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Contact: Jesse Bolli, 402-223-3514
BEATRICE, Neb. – Visit Homestead National Historical Park’s Education Center now through November 15 to check out an exhibit showcasing activities elementary students in the Beatrice Learning After School Time (BLAST) program participated in during the 2022-2023 school year.
During monthly park visits, BLAST students engaged in a variety of STEM and nature-related activities with park staff and our partners at Educational Service Unit 5 (ESU 5). With an overall theme of air quality at Homestead, students went out on the prairie with air quality monitors and measured levels of ozone, carbon dioxide, particulate matter, and light at four different locations, exploring how these factors affect plants and animals in the local environment. They also took part in activities like building mini wind turbines, nature journaling, and playing bird migration games to explore different aspects of Homestead’s natural environment and discover the connections between themselves and nature.
Homestead’s work with BLAST students this past year was a Greening STEM project funded through the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF). Greening STEM projects prioritize bringing students to public lands and engaging them in place-based, hands-on environmental education.
“We greatly enjoyed engaging BLAST students at Homestead this past school year,” said Homestead Superintendent Betty Boyko. “Teaching and inspiring the next generation of scientists and park stewards is an important part of our site’s mission and we look forward to continuing to welcome students back to the park.”
Remember, Homestead National Historical Park has an exciting schedule of events planned for 2023. Keep up with the latest information by following us on Twitter (HomesteadNHP) and Facebook (Homestead National Historical Park).
About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for the 425 parks in the National Park System and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Visit us at www.nps.gov, on Facebook www.facebook.com/nationalparkservice, Twitter www.twitter.com/natlparkservice, and YouTube www.youtube.com/nationalparkservice.
Last updated: September 17, 2023