FY26 ND EPSCoR STEM Outreach Activities awards announced

The ND EPSCoR State Office’s mission is to increase STEM research capacity and competitiveness in North Dakota; to build a stronger STEM pathway that produces our next generation workforce, educators, and researchers; and to foster an informed citizenry that values the STEM ecosystem and economy.

In service of that mission, the ND EPSCoR State Office solicited proposals to fund STEM outreach activities. We are pleased to announce that the following proposals will be funded.

College for Kids STEAM Initiative

Shaun Prince, Lake Region State College

College STEAM for Kids is held annually each summer at Lake Region State College for students who have completed Kindergarten through 5th grade. This award will fund the purchase of new materials and activities for this year's camp.

Designing Evidence-based Outreach Activities: A Partnership Between North Dakota State University and the Fargo-Moorhead Science Museum

Kayla Adamek, Fargo-Moorhead Science Museum

This project will support the development, implementation, and evaluation of a suite of sensor-based ecology outreach activities designed to build science process skills in students in grades 4–6. 

Expanding the UdigND Fossil Expeditions Program

Kristyn Voegele, UND

This project will expand UND's Fossil Expeditions Program to engage more North Dakota high school students in the geosciences through a one-week, hands-on paleontology fieldwork expedition. Past participants in the program have gone on to pursue STEM degrees at UND.

INSTEM

Jamie Wirth, Valley City State University

This award will support VCSU's INSTEM (Indians into STEM) program.  INSTEM’s mission is to increase awareness and interest in STEM careers among Native American students in North Dakota, while also providing them with the opportunity to live and study on a college campus to increase self-efficacy in STEM academic content and future higher education enrollment.

ND BiotechPathways: Molecular Biology Camp and 4-H Biotechnology Trunks

Danielle Condry, NDSU

This project will re-establish the Molecular Biology Camp in partnership with the NDSU Microbiological Sciences Department and the Dr. Thomas Glass Biotech Innovation Core and will create a new statewide Molecular Biology Educational Trunk program in partnership with North Dakota 4-H Foundation.

NDeavor Workshop Series: Innovation Studio 101 and Robotics for Educators

Adam Elznic, NDeaver Barry D. Batcheller Tech Park

NDeavor Innovation Studio will host two workshop series for STEM educators which will train them on digital fabrication and robotics.

Robotics Education & Programming for Middle and High School Students in ND

Beth Demke, North Dakota's Gateway to Science

North Dakota's Gateway to Science, in partnership with Dakota FIRST Tech Challenge, will expand and improve access to robotics education and programming for middle and high school students in North Dakota.

Visiting Scientist Series: Connecting STEM and Community Through Astronomy

Mandy Guinn, United Tribes Technical College

The Visiting Scientist Series (VSS) is a Bismarck-based non-profit outreach group whose mission is to inspire and educate youth and the public about science, engineering, and mathematics. This award will support programming focused on this year's VSS topic, astronomy.