Monday, October 26, 2015
Simons Foundation Recognizes spectrUM as a National Model on STEM Engagement
The University of Montana spectrUM Discovery Area and its partner on the Flathead Indian Reservation, SciNation, have received the 2015 Paul Shin Memorial Award from the Coalition on the Public Understanding of Science. The award recognizes dedication to communicating science to the public and inspiring others to do the same.
The award, which carries a cash prize, was announced at the COPUS annual conference on Oct. 2. SciNation members Whisper Camel-Means and Stephanie Gillin, both wildlife biologists with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal Wildlife Management Program, and Jessie Herbert, spectrUM’s STEM Education Program manager, jointly accepted the award.
The award honors spectrUM and SciNation’s collaborative engagement with the Flathead Reservation’s communities. Their cooperative efforts include the Science Learning Tent at the annual Arlee Celebration and the Science Bytes program that provides hands-on STEM enrichment at free lunch sites during the summer.
SciNation and spectrUM’s community-based approach to rural and tribal STEM engagement previously earned an award through the Noyce Foundation’s Bright Lights Community Engagement Awards competition. An award from the Simons Foundation also recognized spectrUM as a national model in the “just add science” approach to embedding STEM engagement in community events. . .