Teachers Invited to Summer Soybean Institute
LINCOLN, Neb. (March 8, 2024) – The Nebraska Soybean Board is proud to announce its funding support for the upcoming 2024 Summer Soybean Institute (SSI), inviting twenty middle school and high school educators to delve into the fascinating world of soybeans. Hosted by the University of Nebraska–Lincoln College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources (CASNR) in collaboration with local teacher leader collaboratives, this enriching institute will be held on May 29-30 and July 16-18.
SSI aims to equip teachers with the necessary tools to instill a passion for soybeans in their students by delving into the intricacies of the Nebraska Soybean Story. Facilitated by content experts from CASNR, the Nebraska Soybean Board and local teacher leader collaboratives, participants will engage in sessions designed to cultivate systematic thinking and foster a comprehensive understanding of soybeans as a system.
"This year, we are encouraging cross-curricular teams of teachers to apply, so students can see how soybeans are not only a good fit for science but also have strong connections to data collection, mathematics, economics, business and other areas," said Bailey Feit, CASNR/LPS focus program coordinator.
Participants will have the option to attend sessions at either the West Central Research, Extension and Education Center in North Platte or the FEWS2 Hub on the East Campus of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in Lincoln. Teachers who complete all five days of the institute will receive a stipend of $1,050 along with a $250 lesson plan implementation bonus and up to $1,000 supply budget to further enrich their classrooms.
"As a member of the planning team for SSI 2024, I am very excited to see the creativity our teachers can bring to their classrooms," Feit said. "Educators everywhere are very innovative, and the SSI will allow them to learn about soybeans, how important they are to Nebraska, and integrate them into their teaching."
The program teams for both locations include esteemed faculty members and experts from various departments within CASNR. The Summer Soybean Institute is made possible through the support of the Nebraska Soybean Board and Nebraska Extension.
Quotes from Past Participants:
"Best eight days of science learning that I have ever had. It was fun, engaging and pushed me to become a learner again and a better teacher in the end."
“Tons of genetics opportunities, forces + motion unit (speed & strength of plant/root/leaf growth), farming practices in the modern era = engineering.”
"Great mix of in class learning for NGSS, soybean learning, expert learning and work time."
“When learning about plants, soybeans are a great vehicle for learning.”
The registration deadline in March 18 and priority will be given to cross-curricular teams of teachers. For more information and details, interested parties are encouraged to visit go.unl.edu/2024ssi or email k12partners@unl.edu.
