The Casper Mountain Science Program (CMSP) offers Natrona County School District students a place-based, multidisciplinary experience designed to help them learn, apply, and engage with scientific concepts. We introduce students to outdoor field studies, fostering an appreciation for Casper’s environment and the natural world.
CMSP operates from a lodge on Casper Mountain, surrounded by acres of forest, meadows, and riparian habitats, all of which serve as learning environments for students. We welcome students from September to December for the fall semester and from February to May for the spring semester.
The program provides both day and overnight options. For day visits, classes come to Casper Mountain for a full day of learning before returning to their schools in the afternoon. During overnight trips, students stay in yurts located near the main lodge. Regardless of the visit's length, students spend time outdoors, engaging in hands-on science activities. Our curriculum is aligned with the Wyoming State Science Standards and supports classroom instruction.
Michelle Brazfield has been an educator and in the medical sector for over twenty years. Her focus has been science instruction in grades 6-12, curriculum development as an instructional facilitator, and mentoring aspiring science teachers as a university clinical supervisor. She has had the opportunity to teach multiple science topics and enjoys working with students of all ages.
Michelle is originally from Alaska and has participated in outdoor activities for as long as she can remember. Although she has lived in multiple states across the country, she has always been drawn to the mountains, spending most of her life in Alaska and Wyoming. She enjoys hiking, skiing, and any activity where she can be outdoors with her family, dogs, and horses.
Michelle has a bachelor's in biological science from the University of Maryland, a master's of arts teaching secondary science from the University of Alaska, and a master's in educational leadership and administration from Western Governors University. Michelle is excited to share her love of science and learning in a placed-based education model with students and staff.
Shelby Foery is a Casper native who grew up frequenting the surrounding recreational sites; Edness Kimball Wilkins State Park, Alcova and Pathfinder Reservoir, and Casper Mountain where she would inevitably find an animal and want to know more about it. Lucky to have a family that encouraged/indulged this behavior, she quickly found joy in learning and interacting with animals and the outdoors. Today, her interests haven’t changed much. She enjoys spending time with family, ice fishing, hiking, or snowshoeing, and her love of Wyoming has only grown as she has explored the state.
She graduated with her bachelor's in biology from the University of Wyoming in 2021 and has gained a variety of work experience, including state-wide field work, conservation, and education. As an intern for CMSP in the spring of 2023, she loved being able to see the joy she experienced as a kid exploring Casper Mountain in the students who visited. She is excited to be back with CMSP to assist the students and the interns in finding enjoyment.
The Casper Mountain Science Program originated from discussions between Carolyn Jacobs, a middle school teacher from the Natrona County School District, and Dr. Evert Brown, a college professor at Casper College. Jacobs sought in-depth outdoor science experiences for her students, while Brown wanted his students to teach what they learned.
In 2008, five Casper College students led 18 middle school students in field studies on Casper Mountain, creating the Casper Mountain Science School. Jacobs and Brown continued pilot programs for three years, acknowledging the program's success. With support from Casper College, NCSD, and BOCES, classes were scheduled from September to May.
In summer 2016, the Natrona County School District fully administered the program and renamed it the Casper Mountain Science Program (CMSP). Interns, now NCSD employees, collaborate with CMSP staff to educate students from kindergarten through high school in a field science environment.
