UNO STEM TRAIL Center

From exploring through microscopes to building elevation maps, designing dragons, and creating dinosaur dioramas, campers at AIM FOR THE STARS have been having an incredible time learning, creating, and discovering together!

Our program is off to a strong start, with campers showing enthusiasm, curiosity, and creativity in every activity. With so many exciting adventures still ahead, the journey of exploration and discovery is just getting started. Here's to more fun, learning, and unforgettable experiences in the weeks to come! 🚀🔬🦖🐉

✨ Another amazing week of STEM adventures is in the books! This week, our campers put their creativity, teamwork, and problem-solving skills to the test through a variety of hands-on STEM adventures. From designing and building impressive tree houses to engineering robots for robot volleyball, they have embraced every challenge with enthusiasm and innovation.

Our Chemistry Camp was filled with exciting experiments and tasty creations, showing that STEM can be both educational and delicious! 🧪🍴 Campers also explored the wonders of space by crafting paper mâché planets, bringing science and creativity together in a truly out-of-this-world experience. 🚀🌎

The excitement, curiosity, and energy throughout camp has been incredible to witness. We are so proud of all that our campers accomplished this week and look forward to another week of learning, discovery, and fun!

What an incredible start to our AIM FOR THE STARS summer camps! 🌟 Our campers have been so enthusiastic and engaged this week as they designed video games, built playground dioramas, launched UFOs, created original board games, and explored the exciting connection between STEM and the Arts! 🎮🛸🎨 We could not be more thrilled with the energy and passion our campers have brought to each activity. Here's to a summer full of exploration, innovation, and unforgettable memories. 🌞✨ The sky is not the limit—we're aiming for the stars! 🌈🚀⭐

🌟🌙 Storytime Under the Stars 🌙🌟
Blast off into bedtime fun at the UNO Planetarium!

Join us for this exciting new program at the Mallory Kountze Planetarium:
📅 Sunday, May 17, 2026
⏰ 6:00 PM

Kids are invited to wear their favorite pajamas and bring a stuffed animal, pillow, or blanket 🧸✨ Enjoy a live narrated storytime as picture books are projected across the planetarium dome, followed by a guided tour of the seasonal constellations visible from Nebraska 🔭🌌

The Nebraska Science Olympiad State Tournament welcomed 54 schools and over 530 students, creating an incredible energy that lasted all day. Students showcased creativity, skill, and strong problem-solving across 52 total events, including 18 new and returning ones—from the fan-favorite Hovercraft to the debut of Engineering CAD.

A big thank-you to the UNL Engineering Ambassadors for helping make the new CAD event a success—we truly appreciate the time, effort, and expertise you brought to the tournament!

Congrats to our champions:
🏆 Brownell Talbot (Division B)
🏆 Lincoln East High School (Division C)

To everyone who competed, volunteered, and supported—this season would not have been the same without you. We cannot wait to see what next season will bring!

✨ As Above, So Below ✨

Step into an immersive night of electroacoustic sound and visuals like no other. Featuring six original works by UNO students and faculty, this concert surrounds you with a powerful 3D audio experience inside the Mallory Kountze Planetarium at the Durham Science Center.

🎶 Performers are placed throughout the dome
🌌 Live, real-time visuals by student artists & planetarium staff
🔥 Inspired by the elements: Earth, Water, Wind, and Fire

As Above, So Below: Immersive Explorations in Elemental Sound reimagines the natural world through cutting-edge composition and spatial sound.

📅 Friday, April 24
🕢 7:30 PM

Don’t miss this one-of-a-kind audiovisual experience.

Calling all science enthusiasts! 🌎🔬

Join us on April 22 from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM at the Mallory Kountze Planetarium for a special NASA Science Live event celebrating Earth Day 🌱🚀

Get involved in real scientific research by helping classify wildlife captured in trail camera images 🐾📸 Your contributions will support a NASA-backed project that monitors changes in wildlife distribution and abundance over time—providing critical data that informs conservation and wildlife management decisions.

Be part of the effort to better understand and protect our planet 🌍✨

What an exciting day it was on April 1st when the TED/STEM 2800 class launched their spring near-space experiments created in the STEM TRAIL Center's classroom! Seeing the students assemble their projects before launch was truly a highlight event of the semester. So much creativity and innovation on display!

Thank you to everyone who attended the Nebraska Physics and Astronomy Summit held this past weekend at UNO’s STEM TRAIL Center! We enjoyed hosting the event and look forward to seeing even more of you at future gatherings. ✨🔭

Be Part of the Action: Volunteer for Nebraska Science Olympiad 2026! 🙌

📅 State Competition: Saturday, April 18, 2026
📍 Location: University of Nebraska–Lincoln East Campus

Join us in making the State Tournament an unforgettable experience for students across Nebraska. We’re seeking enthusiastic volunteers to fill several key roles.

🔬 Event Supervisors serve as judges and subject matter experts for their assigned events. Responsibilities may include writing and grading or evaluating experiments and engineering projects.

Additional volunteer opportunities include:
• Assisting an Event Coordinator
• Team check-in
• Supporting participants and guests
• Awards ceremony support
• Event setup and logistics

Your time and talents help inspire the next generation of scientists!

To sign up, please visit: https://www.unomaha.edu/nebraska-state-science-olympiad/volunteer.php?utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--wBcNpfH2xl-1s5oLS9C2QRAhBCFANeqI05Jwj0-kklHK5SSSfo11904ouOK0anjdFp992