In this ever fast changing world, Nebraska’s long-term sustainability lies in innovation. We need innovative ways to power our economy, enrich our communities and empower our children.
Illuminate Nebraska is designed to connect rural communities through a culture of innovation. Simply stated, we need to create a culture of innovation through human connection.
Led by Nebraska Public Power District teammates, Energy Education Lead, Jonathan Schulte and Outreach Programs Specialist, Kim Liebig. The duo help develop STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) workforce skills, give read-world experiences, engage students in innovation and partake in STEM challenges. It allows students to discover local business opportunities through a few simple interactions and innovation challenges. The end goal is for the students, businesses, and communities to benefit from the innovation process.
Liebig instructs the careers side for grades 6-12, while Schulte leads hands on STEM activities for K-12 grades to NPPD’s service area. They bring in the public power message and hands on activities that will help reinforce what we do at NPPD, such as offering a diversified mix of generation to maintain NPPD’s strategic directives: Affordability, Reliability, Sustainability and Resiliency, and STEM (what we need for workforce here at NPPD).
The program also offers Utility Career Fairs, with the Cooper Nuclear Station (CNS) being highlighted later this month. Students from area schools will be touring the plant and hands on activities from chemistry to electrical and mechanical engineering will be held. The career fairs also help to showcase that NPPD is more than just an electric power utility. In fact, out of the 16 career clusters, NPPD covers 15 of those clusters. It’s a great way to talk to students about the benefits of working for an electric power utility. Teachers can utilize this information in schools to show how it plays a role in real life.
Teacher’s Professional Development Workshops are also offered through Illuminate Nebraska. These workshops provide teachers with supplemental teaching materials and assets. NPPD plans to offer these workshops approximately two times per year. The most recent workshop was held in August at Central Community College in Columbus. They showcased the campus and took a facility tour of different programs offered which support the electrical utility sector. They plan to offer the future workshops at various community colleges across Nebraska. “We will be looking for business partners who are excited to sponsor events like this geared towards empowering teachers. Our hope is to make these workshops a two-day event so business partners can showcase their operations via tours,” commented Schulte.
The goal of these workshops is to bring educators from around the state to show them what post-secondary community colleges have to offer. By collaborating with businesses that want to help support teachers, the program is designed to help foster relationships and bring everything together holistically for Nebraska’s youth.
NPPD is an advocate of job shadowing and internships, across its service territory of 84 of Nebraska’s 93 counties. Please address any job shadow related questions to Kim Liebig. For internship opportunities, please reach out to NPPD’s HR business partners.
Let’s connect business, community, and education in a culture of Innovation!
Please contact Jon Schulte or Kim Liebig for more information on this program:
Jon Schulte – Phone – 402-563-5667 or Email – jaschul@nppd.com
Kim Liebig – Phone – 402-276-9370 or Email – kkliebi@nppd.com