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Engaging young minds in science at the University of Montana’s spectrUM Discovery Area

Published: January 27, 2021

Science kits are an off-screen alternative to consume science at home

What happens when you can’t bring students to the science? You bring the science to the students.

The University of Montana’s spectrUM Discovery Area has long recognized the value of making science mobile, with its Science on Wheels program traveling the state to inspire and interact with students. In 2020, this expertise certainly came in handy, when cancelled visits led to the spectrUM team finding an even more inventive way to reach these students.

“When we had to close our museum in March, we really looked for ways to give kids that hands-on experience when they couldn’t come into the museum,” says Jessie Herbert-Meny, Director of the spectrUM Discovery Area. “We created videos, but it’s really special for them to do an activity right in front of them.”

To solve this dilemma, science kits were the answer.

Since the spring, the Missoula-based science center has built and distributed more than 10,000 science kits and delivered them to student homes in western Montana. The kit options are endless, with its contents including rocket activities, bending water, Play-Doh brains and neurons made of pipe cleaners.

While this sounds like fun for all, the kits are intended for students in addition to their school curriculum—although, Herbert-Meny notes, adults “love to get curious” and experience the kit activities too.

The spectrUM Discovery Area has been part of the University of Montana since 2007, offering a hands-on science center dedicated to inspiring a culture of learning and discovery for all. In a normal year, the center takes its mobile science program across the state and has served over 70,000 students in 32 Montana counties, primarily in schools and libraries.

“It’s my goal to get to all 56 counties,” says Herbert-Meny.

Enbridge is committed to improving lives in communities near our operations and projects. We gave a combined $27,000 to the spectrUM Discovery Area in 2019 and 2020 to support its programming, and help build and ship science kits for students.

To date, the science kits have earned rave reviews, with parents finally having the opportunity to do an activity with their child away from a screen.

“Parents are thrilled, and we’re so thankful to partners like Enbridge who allow us to bring these science experiences across the state,” says Herbert-Meny.

When spectrUM opens its new location at the Missoula Public Library, it will be the first time the center has been free to the public.

“We always want science to be accessible and for kids to realize that it’s fun,” she says. “Because of their curiosity, they are already so good at it—if we can give them experiences to remember how fun science is, then we’ve done our job.”

(TOP PHOTO: The team at the University of Montana's spectrUM Discovery Area assembles science kits for students.)

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