The WOW program starts by building STEM capacity for teachers with an intensive professional development experience. Teachers become Osprey experts during a week-long, interactive, and field-based summer institute. Join peers, researchers, and STEM professionals to experience real, interactive field work as you collect data, band Osprey chicks, see flight physics in action, visit ecologically important sites, and more.

The WOW professional development program brings middle school science teachers from across the United States to Missoula, Montana, for a transformative week of immersive, place-based learning. Hosted in partnership between the Montana Natural History Center and the University of Montana, this dynamic experience uses the charismatic Osprey— found on six continents and familiar to many communities in the U.S.— as an anchoring phenomenon for the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) through the lens of local ecosystems, environmental issues, and real-world science.

Throughout the week, teachers work alongside scientists, curriculum specialists, and community leaders to explore real-world environmental issues in Montana’s Clark Fork Watershed river ecosystems and landscapes. Participants investigate the impacts of legacy mining, habitat restoration, water quality, avian research, and connect these topics to NGSS and instructional strategies that promote student curiosity and engagement.

At the heart of WOW is the award-winning STEEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Environment, and Math) curriculum, which offers a powerful framework for inquiry-based, culturally relevant experiential learning. Teachers leave with high-quality, classroom-ready lessons, strategies for localizing content, and the confidence to engage students in meaningful science rooted in their own communities.

The impact of the WOW experience is best captured in the words of its participants:

“This supported more than any other professional development I have ever done. I can now go back to my students and hopefully create some similar experiences for them.”

“I learned so much about osprey, new strategies to use in the classroom, and had incredible experiences that I can bring back to my students.”

“This week demonstrated multiple ways to engage students in place-based learning, inspiring curiosity, and facilitating deep conversations around the connections within the biotic and abiotic factors of the environments we live in.”

“From the moment we arrived, your team was warm, welcoming, and inspiring….This has been transformative for me on both a professional and personal level.”

“I found 13 high-quality lessons that align with my curriculum….It provided a blueprint for me to transfer what I learned to local environmental issues.”

Through the Wings Over Water program, teachers gain not only tools and curriculum, but also inspiration, a strong professional network, and a renewed commitment to creating meaningful and impactful science learning for their students.