Geospatial Skills Camp for Rural Montana Youth
The MSU Science Math Resource Center was awarded funds from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research to create Geospatial Skills Camps for Rural Montana Youth. Read the project abstract
for MSU and other previously funded projects on the Air Force Office of Scientific Research K-12 STEM website.
Please check back for 2027 dates. If you have questions in the meantime, contact us at geoskills@montana.edu
Watch an Informational Video about GeoSpatial Skills Camp Here
About MSU's Geospatial Skills Camps for rural Montana youth
The camps are designed to serve rising 9th and 10th graders in rural Montana communities and will include topics such as the following:
- maps for analysis and navigation;
- collecting, analyzing and disseminating imagery from terrestrial, satellite and other sources;
- awareness of the skills and required credentials for piloting UAVs;
- remote sensing;
- basic electronics and circuitry related to sensor development and use; and
- geospatial analysis tools.
Students will learn aboutpotential career pathways and fields of studyrelated to geospatial science and engineering, particularly thoseconnected to the Air Force and other organizationsthat offer employment in rural areas.
Students will be encouraged to relate camp skillsand experiences to
- their individual interests such as robotics, human performanceor aviation;
- community needs, such as natural resources management, precision agriculture or meteorological forecasting;
- and national topics of interest such as security, energy or climate change.
The dates of 2027 summer camps are to be announced (TBA), and SMRC will recruit community organizations to host the camps in late fall 2026. For more information, contact us at geoskills@montana.edu.
Applications for community organizations
Applications will be accepted from organizations, not individuals. Organizations must have the capacity to host a week-long camp in 2027 (see all details and expectations in the application). Please read the application in its entirety; some materials are required from both the lead educator and the person who is applying on behalf of the organization. Priority deadline will be set in December 2026.
For reference only (previous year's materials)
2026 Application in Word/PDF Format. Part of the application in Qualtrics asks you to complete a budget. If you prefer you can download this budget template and send that to us at geoskills@montana.edu.
Questions? Reach out to geoskills@montana.edu
In the news
AFOSR STEM Funding in Action
We were featured on the STEM Outreach and Engagement within the Air Force Office of Scientific Research website! Congratulations to the eight Montana communities that participated in 2024: Boys
& Girls Club of the Flathead Reservation; Dawson Community College; Flathead County
4-H; Powder River 4-H; Meagher County 4-H; Plenty Coups High School; Thompson Falls
High School; Sidney High School.
This material is based upon work supported by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research under award number FA9550-24-1-0291. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the United States Air Force.
