panel Discussion/Lightning Rounds

Wednesday August 5, 2026 13:00 - 14:00 MDT

Norm Hall: Inspiration Hall

Wednesday August 5, 2026 13:00 - 14:00 MDT
Norm Hall: Inspiration Hall

Whole Group

14:00 MDT

Break and Transition to Breakout Sessions

Wednesday August 5, 2026 14:00 - 14:15 MDT

None

Wednesday August 5, 2026 14:00 - 14:15 MDT
None

Whole Group

14:15 MDT

Empowering Students with AI: A free Resource for Educators

Wednesday August 5, 2026 14:15 - 15:15 MDT

Norm Hall: Room 337

Join us for a walkthrough of Code Girls United’s AI Academy, a free AI resource built for classrooms and afterschool programs. Designed to be practical and accessible, our AI Academy includes explainer videos, structured lessons, and hands-on activities that help middle and high school students develop AI literacy, critical thinking, and responsible technology use

Speakers

Kathy Eckhart

Code Girls United

Sierrah Paul

Code Girls United

Wednesday August 5, 2026 14:15 - 15:15 MDT
Norm Hall: Room 337

Breakout Session 5, Strand 2: Future of AI and Technology in STEM

Grade Level 6-12 Educators

14:15 MDT

Fire Ecology: Rapid Forest Assessment as a Tool for Monitoring Change

Wednesday August 5, 2026 14:15 - 15:15 MDT

Norm Hall: Room 137

This presentation details the application of the Rapid Forest Assessment protocol for systematically collecting and analyzing ecological data in a forest landscape. Participants will learn how to implement RFA as a citizen science collaboration with local public land managers. Data collected and organized by students can provide land managers with a clear, science-based assessment to evaluate the success of fire as a management tool, track ecosystem health, and make informed decisions for future landscape resilience. Participants will also learn about other STEM resources related to citizen science and the SMART FIRES project (Sensors, Machine Learning , and Artificial Intelligence for Real-Time Fire Science). Attendees will have the chance to win one of two Rapid Forest Assessment kits to take home with them.

Speakers

Rebecca Richter

MT NSF EPSCoR & MSU Science Math Resource Center

David Tuss

Passionate Educator, Capital High School

Suzi Taylor

Director, Montana NSF EPSCoR SMART FIRES Project

The Science Math Resource Center (SMRC) is devoted to the advancement of science and mathematics teaching and learning. We provide professional development for a new generation of K-12 educators of tribal, rural, and urban communities; conduct educational research; and coordinate... Read More →

Wednesday August 5, 2026 14:15 - 15:15 MDT
Norm Hall: Room 137

Breakout Session 5, Strand 5: STEM Careers

about <br>

14:15 MDT

Geometry in the Montana Indigenous People's Culture

Wednesday August 5, 2026 14:15 - 15:15 MDT

Norm Hall: Room 153

The audience will be shown previous presentations, given the purpose of the project, and allowed to create their own presentations for a particular Montana Indigenous group. The topics will be summer versus winter hunting grounds, the distance determined between the two, and the finding of the midpoint of the journey using the Desmos geometry tool. Then the audience will determine the size of the cache pot needed to store the supplies of the tribe for a winter season. Both the midpoint determination and the size of the cache will use geometric tools and formulas. Students in the presentations presented their slides, which also included biological information, as the original project was a cross-curricular project.

Speakers

Wendy Killebrew

Math Teacher (9-12+), Forsyth High School

Wednesday August 5, 2026 14:15 - 15:15 MDT
Norm Hall: Room 153

Breakout Session 5, Strand 4: Place-Based & Environmental STEM

Grade Level 6-12 Educators

14:15 MDT

Integrating IEFA into Math - A Usable Lesson

Wednesday August 5, 2026 14:15 - 15:15 MDT

Norm Hall: Room 329

This session focuses on providing teachers (5th - 12th) a lesson that can be used with any unit focused on graphing. This lesson focuses specifically on learning about the flag of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, but would be easily adaptable to any flag used by tribes located within Montana.

Speakers

Bill Becker

Middle School Math Teacher, Ronan School District #30

Wednesday August 5, 2026 14:15 - 15:15 MDT
Norm Hall: Room 329

Breakout Session 5, Strand 4: Place-Based & Environmental STEM

Grade Level 6-12 Educators

14:15 MDT

Introduction to Growing Plants In The Classroom, the Moon and Beyond

Wednesday August 5, 2026 14:15 - 15:15 MDT

Norm Hall: Room 325

We are going back to the Moon and onward to Mars. One of the first things to do is to set up a plant-growing station. This introduction will highlight successes and challenges with growing vegetables in the classroom. Students get to eat what they have grown and take home what they have learned (in a practical way).

Speakers

Michael Walz

TEACHER IN AND AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM, BILLINGS SCHOOL DISTRICT #2

Science teacher 30 years

I edit (a lot of) video with Final Cut Pro X

Wednesday August 5, 2026 14:15 - 15:15 MDT
Norm Hall: Room 325

Breakout Session 5, Strand 1: Discovering STEM Learning Through Data

Grade Level K-5 Educators, 6-12 Educators

08:00 MDT

08:30 MDT

10:30 MDT

11:00 MDT

11:00 MDT

11:00 MDT

11:00 MDT

11:00 MDT

11:00 MDT

12:00 MDT

13:00 MDT

14:00 MDT

14:15 MDT

14:15 MDT

14:15 MDT

14:15 MDT

14:15 MDT

Get help with the event