This program has a dedicated funding line allocated for the program and is not open for application.

High-technology jobs in Montana have fallen behind the rest of the nation, in part, because this sector has not embraced the Montana workforce as technology-based. In many instances, it is because Montana has not been identified as a science-oriented (research) or technology-rich (commercialization) state. An integrated concern is that the recruitment of technology-based businesses and the tech workforce is weakened because Montana does not strongly support science and technology (S&T) in the communities. The purpose of this initiative is to change these perceptions by developing education and training opportunities in S&T that are hosted within a community framework. Once S&T opportunities are anchored in a community, we believe S&T based economic development can be catalyzed.

The overall goal of this initiative is: to design, develop and create by 2008, an anchor site in Missoula for The Integrated Science and Learning Experience Program (ISLE). The immediate goal for ISLE is to provide a rich culture of learning through innovative environments, integrative information technologies, defined programs, presentations and self-navigation tools that enable children and adults to advance their curiosity about science and the world around them. Representative themes within the ISLE may include anatomy, health and human performance, Native American Science, environmental science, natural history, genetics and reproduction, proteins, neurosciences, vision and biology of the cell. The ISLE will also serve the broader community by hosting lectures, demonstrations and roundtables of local, regional, national and international importance.

An important hypothesis to test is whether an ISLE can serve as a catalyst for economic development in a designated area, for example, research-park, technology center or university setting. In addition to serving as a technology-based business anchor, ISLE will also aid tourism and bring to Missoula an important recruiting tool for professional families. Some key points about the ISLE include:

1. A $3M National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) building grant awarded to the School of Pharmacy in 2003 in which the ISLE (and EPSCoR) was provided office, computer technology and lecture room space,
2. An active fund raising campaign with Families First Missoula, an organization seeking to partner with ISLE,
3. A plan for traveling and virtual exhibits (using computers to access exhibits) and docking stations for portable laboratories and displays
4. Promotion and education of the public about the contributions of Native Americans to science,
5. Development of a Science Teacher Summer Institute to provide summer workshops and instruction for K-12 teachers
6. A Sentinel Science program to train high school students and adult volunteers to staff and explain exhibits
7. The development of a certification program for K-12 educators to better enable them to support students and the general public in the sciences

Montana K-12 students and schools are in serious need of broadened science instruction and access to state-of-the-art equipment. “Exploratoriums” are an economical and efficient alternative to supplying the needed scientific discovery tools, especially in rural environments with limited access. Recent advances in Internet (audio/visual) technologies permit distance, interactive experiments: a key for Montana’s vast geography. In this award period we will identify a site for ISLE (prior to construction of a new building), build exhibits, establish local and regional IT and visualization connections, hire a director, will begin exhibit construction and file a business plan. Partnering of ISLE with the Center for Teaching Excellence will position the ISLE for a NSF Science of Learning Center (SLC) submission.