Indians Into STEM (INSTEM)

INSTEM is provided at NO COST to the student. This includes lodging and meals. You will, however, need to arrange your own transportation to and from VCSU. Any travel required during your stay will be provided by VCSU.

• North Dakota students who have completed 6th grade or higher.
  • Applications from non-North Dakota students (e.g., South Dakota, Minnesota, Montana) will also be considered if capacity allows.
• Application preference is given to students who are enrolled members and/or descendants from a federally recognized tribe.
• Application preference is also given to students who have successfully participated in the past.

Each year will vary.

In general, VCSU has the capacity to accommodate about 30 students per week. INSTEM will typically occur for four weeks in June of each year, therefore about 120 students will be able to attend per year.

• The application is completed online. It is available here.
• Application for Summer 2026 closes Friday, April 17, 2026.
• Student applicants entering grades 7-10 must have an adult (parent/guardian, teacher, counselor, coach, administrator, etc.) complete the application wiht them, agreeing to serve as the main point of contact for the application.

• Must be a ND student who has completed 6th grade or higher.
  • Application preference is given to students who are enrolled members and/or descendants from a federally recognized tribe.
  • Application preference is also given to students who have successfully participated in the past.
  • Applications from non-North Dakota students (e.g. South Dakota, Minnesota, Montana) will also be considered if capacity allows.
• Must be able to provide a brief statement about why you want to participate in INSTEM and a brief statement about yourself (e.g. your family, culture, personality, character, education, hobbies/interests, career, goals, extra-curricular activities, etc.) (See application for additional information).
• Must be able to provide your most recent report card grades in Math, Science, English Language Arts, and two other classes of your choice. (See application for additional information).
• For applicants who have NOT attended INSTEM in the past: Must be able to provide contact information for a recommender to complete a reference form on your behalf (e.g. teacher, counselor, coach, administrator). Recommender cannot be a relative. Student applicant will not be able to review their recommender’s response.
• Application for Summer 2026 closes Friday, April 17, 2026.

4 days.

Each session starts at 4 p.m. on a Sunday and concludes at 2 p.m. the following Thursday.

• All students will stay in one of VCSU’s residence halls. Depending on the week and the number of INSTEM participants, we will typically use Kolstoe Hall or Snoeyenbos Hall. Robertson Hall will be used if extra space is required.

• A single bed with a bare mattress is provided. Students will want to consider bringing any or all of the following:
  • Sleeping bag, bed sheets, pillow, pillowcase, blankets, comforters, etc.
  • Bath towel, hand towel, wash cloth, toiletries, personal products. etc.
• Room also includes a desk with chair and some closet/drawer storage space.

• No. All keys (for both the exterior door of the residence hall building and individual rooms) will be held by the adult chaperones.
• Students will only be allowed to return to their rooms during the day for special circumstances and must be accompanied by a chaperone when doing so.

• Yes, INSTEM students will be provided with a username and password to access VCSU’s guest WIFI network.

• Lodging in a VCSU residence hall.
• Meals (Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner each day)
  • Any dietary restrictions can be indicated in the confirmation form that you will complete if your application is approved.
  • Snacks provided at various times
• Sunscreen and insect repellant (when needed)

Most likely, yes. Most of the residence hall rooms are double occupancy, so you can plan to have one roommate.  If you are in a suite-style residence hall (e.g., Kolstoe Hall, Snoeyenbos Hall), your suite will be comprised of either two or three rooms, therefore you will share a common living space and bathroom/shower facilities with 3-4 other students.  If you are in a community-style residence hall (e.g., Robertson) your room will be in a hallway alongside other rooms, and you will share community bathroom/shower facilities with others on your floor.

• Roommates and suite-mates will be assigned by INSTEM staff.
• However, if you would like to request a specific roommate and/or suitemate, you will have the opportunity to do so in the confirmation form that you will complete if your application is approved.  (Note that we will attempt to accommodate any requests, but cannot guarantee this).
• All roommates and suite-mates are required to be of the same gender.

Potentially, yes, but this would only be granted in rare special circumstances and would also depend on housing capacity.

