About Illuminate Nebraska
STEM ACCELERATOR PROGRAM
Nebraska’s long-term sustainability lies in innovation. We need innovative ways to power our economy, enrich our communities and empower our children.
To achieve this, this incentive-based program is designed to connect our rural community through a culture of innovation.
WHO
Educators, community members, and business owners can unite for each STEM concept. We need everyone to be engaged for a culture of innovation to thrive.
WHY
The program will help develop STEM workforce skills, give real world experiences, engage students in Nebraska’s culture of innovation and partake in incentive-based STEM challenges.
HOW
It allows students to discover local business opportunities through a few simple interactions, innovation challenges and REWARDS. End goal: students, businesses and communities benefit from the innovation process.
What needs to happen to connect people through a modern electric infrastructure?
We must create physical, civic and economic connections that allow Nebraska’s rural population to flourish. We must all be dedicated to educating people, being open to learning, being a catalyst for innovation and having a heart for service.
NPPD’S INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM
AND OUR CONNECTED COMMUNITY
Our Mission
To provide resources opportunities and events that create the capacity for innovation through human connections
Foster rural innovation and economic growth by the reduction of barriers
To help mold the direction of innovation in Nebraska
Our Team
Jonathan Schulte
I am the Energy Education Lead for Nebraska Public Power District. Tasked with promoting STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education by partnering with schools within our wholesale and retail communities, I help facilitate NPPD’s goal to provide students with hands-on learning opportunities and events. Our team promotes catalytic experiences for the youth of Nebraska to empower them for success and raise awareness for STEM related careers rooted in problem solving and analytical thinking. I am passionate to explore ways NPPD can cultivate relationships with other industrial and educational leaders throughout Nebraska to bolster our technical workforce and retain our home-grown talent for generations to come.
Kim Liebig
As the Careers Outreach Specialist for Nebraska Public Power District, I travel across Nebraska to engage and expose middle and high school students to the many careers which support our mission of “keep the lights on”! Focused on growing Nebraska’s pipeline of STEM and skilled trades workforce, my goal is to raise awareness that many of the high skill, high wage and high demand jobs depend on workers from the skilled and technical science career fields.
I’m passionate about robotics and act as a lead coordinator to facilitate Open Robotics tournaments and events throughout Nebraska. Other opportunities I support and curate for students include facility tours, ride-alongs with our line technicians and job shadowing colleagues to learn more about their positions.
NPPD’s Energy Education and Outreach presentations are focused on:
- The benefits of Public Power.
- Electrical utility safety topics such as downed powerlines and substations.
- Hands-on classroom activities.
- Being good stewards of our natural resources and protecting our environment.
- How we safely generate and reliably distribute electrical services to meet our customers’ needs.
Thank you for visiting our website and feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns!
