Montana State Invites Middle Schoolers to STEM Camp Celebrating Moon Landing

Montana State Invites Middle Schoolers to STEM Camp Celebrating Moon Landing 

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, which took place on July 20, 1969, a Montana university will be hosting a free, five-day summer camp for middle schoolers interested in STEM. Montana State University's Academic Technology & Outreach division will work with the Montana Learning Center and the Montana Office of Public Instruction to run the camp, which is being produced in collaboration with two science programs, one run by NASA program and the other by the Northwest Earth and Space Sciences Pipeline.

Participants will get a firsthand look at college life in daily classes and evening activities. They'll stay in dorms and choose three classes to attend. Topics will include building and launching rockets, protecting Montana's rivers and forests and exploring black holes.

The classes will also let participants learn how to program drones and Lego robots to mimic the Moon landing or learn about the geology of the moon by making craters. In the evening, the students will do sports, watch movies and attend social events, like a scavenger hunt.

Organizers are making an effort to solicit for applications from students who have never attended a university program or STEM camp, especially those who would be first-generation college students, those in low-income families or communities or those who live in rural areas where fewer STEM opportunities are available.

Applications, which require at least two adult recommendations, are due by April 26. More information is available on the university website.

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • stylized human profiles, tablets, and floating icons

    From Feedback to Flexibility: 5 AI Tools Teachers Should Try

    As a fifth-grade teacher and AI School Champion in the St. Vrain Valley School District, I've seen firsthand how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming education. Here are five AI-enabled tools I've found especially powerful in my classroom and professional practice.

  • computer monitor with a bold AI search bar on the screen

    Google Rolls Out AI Mode in Search

    About a year after introducing AI Overviews for its flagship search offering, Google has announced broad availability of AI Mode in Search.

  • portable Wi-Fi hotspot rests on a stack of books and a laptop in a library

    Senate Votes to Rescind E-Rate Program Funding Loaner WiFi Hotspots for Schools and Libraries

    The Senate has passed a joint resolution to overturn "Addressing the Homework Gap Through the E-Rate Program," a July 2024 expansion to the FCC's E-Rate program that allowed schools and libraries to utilize E-Rate resources to loan out WiFi hotspots to students, school staff, and library patrons.

  • silhouetted student stands before the White House, surrounded by abstract digital graphics of brains, circuits, and AI elements

    White House Sets Sights on AI Education

    A new executive order from President Donald Trump aims to advance America's position in artificial intelligence technology by incorporating AI into education and providing AI training for educators.