• Each day’s agenda will be filled with STEM education activities, labs, field trips, etc., primarily led by VCSU faculty or industry professionals. Night sessions will include presentations and activities concerning STEM in Native American culture. These agendas will vary depending on your age and/or which experiences you have participated in during past years.
• Year 1 students (6th grade completers entering 7th grade) experience a survey of STEM, involving short sessions in multiple STEM areas.
• Year 2 students (7th grade completers entering 8th grade) experience careers in STEM, involving short sessions in multiple STEM areas.
• Years 3 & 4 students (8th grade completers entering 9th grade and 9th grade completers entering 10th grade) experience one longer (1.5-day), more detailed projects in groups of 2-4 in a STEM area of their choice, culminating in a student presentation during Thursday’s Showcase Event. All projects are led by VCSU faculty.
  • Students whose applications are approved will have an opportunity to rank available projects in order of preference. INSTEM staff will attempt to place students in their top choice(s), but this is not guaranteed. Project placements will be determined and communicated to students prior to arriving at VCSU. Past projects offered have included the following:
    • Macroinvertebrate Mayhem: Water bugs as indicators of water quality
    • They Shoot – They Score! An Intro to Capturing Audio and Scoring Music
    • Avian Adventure: Exploring the World of Birds
    • Using Sonar Technology to Compare Fish Habitat in a River, Natural Lake and Reservoir
    • Habitat Preference and Foraging Behavior in North Dakota Game Fish
    • Population Estimates of a Stream Fish Community Using Mark/Recapture Sampling
    • Hydraulic Arm: Hydraulics and pneumatics and uses with robot design
    • Arduino Robotics: Building Your First Robot
    • From Pen to Page – Crafting and Creating Your Story
    • Number Ninjas: Making Math Marvels
    • Bioengineering in our world: the good, the bad and the ethical challenges
    • INSTEM in the GYM: Build your own physical health profile
    • Design Cycle Using the CNC Mill
    • Exploring our macronutrients and determining calorie content in food
    • Creating your own video game: Learning SCRATCH programming language
    • Lab to Canvas: Synthesizing Pigments
    • Flight Ready: Intro to UAVs
    • Breaking Down the Numbers: How to Win Your Fantasy Football League
    • Story Building: Video, Radio and Publishing a Newspaper
    • The Adventure of AI
    • BrainSTEM
    • From Chemistry to Kiln: Synthesizing Malachite and Developing Glazes
  • Year 5 – 7 students (10th grade completers entering 11th grade; 11th grade completers entering 12th grade; and high school graduates) will have a similar experience to the Year 3 and 4 students outlined above, but will experience one 3-day project instead of two 1.5-day projects.
    • Students will have the opportunity to earn college credit (i.e., 1 credit of STEMED 199) for their efforts. All tuition and fees will be covered by INSTEM.

Yes.

Each week will typically include about 30 students from similar grade levels.  Some sessions may involve all 30 students at one time, whereas other sessions may include 15 or fewer students. Project work for Year 3 – 7 students will typically be completed in groups of 2-4.

• Most of the academic sessions will take place on the VCSU campus (i.e., in VCSU labs, classrooms, and other facilities)
• Some academic sessions may take place off-site (e.g., field trips). Transportation to and from these off-site locations will be provided by VCSU.

• VCSU food services will be able to accommodate most dietary restrictions.
• There will be a place for you to specify any dietary restrictions in your confirmation form if your application is approved.

VCSU will make every reasonable effort to accommodate your disability, injury, or health issue. You will have the opportunity to disclose any needed accommodations within the confirmation form if your application is approved.

• Yes.
• Prescription and/or “over-the-counter” medications are allowed if needed.  You will have the opportunity to disclose any needed medications within the confirmation form if your application is approved.

• Yes.
• However, usage of cell phones will typically NOT be allowed during the day’s activities but WILL be allowed for a short time after hours.  Specific cell phone rules will vary, but if you bring one you should be prepared to “turn in” your cell phone to your adult chaperones for most of the day and/or leave it in your residence hall room.

• Yes. In fact, this is precisely how INSTEM was envisioned.  INSTEM is designed as a cohort model that encourages students to apply and participate in a new experience every year all the way through high school graduation.

INSTEM employs multiple VCSU professors from various STEM-related departments on campus, therefore your academic sessions will be led by passionate and expert faculty.

Yes. A full agenda will be made available prior to your arrival.

• The detailed agenda for your week will be made available prior to your arrival.
• In general, students entering 7^th or 8^th grade will participate in multiple short sessions (around 90 minutes) exploring a wide variety of STEM-related fields.
• Older students will engage in more focused STEM projects that they will have the option to self-select into through a preference survey of available projects.
• See FAQ “What will I do at INSTEM?” for more detailed information.

• VCSU is located at 101 College St SE, Valley City, ND 58072, just off I-94, about 60 miles west of Fargo.
• Specific instructions regarding arrival and check-in will be provided prior to your scheduled INSTEM session.

• You are responsible for your own transportation to and from VCSU.
• Arrive by 4:00 p.m. on Sunday.
• Depart at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday.
• Any transportation required during the week will be provided by VCSU.
• Note: Some school districts choose to provide transportation for their students to and from VCSU (e.g., school bus, SUV, mini van). Check with administration at your school to see if this is available.

• Current funding is provided through grant funds obtained by VCSU through the ND Department of Public Instruction and ND EPSCoR.

• Jamie Wirth, INSTEM Director.

• Yes! INSTEM students are encouraged to explore VCSU as a college option. Students attending Week 4 (Grade 11+) will have the opportunity to meet with a professor in an academic area of interest, as well as participate in a session to learn about VCSU, the application process, financial aid, etc.
• See links below.  Visit www.vcsu.edu for more information.
  • About VCSU
  • Admissions
  • Academics
  • Student Life

• VCSU is one of the most affordable college choices in the region.
  • Click HERE to view tuition and fees information.
  • Click HERE to learn about scholarships and financial aid.