About

Innovate HS, an event led by the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Center, will bring together 250 high school juniors at the University of Montana on April 3, 2024 to explore innovation, engage in creative problem-solving, and experience life as a UM student. This year’s theme is Innovation for the Public Good; Tackling Today’s Challenges. Students will participate in engaging courses with university faculty and staff and have opportunities throughout the day to consider how innovation applies to their lives and discuss the issues that most concern them. 

Our 2024 keynote speaker, Peter Hessler, will discuss innovation and its impact on society. Since 2000, Mr. Hessler has been a staff writer at The New Yorker. He resided in China’s Sichuan province as a Peace Corps volunteer from 1996 to 1998, an episode later chronicled in his debut book, “River Town.” Mr. Hessler has authored four additional books, including one based on his experience living in Cairo, Egypt during the Arab Spring. His forthcoming book, “Other Rivers,” captures his time living in China during the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Mike Mansfield said “There is one simple thought that I was to leave with you, it is this. Every man and woman have an opportunity to leave his or her mark on the history of the human race.” Innovate HS encourages participants thoughtful consideration to their role in promoting innovation. Students will also explore how innovation accelerates change and progress in a variety of fields influence society. This event inspires students to think critically and collaborate with their peers and develop consequential solutions to today’s challenges. 

Contact

For more information on the 2024 Innovate HS event, please contact Program Officer Carissa Dransfield at carissa.dransfield@mso.umt.edu