Project Overview

The Electronic Field Trip Project is funded by a Museum Leadership Grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services in Washington, D.C., and is part on the museum education department at the Western Heritage Center in Billings, MT. The Electronic Field Trip Project is designed by a team of over a dozen educators, museum and technical staff. The Project allows "cybertrips" to Chief Plenty Coups and Pictograph Cave State Parks via the world wide web.

From left to right: Barb Scherry, Kristy Bick, Linda Grunenfelder, Brooke Gondara, Nancy Nettik, Deani Kirkness, Rich Pittsley, Barb Garritson, Ken Oravsky. Not Pictured: Ruth Chandler, Lois Cunningham, Kristi Guerrero, Judy Jensen, Leah McCracken, Julie Osslund.

Project Coordinator:

Brooke Gondara, Project Coordinator, is the Education Director at the Western Heritage Center in Billings, MT. She holds a bachelor's degree in sociology and Native American Studies and a master's degree in multidisciplinary education, both from Montana State University-Billings. She is an enrolled member of the Northern Cheyenne Nation.

Educators:

Kristy Bick is a teacher at Huntley Project Elementary School. This year she is teaching a 4th-5th combination class. She has taught here for the past 21 years. Before that she taught at Busby, MT. She is very active in her schools's Science Fair and the Deaconess Regional Science Fair. She is married to Don and he is also a teacher. She has two children; Matthew is 11yrs old and a 5th grader and Brandy is 10 yrs old and a 4th grader. She loves to garden (especially roses), sew, cook, watch baseball, and watch and play softball. She loves to travel and fishing is an all time favorite free time activity.

Ruth Chandler

Barb Garritson

Linda Grunenfelder graduated from MSU-Billings in 1982 with a job at Elysian School. My first year I taught 3-4 grade, music K-8, and Library. After several years, I taught 4th grade, and am currently teaching 5th grade at Elysian School.
I love working with students, watching them grow and learn. My students and I are looking forward to our Yellowstone Park field trip in May.
I have two children, a seventh grader and an eleventh grader. I enjoy the outdoors and music.

Kristi Guerrero is a K-1 teacher at Fort Smith Elementary (K-4 multi-age) Fort Smith, MT (42 miles south of Hardin, MT ) Kristi Guerrero is happily married and has three girls ages 11yrs, 5yrs, and 4 months. Between home and work she feels that life is extremely eventful and interesting. She believes that as an educator, at a rural, multi-age school located an hour from the nearest town, she needs to utilize every available learning tool. The internet, via similar web sights as the Plenty Coups Field Trip, has a huge information-rich base to enlighten, inform and peak the interest of children, educators and parents alike.

Judy A. Jensen is a fourth grade teacher Washington School, Billings, Montana -bachelor's and master's degrees from Eastern Montana College -teacher in school district 2 for twenty-five years -live east of Billings on acreage with husband of twenty-six years, 15 year old daughter, married son graduating from the U.of M. along with his wife, in May -interests--education, children, walking, reading, joy of being alive and healthy.

Deani Kirkness is a teacher at Lockwood School in Billings, Montana. She has been with the school system for twenty-one years, and has worked with students in the Intermediat Resource Room, the third grade and currently is teaching fourth grade students. Her main area of interest is technololgy. The students in her classroom work with many computer programs and the Internet. Mrs. Kirkness also teaches computer classes to students and other teachers. Her personal interests include running, learning new computer skills, and spending time with her family, especially her six grandchildren.

Nancy Nettik is Principal and Art Instructor Blue Creek School in Billings, Montana. "I have been at Blue Creek for 16 years. I began as an instructional aide. I have since taught first grade, third grade, fifth grade, computer skills, and art. I graduated from Western Montana College, my masters degree in Educational Computing is from MSU Billings, and I completed my Elementary Administration endorsement at MSU Bozeman in 1997. I grew up in Dillon, MT and moved to Billings in 1980. I have twin daughters Jennifer and Jacinda who are 19 years old and in college. My husband Jerry is the Computer Systems Manager for CTA Archetcts Engineers in Billings. I enjoy gardening, traveling, bicycling, reading, walking, water aerobics, continuing education, encouraging others to grow and learn, and computers."

Julie Osslund grduated from MSU-Billings in 1989 in Education. She has taught K, I, Music, Title I, and is currently teaching 3rd grade at Elysian School.
Julie is fascinated by the creativity of children, animals, bugs, art and poetry. She has three beautiful children and lives west of Laurel, MT The third and fourth graders built tetrahedron kites and flew them in April.

Barb Scherry is a 3rd/4th grade teacher at Independent School in Billings, Montana. She became interested in this project, because she saw a need to expose children in this area to historical sites in their own backyard. Her class goes to Pompeys Pillar each spring at the conclusion of their Lewis and Clark Expedition study, and that, in turn, inspires the students to take their families there. As funds for actual field trips are limited, an electronic field trip became a way to expose her students (and people everywhere) to even more sites and encourage more educational family outings.

Sandy Watts

Ken Oravsky works as the Park Operations Supervisor for the south central region of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. He also manages Pictograph Cave State Park and Greycliff Prairie Dog Town State Park. He has a B.S. in Forestry from Rutgers University and his diverse career in parks includes work at recreational parks, lighthouses, historic and cultural sites, and the Statue of Liberty. He also works as a professional photographer and freelance writer. Ken lives near Billings, Montana with wife Claire, sons Eric and Neil, and a whole bunch a huskies.