High School Science Academy : Education : Nebraska Wildlife Rehab, Inc.

Applications for the 2023-2024 School Year OPEN NOW!

High School Science Academy

NWR's High School Science Academy aims to give Omaha metro area high school students the opportunity to participate in college-level lectures and field/lab work, and nurture their interest in the biological sciences before leaving high school. Sessions will occur once monthly during the school year on a Tuesday and Saturday. Tuesday is dedicated to lecture and discussion and Saturday will consist of a corresponding lab or field work activity.

Please note, this program runs all school year. We also do two annual field trips— one overnight to see the Sandhill Crane Migration in the spring, and one 5-day trip to UNL's Cedar Point Biological Station at the end of the school year. Attendance to field trips is dependent on attendance to other events.

Previous lecture/lab topics include: Ornithology, Wildlife Medicine, Herpetology, Aquatic Ecology, Entomology, Beekeeping/Apiculture, Fungal Diversity, Forensic Entomology, Prairie Ecology and more!

All materials are provided and students are served meals and snacks at every session. If students and their families do not have access to transportation to and from sessions, it can be provided from school pick-up points at no charge in most cases

High School Science Academy in Action

Students 'suit up' to learn about apiary techniques from Dr. Carol Fassbinder-Orth from Creighton University.
The Nature Conservancy's Director of Science, Chris Helzer, gathers students to study prairie plants in the Nebraska sandhills.
Dr. Jeremy White of University of Nebraska-Omaha shows our academy students how to trap and study small mammals in the field.
Students who join us to Cedar Point Biological Station in Ogallala get to stay for 5 days on this beautiful campus!
Students study small invertebrates through microscopes at Creighton University.
Students from the summer 2021 Cedar Point trip take a moment to watch the sun set over Lake Ogallala.
Canoeing in Lake Ogallala!
Students get hands-on experience with native wildlife under the direction of wildlife professionals.
Students gather round for University of Nebraska- Lincoln's Dennis Ferraro- herpetology extraordinaire, to learn about local turtle species.
Jon Garbisch of UNL takes students on a hike focused on local geology.

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We are now accepting applicants now through September 1 2023. All prospective candidates must fill out the below 'Student Interest Form' and have a teacher, counselor or mentor fill out the 'Teacher Referral Form'. Applicants must have completed at least one high school level science course and be located in the Omaha Metro area. Questions? Email education@nebraskawildliferehab.org.