STEM Summer Institute 2026

This session focuses on practical strategies for implementing place-based mathematics instruction that connects rural students’ lived experiences to meaningful STEM learning. The presenter will share classroom-tested examples from an Algebra 1 systems of equations project grounded in local farming practices, where students model real agricultural decisions using linear systems. Participants will explore how place-based modeling tasks can be designed, scaffolded, and assessed within existing curricula and standards. Drawing on supporting research from a rural high school study, the session will highlight evidence of how these approaches impact student engagement, relevance, and confidence in mathematics. Attendees will examine project structures, student work samples, and assessment tools that emphasize real-world decision-making and environmental context rather than rote procedures. Key takeaways include concrete strategies for designing place-based modeling tasks, adapting projects for different rural or community contexts, and using local knowledge, such as agriculture and environmental systems, to support sense-making, reduce math anxiety, and deepen student learning.

This session explores mathematics as the foundational language that powers all STEM disciplines, with a strong emphasis on numeracy, mental math, and independent problem-solving. Participants will examine how gaps in basic arithmetic can limit student success in science, technology, and engineering, even when advanced tools are available. Drawing from the AI Math Club at Hardin High School, the session highlights practical strategies for strengthening foundational skills without reliance on apps or calculators.
The presentation also showcases how high school students can be developed as peer educators who both deepen their own understanding and provide meaningful academic support to younger learners. By treating mathematics as something students must understand, communicate, and teach, the program fosters confidence, leadership, and service.
Key takeaways include strategies for building numeracy, promoting independent thinking, and creating a sustainable culture where mathematics truly serves as the language of STEM.

Come to this lunch and learn to discover what the Museum of the Rockies offers. From field trips where you can explore the galleries in person, have guided tours, or learn in workshops, to virtual options where we zoom into your classroom, to in-person outreach where we come to you, there are many different ways to use the museum. We believe in teaching all people of all ages. Our Early Learning program helps support learners 0-5 and offers professional development for teachers. We also have materials (curiosity crates) we can ship to you. We want to know what MOR can do to best serve teachers. Please come with questions and any feedback you have!

In this session, educators will explore how the science of learning aligns with curricular approaches to teaching the MT Science standards. We will discuss assessment techniques informed by the science of learning and how technology can support assessment. Teachers will have time to collaborate and analyze different approaches.

In this session, I will discuss the ways that I brought Ethnobotany into the middle school classroom. Through an immersion course, which is very simple to implement in any middle school science classroom, I intertwined culturally significant plants with bacterial research. In this session, we will discuss how we took traditionally sacred plants (sagebrush & yarrow) and tested them against bacterial growth. Students were able to participate in data collection to support traditional medicinal plant uses. In this session, I will discuss how this course can be implemented in any classroom setting. The plants used for this course had cultural significance to the Northern Cheyenne and Crow tribes, but can be adapted to any tribe in Montana. Main takeaways- allows students to connect culturally to their ancestors, easy implementation of ethnobotany, and meets IEFA standards.

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.