WHITEFISH COMMUNITY CENTER
A Gathering Place for the people of Whitefish, Montana
SCHEDULE
COST
This presentation is free and open to the general public.
No membership required.
Donations always welcome.
SPEAKER
Meet Linda
Linda J. Smith is an award-winning science educator who taught for over 30 years at Rush-Henrietta Central School District.
She earned her masters degree through a National Science Foundation fellowship and received numerous top honors, including Teacher of the Year, the University of Rochester Award for Excellence in Secondary School Teaching, and the NASA-NSF-NSTA-UT Honors Teacher Award.
She participated in NASA’s Teacher in Space Program and was invited to observe major space events, including a Challenger shuttle launch and the Voyager-Uranus encounter.
We are honored to welcome Linda J. Smith as a speaker at the Whitefish Community Center, where she continues to share her passion for science and education with the community.
RESOURCES
Linda Smith Presentations: Season 4
Description
Join us as we kick off Season 4 of the beloved Linda Smith Presentations returning this summer with inspiring journeys to remarkable places, history, and discoveries! Held over five Thursdays during the warm months, this new season features engaging presentations you won’t want to miss.
✨ 2026 Presentation Lineup:
• May 28th – Yosemite, Sequoias, Coastal Redwoods & John Muir
• July 9th – The White House – Home of Presidents
The White House, located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, has served as the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams, when the national capital moved from Philadelphia.
There are countless fascinating stories woven throughout the 200+ year history of the President’s House. Linda — along with “the minions” (mostly Linda!) — has selected a few favorite stories to share during this special presentation.
One intriguing highlight features the HMS Resolute, a British ship trapped in Arctic ice in August 1853. Somehow, this vessel became connected to one of the most recognizable pieces of furniture in the Oval Office — and has become Linda’s favorite “tangent” in her White House presentation.
• July 30th – Edwin Hubble & the Expanding Universe
A major scientific discussion in 1920, known as the "Great Debate," Pitted astronomers with two different views of the universe. Some believed that the Milky Way galaxy constituted the entire universe, with the view that fuzzy light patches observed were simply gas clouds within our galaxy, not separate galaxies. Another group of astronomers thought that these light patches were actually distant "island universes" beyond the Milky Way. They thought we were not the othly galaxy...there were millions of other distant galaxies.
We will go back to 1920 and see how Edwin Hubble and Henrietta Leavitt gathered evidence that changed our understandings of the universe and our place in it.
"This topic is right up my alley! I am going to enjoy sharing it with you." -Linda
• August 27th – Pyramids of Egypt & Abu Simbel
Details to come...
• September 24th – Speleology: The Science of Caverns & Caves
Details to come...
If you joined us in 2025, you’ll remember Linda’s engaging presentations on landmarks like the Statue of Liberty and the wonders of Yellowstone National Park—along with her look at the Transcontinental Railroad and its impact on the nation. Season 4 continues that tradition—bringing places and their stories to life.
📍 Whitefish Community Center
🗓 Select Thursdays (see schedule above)
⏰ 1:00 – 2:15 PM
🎟 FREE & open to the public
These events are made possible through the generous support of our community. Come learn, explore, and connect—no travel required.
Mark your calendars… your next adventure begins here.
Age participation:
• All ages
• Young participants welcome with parent/guardian supervision
