May 2026

 Innovation and Curiosity Take Center Stage at Nebraska Science Olympiad💡🏗️ 

On Saturday, April 18, more than 530 middle and high school students from 54 schools across Nebraska gathered at UNL’s East Campus for the Nebraska Science Olympiad State Tournament, hosted by the STEM TRAIL Center. 

Students competed in 52 exciting events that tested their creativity, ingenuity, adaptability, and problem-solving skills. This year’s tournament featured a mix of classic and new events, with 18 returning or newly introduced events, including the debut of Engineering CAD.  

The competition welcomed both longtime participants and first-time teams, including a small but determined group from Elba who overcame fundraising and other challenges to attend the state tournament for the very first time.

Congratulations to this year’s champions:
🏆 Brownell Talbot – Division B
🏆 Lincoln East High School – Division C

The Nebraska Science Olympiad season highlights the power of hands-on, inquiry-driven learning and showcases the curiosity and innovation inspiring the next generation of STEM leaders. Thank you to all the students, coaches, volunteers, and supporters who made this year’s tournament a success—we look forward to another inspiring season ahead! 📆

 From Cotton Candy to Gamma Rays: Student Experiments Reach New Heights 🔬  

On Wednesday, April 1, students in TED/STEM 2800: Science Experimentation & Engineering Design launched their spring near space experiments (NSEs) into the stratosphere. 🚀🌎

Throughout the semester, student teams designed two experiments each—one mounted on the exterior of a foam module and another placed inside. The projects reflected a wide range of creativity and scientific curiosity, including experiments involving mini crawfish, photographic film development, homemade versus store-bought cotton candy, sunscreen effectiveness under varying levels of solar radiation, and even hard-boiled eggs. Students examined how these items responded to near-space conditions, exploring changes in texture, composition, and performance at high altitudes.

Using satellite-based GPS tracking, students monitored the balloon’s flight path in real time before heading out to recover their payload after landing. The recovery process added another level of excitement as teams successfully located the experiments and returned to UNO to begin analyzing their findings.

On Wednesday, May 6, students presented the data and results they collected throughout the semester to faculty and staff, highlighting both expected outcomes and surprising discoveries. One experiment involving photographic film unexpectedly captured evidence of gamma ray exposure, providing students with an exciting and unanticipated result. 📸

Experiences like these demonstrate the impact of hands-on, inquiry-driven learning and showcase the creativity, collaboration, and curiosity inspiring the next generation of innovators. 🔬💡

Announcements

 Building Community in STEM:

Coffee & Connection Event 

Start your morning with Coffee & Connection ☕—a networking event for women in STEM and allies at Girl Scout DreamLab in Omaha. Connect with others in the STEM community, learn more about DreamLab, and discover volunteer opportunities that support and inspire girls in STEM. Everyone is welcome!