Explore the question:
Why do we grow so many soybeans in Nebraska?
At SSI you will obtain the tools to help your students become “Soybean Enthusiasts” through the exploration and inquiry of the Nebraska Soybean Story. Enjoy a mix of Content Experts from the University of Nebraska Lincoln-CASNR, the Nebraska Soybean Board, and local teacher leader collaboratives. We will learn together and apply systematic thinking about the phenomenon of Nebraska Soybeans that will lead to a gained understanding of the soybean as a system. Together we will connect your College and Career Ready standards to your classroom by developing units collaboratively with content experts and cross curricular teams that will give you the tools and support to share with your students the vast layers of the Nebraska Soybean Story.
We invite 20 Middle School and High School teachers to attend.
Priority given to cross-curricular teams.
Apply ASAP.
July 1-2 and July 8-10, 2025
APPLICATIONS DUE MAY 1
Paid Professional Development
You must attend all five days to receive stipend.
- $1,050 Full attendance stipend
- $250 Lesson plan implementation bonus
- Classroom resources and supplies
Questions?
Choose Your Location
University of Nebraska Haskell Ag Lab
57905 866 Road
Concord,NE 68728
(402) 584-3828
East Campus, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Lincoln
FEWS2 Hub
114 Food Industry Complex, Lincoln, NE
Program Teams
University of Nebraska Haskell Ag Lab
Nicolas Cafaro La Menza, Assistant Professor, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, WCREEC
Logan Dana, Farm Operations Manager, University of Nebraska Haskell Ag Lab
Agnes Kurtzhals, Program Associate, University of Nebraska Haskell Ag Lab
Tammera Mittelstet, CASNR Statewide Education and Career Pathways Coordinator
East Campus, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Lincoln
Bailey Feit, CASNR and Lincoln Public Schools Early College and Career Pathways Coordinator
Dylan Mangel, Extension Plant Pathologist and Assistant Professor, Department of Plant Pathology
Justin McMechan, Assistant Professor, Department of Entomology
Leah Sandall, Associate Professor of Practice, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture
Meghan Sindelar, Associate Professor of Practice, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture
Program Team Members
Plant and Soil Sciences eLibrary
The Plant and Soil Sciences eLibrary is a collection of Open Educational Resources (OER) developed by team members whose mission is to disseminate foundational science and cutting-edge research related to plants, soils, and the environments where plants grow. With collaboration from our subject matter experts and the use of technology we are growing this knowledge base which is used globally by students, industry, faculty, and researchers.
This resource is free for you to read and enjoy - no login required.
QUOTES FROM PAST PARTICIPANTS
"Best 8 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 would be a great vehicle for learning”
100% of participants agreed “The resources and supplies I received as part of the Soybean Science Institute will help my teaching.”
