Science Education

Montana State Invites Middle Schoolers to STEM Camp Celebrating Moon Landing

• By Dian Schaffhauser
• 04/08/19

 

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.