A tiny school in northwest Wyoming is a huge winner in a national science award. In September, Meeteetse was one of four thousand schools that applied for the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow contest. Now, they’ve won the state contest. And are one of only 55 competitors for a $120,000 grand prize.
The tiny district has only 111 students in the entire K-12 program.
Yet, the high school science class won the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow state contest by winning $20,000 in technology.
The high school students entered a project that focused on the Greybull river, and the rare native cutthroats that live there. Meeteetse Science Teacher Michael Power said it’s an interesting issue.
He explained, “They’ve lost 90 percent of their historical range…The Greybull River is one of the few places where, especially outside of Yellowstone where it’s healthy and genetically pure.”
Power’s students are conducting several studies to see how they can help them thrive.
He sees ramifications that are system wide.
Power said, “ …being able to use that for a building population for other areas that have lost it, that’s huge.”
The next step for the students is to videotape their science project, to compete for the national competition.