Young Nebraska Scientists

YNS and you: Preparing STEM Futures

Broader Impacts

Partner with the YNS program for your broader impacts needs and enhance STEM opportunities for Nebraska students

YNS provides effective and efficient opportunities to accomplish the required broader impacts goals in your grant proposals and science outreach missions. YNS core activities include summer science camps for middle and high school students and extended summer research experiences for high school sophomores and juniors. Evaluations have shown that YNS activities are effective in increasing interest in STEM and commitment to choosing STEM college majors and careers.

The Nebraska EPSCoR Outreach Coordinator manages the programs and provides consulting and planning support. Investigators may use YNS program infrastructure and resources by budgeting funds and allocating effort in their grant proposals for YNS activities. Nebraska EPSCoR will provide a letter of support to submit with your grant.

YNS strives to recruit students from underrepresented groups, students demonstrating financial need, and potential first-generation college students.

Summer High School Researchers

Host a summer high school researcher for up to 8 weeks each summer

Students who have completed 10th or 11th grade become an integral part of the ongoing research project in your lab for up to eight weeks. They work side-by-side with your laboratory team and learn what scientific research is really all about, including practical research knowledge, lab skills, and scientific communication.

Whenever possible, student researchers should attend lectures on current topics, attend seminars/workshops in research and technical writing, ethics, and career exploration, and gain skills in effective oral presentations. Completing the experience, students produce a poster, presentation or written document for their personal portfolio.

The YNS website promotes YNS summer research experiences, with online access to recruiting and applications. Nebraska EPSCoR promotes the program to local school districts.

Essential Information: Summer High School Researcher Hosts

Budget

Students are paid minimum wage. Nebraska's current minimum wage rate is $9/hour. This program runs for 8 weeks throughout the course of the summer, with students working 35-40 hours per week. Total budgeted amount should be between $2500 and $2900 depending on the number of hours worked.

Selections

YNS will provide applications for faculty review, if requested, for student selection purposes. Faculty may wish to also conduct interviews.

Recruiting

Provide the YNS program with a description of your potential research project for recruitment purposes.

Hiring

Host departments complete new hire paperwork and ensure appropriate training and mentoring of student.

Applications

YNS recruits highly qualified high school students through an application process and teacher recommendation.

Supervision

Students must work under the supervision of a graduate student or postdoc and must work normal business hours whenever possible.

Design a Summer Camp

Design a summer camp to inspire middle or high school students in STEM

Summer science camps introduce students to exciting science and engineering concepts through hands-on experiences inside and outside of the lab. Middle school camps are for current 6th and 8th graders and high school camps are for current 9th through 12th graders.

YNS campers experience STEM activities in an intense and fun environment, and receive the kind of personal attention and discovery based learning difficult to provide in today's classroom. Participants complete varied activities aimed at increasing their mastery of science concepts and interest in science.

The YNS website promotes camps and allows online access to recruiting and applications. Nebraska EPSCoR advertises the program to school districts state-wide.

Essential Information: Summer Camps

Budget

YNS will help you plan a budget for your camp based on your campus' housing and dining rates and schedule the desired number of campers.

Applications

YNS recruits students through an application process.

Evaluation

YNS campers complete daily assessments and long-term impact surveys. Results are provided for reporting purposes and camp improvements.

Recruiting

Provide the YNS program with a description of your summer camp for advertising and recruitment purposes.

Camp Administration

Camps are managed by the NE EPSCoR Outreach Coordinator. YNS develops and collects all camp information packets and required paperwork specific to your camp.

Speak to us about your broader impacts needs