STEM Summer Institute 2026

Place-based environmental education projects for upper elementary students showing examples of how to weave together Next Generation Science Standards with the rich cultural heritage of Montana’s tribes through Indian Education for All initiatives. Beginning with an exploration of Yellowstone’s extremophiles, where students analyze energy flow and chemosynthesis while honoring the traditional stewardship and sacred connections of the Crow and Shoshone people to this unique landscape. Building on traditional native knowledge from a variety of environments, students learn how resources of the land were used for survival. The theme of environmental mastery travels through the biomes; tundra, prairie, desert, and deciduous forest, highlighting Indigenous engineering, investigations into pH natural chemistry, long-term observation to translate temperature data into a physical tapestry of environmental change and finally, the "Prairie’s Renewal" project demonstrating the intentional use of cultural burning by Plains tribes as a sophisticated tool for ecosystem management and nutrient cycling. Collectively, each project emphasizes that science is deeply embedded in the history of the land, encouraging students to develop a profound sense of stewardship by combining modern scientific inquiry with the enduring wisdom of Indigenous perspectives.