First Lady Awards

Matt Vincent is Director of the Clark Fork Watershed Education Program. This program is housed at Montana Tech in Butte and provides service learning opportunities for students and teachers to learn outdoors about environmental science, history and restoration. The extensive scientific work being done on the upper Clark Fork, provides an endless opportunity for students and teachers to learn alongside real-life scientists while inspiring life-long environmental stewards.

The McLaughlin Research Institute is a biomedical research organization focusing on human diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and diabetes. A central part of its mission is to foster the next generation of scientists and teachers. The institute sponsors high school and college students to be mentored and work alongside scientists in its laboratories. The focus is not only on students interested in careers in research or medicine, but also those considering teaching as a career. The institute also offers a summer research internship for high school teachers, who work alongside researchers to develop curriculum.

ExplorationWorks is a hands-on, interactive museum that offers programs and exhibits for discovery of science, technology, social sciences and culture. The building itself is an exhibit and learning tool—from the moment you step in the building, you’re reminded about the importance of green building and energy conservation. The role of volunteers is an important part of ExplorationWorks’ story— development of the museum was largely volunteer-driven and demonstrates a group of citizens coming together to fill a community need.

Kay Reeves is a volunteer math tutor at Hyalite Elementary School in Bozeman. Kay began tutoring three years ago through a program that recruited volunteers who love and understood math to impart that love and learning to young students. Hyalite Principal Robbye Hamburgh wrote this about Kay: "We begged her to come as often as she could because when she worked with our young students, magic happened. There is no child, however disheartened about learning math or struggling emotionally, that Kay cannot help to learn math. Each child in her fold grows from being at-risk in math to be proficient or above proficient. Not only do they grow in math but they grow in confidence and they grow as people."

Chicks in Science is an annual event at Montana State University–Billings that showcases career opportunities in math, science and technology to young girls and their families. One of the goals is to challenge psychological barriers and gender expectations that can stop girls from entering science and math fields. The first year in 2008 drew about 150 girls, and it has grown to attract over 2,000 attendees in 2010 and about 50 booths from area science- and math-based exhibitors.

Ecology Project International is a nonprofit organization in Missoula dedicated to inspiring the next generation of conservation leaders. Ecology Project International invites high school students to participate in field conservation work alongside real scientists in biodiversity hot spots across the Western Hemisphere. Student groups are paired with local teachers and peers to reinforce their role as global citizens. To date, 7,300 youth and teachers in Montana and around the world have been involved in learning science and advancing conservation in the field with EPI.

Ashton Fink has spent the past four years imparting her passion for environmental education and outdoor science with other young students. She has spent summers working with elementary students in Missoula and Livingston, and she is now working to bring Montana students to learn in an ocean classroom setting in California. She is also encouraging Montana college students to participate in the Northwest Connections' Landscape and Livelihood program. This summer, Ashton will lead teenagers on wilderness backpacking trips in California. She hopes to begin graduate school in Montana this fall.