GFPS launching summer learning programs with innovative tax credit funds
Great Falls Public Schools is kicking off a new summer learning program this year using funds raised through the state innovative educational tax credit program.
The program is starting small with three programs:
- American Indian Astronomy and Earth Science, June 8-9 for grades 4-6, limited to 20 registered students: a two-day summer program blending hands-on science with traditional ecological knowledge. Students will explore Earth and space science through lessons on bison as a keystone species, environmental stewardship, and seasonal relationships between people and the land. In a star lab, students will learn Indigenous sky knowledge and how stars and constellations were used for navigation and timekeeping. Activities also include building a scaled solar system model, exploring moon phases through hands-on labs, and a full-day field trip to the Museum of the Rockies with a planetarium show. Throughout the program, students will be paired with friendly high school mentors who will learn alongside them, help with activities, and make the experience even more fun and engaging.
- Code Quest, June 22-23 for grades 7-8, at East Middle School, limited to 20 registered students: fast-paced summer experience where middle school students become coders, creators and explorers. On Day 1, students jump into hands-on challenges, learn to “think like a programmer,” code animations in Scratch, and design their own mobile apps using MIT App Inventor. Day 2 turns into a real-world adventure as students travel to Montana Tech in Butte to tour the campus, meet college students, explore cool labs, and take part in interactive computer and engineering activities. From coding and teamwork to campus life and STEM careers, Code Quest is packed with creativity, discovery, and fun, plus pizza to wrap up the adventure.
- Exploring Rocketry 101, Aug. 5-6 for grades 6-8, limited to 30 registered students: Students will start off exploring the history of rocketry and flight, as well as the different parts of a rocket and their purpose. They’ll then build their own rocket to launch in the afternoon. They’ll also engage in a number of activities sprinkled throughout the day from NASA Space Camp. On the second day, students will travel to the Planetarium at the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman, followed by an after-lunch tour of the Bridger Aerospace facility in Belgrade, learning about the different missions they run, fighting fires through flight.
The programs are free to families, other than bringing a lunch and a fillable water bottle.
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Superintendent Heather Hoyer said the district was delayed about a month in rolling out the summer programs, but information would be going out in Wednesday envelopes and registration opens Feb. 4.
Hoyer announced the program during an October school board meeting and teachers were invited to submit proposals for the programs.
Selected educators receive a $1,000 stipend and a $3,000 budget for transportation, materials and experiences.
Hoyer and Jackie Mainwaring, assistant superintendent, told The Electric on Jan. 26 that they’re starting the program small and estimated the program budgets based on past field trips, but may adjust those numbers depending on feedback from teachers running this summer’s programs.
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Mainwaring said that GFPS can help families that aren’t able to provide lunch or water bottles to participating students.
She said they’re working with Big Sky Bus Lines to provide transportation for the field trips.
“We’re really excited,” Hoyer said of launching the program and were grateful to the teachers who stepped up to propose and provide the experiential learning.
The rocketry program has a fun link, she said, with the teacher attending NASA Space Camp last year for training through a grant from the GFPS Foundation.
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The program is being funded through the innovative educational tax credit program and the district received $1,008,000 from 30 community members this year.
The state created a tax credit program for education during the 2021 Legislature and the window to claim those credits is coming up.
Registration for the dollar-for-dollar tax credit opened Jan. 21, 2026.
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This year’s statewide cap is $7.2 million and GFPS is eligible for up to $2.88 million, according to Luke Diekhans, GFPS’ business operations manager.
Diekhans told The Electric that the district had 54 donors ready to contribute, but the funds were claimed within seven minutes.
Since the program was created, GFPS has raised $3,11,288, ranking first among all AA school districts each year.
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Anders Blewett, a local attorney, has contributed through the program for several years and encouraged others to do so, which GFPS officials have credited for the success of the program locally.
Blewett said during the Jan. 26 board meeting that the money raised for GFPS through the program highlights the community’s support for public education.
“This community came together and I think sent a very loud message to the state that we here in Great Falls believe in education,” Blewett said.
The more than $3 million raised since the program was established would not have been possible “but for an organized, conscientious effort,” Blewett said.
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Diekhans said that they didn’t have time to enter the contributions from about 20 other donors so they’ll work with them to participate in next year’s program.
Hoyer walked the school board through the summer learning program, using some of those innovative tax credit funds, during their Oct. 13 meeting.
District officials designed it as a grant open for teachers to submit their proposals through Dec. 2 in teams of one elementary and one middle or high school teacher to create a two-day summer learning program.
The program will include a day in the classroom, followed by a second day in the field open to students in rising grades 1-8 with assistant opportunities for students in grades 9-12. The older students may earn a quarter credit for their participation.
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Hoyer told the board that the district had created an internal committee, plus one of the citizen tax credit contributors, that created this summer learning program that they’re planning to start small this summer with a minimum of 15 students and a maximum of 30 students.
She said that field trips and experiential learning programs are important and often the first to go when there are funding cuts.
Hoyer said that the first day classroom experiences would be held in the innovative/STEM learning centers at either Great Falls or C.M. Russell high schools. The former shop space at GFH is being renovated into an innovative learning center in a project that began late fall.
The first program, American Indian Astronomy and Earth Science, is planned for the new GFH learning center, but Hoyer told The Electric that since the project is scheduled for completion the week before the program, Paris Gibson Education Center is the backup location.
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The coding program will be held at East Middle School since that’s where the teacher has all of her equipment, rather than transporting it to the high schools, Hoyer said during the Jan. 26 board meeting.
Hoyer told the board in October that the idea was to break down silos that sometimes exist between elementary teachers and the middle and high school teachers to provide “free, high quality standards based experiences.”
The programs will run throughout the summer, with those designed for rising 1st through 3rd grades scheduled after Jumpstart ends July 6.
Hoyer said that she emailed teachers on Oct. 13 to introduce the program and will hold two Zoom meetings on Nov. 3 to further discuss the program. Teacher applications are due by Dec. 2 and the committee will review and select the inaugural programs, which will be announced Dec. 19.
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Hoyer said in October that the goal is to start a bit small and “hopefully grow this to some fantastic experiences throughout the summer.”
Hoyer said they’ll likely have to make adjustments after the first year, but they’re hoping it will become a sustainable program through the state’s innovative tax credit program.
Hoyer said that teachers will have the opportunity to “explore a topic that they just love” and exposing students to that over the summer is where “magic happens.”
Gordon Johnson, school board chair, said in October that “this is absolutely brilliant. Gotta love it.”
Bill Bronson, school board member, said that in his experience “field trips were very important” to learn more, or improve upon classroom learning.
He said he was glad to see the district taking advantage of the innovative tax credit program and hoped there would be student interest and the program would grow.
