Early College and Career STEM students forming college connections through UNL partnership

October 11, 2024

Northeast High School students Daniela and Ketzia are turning on faucets of knowledge through a unique partnership with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
 
The two juniors are part of a six-person group of Northeast students who are earning college credits by attending classes on campus. They are members of the Early College and Career STEM Focus Program, which has been embedded in Northeast’s building since the Fall 2022 semester. The first-year experience is a joint venture between Lincoln Public Schools and the UNL College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources (CASNR).

The program teaches participants about a wide range of Food, Energy, Water and Societal Systems (FEWSS) topics. All six Rockets travel to UNL’s East Campus twice weekly for a college class called Science and Decision Making. They are the first LPS students to participate in this FEWSS initiative that is keeping them academically hydrated.

 
Ketzia said she has been enjoying her early exploration of college life. She would like to pursue a career as a veterinarian after high school. She felt her trips to campus have led to exciting academic adventures.
 
“I wanted to do it because I wanted to see what college would be like,” Ketzia said. “I heard it was the first time that they were doing it, and I was interested in that. No one really ever gets to have an experience like this, to be the first to do something, and Lincoln Northeast is the first to be able to partner with UNL to send high school students here.”
 
Daniela also felt the class was filling her well of academic wisdom to the brim. She is considering a potential career as a labor delivery nurse, and she wanted to fine-tune her time management and organizational skills in a college environment. She said it was “very cool” to spend her semester with 90 older students in a large classroom at Hardin Hall.
 
“This helps mentally prepare me for what I’ll be doing later on,” Daniela said.

 
The six Rockets will earn high school science credits that will count toward their Northeast diplomas and three college credits from the course. They will have the option of compiling even more college credits by taking UNL classes in the second semester.
 
Tiffany Heng-Moss has led CASNR programs as dean since 2018 and helped develop the collaboration between CASNR and LPS with the Early College and Career STEM program. She said the program - also known as FEWSS - is “a one-of-a-kind model” in the United States because it teaches all Northeast students about food, energy and water in classes like social sciences, math and science. She said the chance to have high school students on campus was a logical next step in the growing educational relationship.
 
“We’re very lucky to have this brand-new partnership with Lincoln Northeast High School,” Heng-Moss said. “It’s great for us to connect with the next generation and get them excited about the opportunities. It also gives them a chance to see the University of Nebraska through a different lens.”

 
Bailey Feit has played a vital role in making those connections happen. Feit coordinates FEWSS classes and activities at Northeast and talks with the six students every day. She said it is exciting to watch them build self-confidence and begin to form a college transcript at the same time.
 
“I think they are excited that they’re different,” Feit said. “They get to have this opportunity, and no other high school student gets to have this opportunity, so they’re really feeling a lot of pride.”
 
Feit worked with LPS and CASNR administrators on many logistical issues before the program launched this fall. They ensured students had enough available time in their Northeast class schedules to travel to and from campus, and they answered the transportation question by providing them with UNL parking permits. All six also completed the UNL application process and were accepted as visiting students.
 
“It’s difficult to start something innovative, but it’s also really exciting,” Feit said.

 
The college science course is held every Tuesday and Thursday. All CASNR students are required to take the class, which teaches them how to develop and use critical research skills. Feit said the Northeast students are held to the same high academic standards as their older peers.
 
“They are treated like college students,” Feit said. “I’m pretty sure no one in that room actually knew who the high school students were. The professors don’t act any differently around them. They are expected to do the exact same assignments and be graded at the same level with the same rubrics.”
 
The two seniors and four juniors spend the other three days of the week working with Feit during seventh period at Northeast. They are completing advanced research projects on FEWSS subjects that interest them.

 
Ketzia said that rigorous workload will benefit her in the future. She said it is exciting to have her faucets of knowledge running on full blast during her time at college.
 
“I like being able to be here on campus,” Ketzia said. “To have it be here and get that real-world experience is really cool. It’ll get harder, but I know it’s going to prepare me for what’s to come because I do want to attend UNL when I graduate.”

Ready to choose your journey? Explore the Early College and Career STEM program at Northeast High School and other LPS Focus Programs on our website at https://home.lps.org/focus.

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