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MAGIP Van Shelhamer Memorial K-12 Education Grant
K-12 Education Grants are intended to help educators engage students with geographic principles. This may involve concepts and include the application of traditional tools and contemporary technologies such as:
- Instruction with printed or digital maps
- Demonstration of traditional navigation or orienteering skills
- Use of Global Positioning Systems (GPS)
- Application of Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
- Application of Image interpretation or Remote Sensing
Grants may be used for:
- Curriculum development for classrooms, after school programs, or sanctioned clubs with student participants
- Geographically oriented training for educators
- Purchase of equipment or software that will enhance enduring geographic instruction
Eligible applicants include educators, and those working with educators.
2026 Grant Recipient
One (1) grant totaling $1,500 to assist K-12 educators to support GIS-related curriculum through the MAGIP Van Shelhamer K-12 Education Grants awarded to:
Yaak Valley Forest Council
The Yaak Valley Forest Council (YVFC), created in 1997, is a grassroots organization based in the Yaak Valley that implements conservation and restoration programs focused on protecting and preserving critical wildlife habitat for the sensitive, threatened, and endangered species inhabiting northwest Montana’s Yaak Valley and surrounding areas. Working with curriculum supplied by Montana State University and under their mentorship, YVFC will host students at our office in the Yaak Valley from June 15-19, 2026 for a GIS Summer Camp. This camp will provide students with foundational knowledge of GIS, helping to identify priority areas for protection, opportunities for habitat restoration, and helping to communicate the complexities of conservation with the public.
View the 2026 Grant Application Announcement (pdf)
Application Deadline: March 27, 2026
Email the Scholarship and Grants Committee Chair for more information
2025 Grant Recipient
One (1) grant totaling $1,500 to assist K-12 educators to support GIS-related curriculum through the MAGIP Van Shelhamer K-12 Education Grants.
Sarah Tabor and the Belgrade High School in Belgrade
Sarah Tabor and her science students will elaborate on a weed mapping program they established in 2023 on a section of state land near the high school that is enjoyed by students and the public alike. Their work will help state managers better understand the distribution, density, and diversity of weeds on the property. While collecting and analyzing the invasive weed data students will develop critical STEM skills, and in doing so help enhance the ability to manage a valued community resource.