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28th Annual MEEA Conference
Print or Download the Conference Schedule
Concurrent Session Summaries


**Times, Events, and Presenters are all subject to change without prior notice**

The 2019 Annual MEEA Conference will explore " Community Engagement through Citizen Science and Creating Stewards." Held March 21-23, 2019 at Fairmont Hot Springs Resort outside Butte, MT. The three-day event will host professional development opportunities, networking events, and concurrent sessions lead by some of the most innovative and engaging presenters that Montana has to offer.

The cost to the main Conference on Friday March 22nd, will be $60. 

Fairmont Hot Springs will provide space for our conference headquarters, as well as our exhibit fair, awards ceremony and Thursday evening social event. Other various sites in the Butte and Anaconda areas will be used for Field Trips and events. 


Thursday March 21, 2019
Full day professional development sessions will be held highlighting the restoration and citizen science efforts located around the Upper Clark Fork River Basin. The exhibit fair and an evening to connect and be inspired will be held that evening at Fairmont Hot Springs Conference Center. Celebrate the accomplishments and contributions of nonformal educators, classroom teachers, businesses, and services to MEEA with the awards ceremony. Then get ready to be inspired as you take a quick glimpse into the minds of some exceptional educators and our previous MEEA Mini-Grant winners during the Ignite presentations. Wrap it all up by sharing the excitement of the evening with fellow attendees as you relax and enjoy light refreshments.

Morning          Professional Development / Field Trips (must pre-register)
3:30 p.m.       Professional Development / Field Trips End
                     Exhibit Fair (Fairmont Hot Springs Conference Center)
5:00 p.m.       Evening Social (Fairmont Hot Springs Conference Center)
7:00 p.m.       Evening Social Ends

Friday March 22, 2019
Concurrent sessions from influential presenters across the state will be held throughout the day. A keynote address from Bonnie Sachatello-Sawyer will take place after a buffet lunch. The title of this talk will be Lessons Learned in the Field: The Intangible Impacts of Citizen Science. In this talk, Dr. Bonnie Sachatello-Sawyer will discuss some of the impacts of citizen science beyond the data and how we can expand our roles by paying more attention to the experiences our youth and adult participants are sharing with us. Sachatello-Sawyer is the executive director of Hopa Mountain, a Bozeman-based nonprofit organization that invests in rural and tribal citizen leaders, adults and youth, who are improving education, ecological health, and economic development. 
In the evening we invite you to another social event. We are partnering with the Butte Local Science Mine  to hold an open house and Social.  You will  have the opportunity to enjoy the exhibits.



7:30 a.m.       Registration (Fairmont Hot Springs Conference Center)
8:00am          Exhibit Fair Opens for the Day
8:30 a.m.       Opening Announcements
9:00 a.m.       Sessions Begin
12:00 p.m.     Lunch and Keynote Speaker
1:30 p.m.       Sessions Continue
3:00 p.m.       All Events at Fairmont Hot Springs End
5:00 p.m.       Evening Open House (Butte Science Mine)
7:00 p.m.       Evening Open House End

Saturday March 23, 2019
To accomodate educators who might not be able to take time off during the week we are offering an additional full day of professional development highlighting the History, Remediation, and Restoration efforts on the Butte Hill.

Morning          Professional Development / Field Trip Begins (must pre-register)
Afternoon       Professional Development / Field Trip Ends

Office of Public Instruction (OPI) Renewal Units will be available for the successful completion of all trainings and the main conference.