Intern Foundry

Project Title: Outdoor Education Intern

Location: Lincoln, Nebraska (potential travel for field trips, on-site activities, and a week-long summer camp)

Big Gumdrop Outdoors is a non-profit organization that works to educate underserved youth about nature through afterschool clubs, summer programs and field trips, and monthly community events. This internship is centered around strengthening and expanding their environmental education curriculum while actively engaging in their programs. The intern will help develop two new educational units (containing ~8 lessons/activities each) that will be science-based and focused on topics such as Ecosystems and Agriculture. These new units will be tested directly throughout development, so the intern will also gain hands-on experience working directly with the youth participating in the summer programs. This includes field trips, on-site activities, and potentially a week-long summer camp (June 15-19th, if available). There may also be opportunities to continue working with Big Gumdrop Outdoors during the school year as an employee.

Project Title: Nebraska NNSP: Communications & Continuity Project

Location: The Nebraska State Office Building in Lincoln, Nebraska (primarily on-site)

The Nebraska Newborn Screening Program (NNSP) ensures that all newborns are screened for conditions affecting long-term health and are connected to timely follow-up when necessary. However, there’s a persistent challenge in ensuring that families understand newborn screening results, particularly when a child is identified as a carrier of a hemoglobin disorder such as sickle cell trait. Additionally, primary care providers must consistently use current, accessible guidance. As the Communications & Continuity Intern, you are tasked with updating and improving educational materials regarding hemoglobin disorders for families and healthcare providers, and aligning the program’s Continuation of Operations Plan (COOP) with the latest national guidance.

Note: The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) requires a completed background check as part of the hiring process for all positions.

Project Title: FiftyOne Commons – STEAM Curriculum and Partner Development

Location: 501 S. 7th Street and 1531 N 52nd Street in Lincoln, Nebraska

Family Service Lincoln is the city’s largest provider of before- and after-school programming and is expanding its impact in Northeast Lincoln through the new FiftyOne Commons campus, which features affordable housing, a community garden, and an 11,000-square-foot community center centered around a youth makerspace. As part of this expansion, the intern will play a key role in launching and shaping STEAM-focused programming at the new community center, working directly with students to design, pilot, and implement engaging, hands-on curriculum. The intern will collaborate across departments to help develop learning experiences, add new makerspace materials, and build community partnerships, contributing to the creation of an inclusive, community-based STEAM education model that can be replicated across Lincoln.

Note: The intern must successfully complete a DHHS-approved fingerprint background check.

Project Title: Full Stack Development Intern

Location: Old Mill Area in Omaha, Nebraska

Nebraska Innovation Labs is a leading provider of specialized technology solutions and strategic guidance tailored for startups with limited technical expertise, with a mission to empower emerging companies with the tools and knowledge needed to succeed in a fast-paced digital landscape. With a strong understanding of the challenges startups face, the organization is supported by a team of skilled professionals dedicated to helping entrepreneurs turn innovative ideas into practical, scalable solutions, viewing technology as an enabler rather than a barrier. The intern will collaborate with the development team to design, develop, and maintain full-stack web and mobile applications for startup clients, utilizing front-end frameworks such as Angular or React, JavaScript, and back-end technologies including Node.js and ExpressJS. Responsibilities could also include developing Windows applications using C#, working with database management systems such as SQL Server or MySQL, gaining exposure to NoSQL databases, using version control systems for source code management, and building skills in web and cloud hosting platforms. Interns will work on projects as they come in, and collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver high-quality software solutions that meet customer and end-user needs.

Project Title: Burrowing Owl Manager

Location: Remote/hybrid, but based in Lincoln, Nebraska for access to Nebraska National Guard Headquarters, with some escorted site visits in Silver Creek, Nebraska

The Nebraska Army National Guard is working to restore habitat at the Silver Creek Local Training Area near Silver Creek, Nebraska, with the goal of supporting the return of the Burrowing Owl, a Nebraska Tier I Species of Greatest Conservation Need that was last observed at the site in 2012. As part of this effort, the intern will develop a Burrowing Owl Detection, Monitoring, and Conservation Plan by evaluating current site conditions, studying the species’ habitat and conservation needs, and identifying how well the restored landscape can support the owl’s return. Working largely independently, with escorted site visits and guidance from local, state, and federal wildlife experts, the intern will design monitoring methods to detect and track Burrowing Owls and create practical conservation recommendations that balance wildlife needs with ongoing land use. This project offers hands-on experience in applied wildlife research, habitat assessment, and conservation planning, while contributing to a real-world strategy to improve and protect critical habitat.

Project Title: Modular Ordering and Delivery Program Intern

Location: 1248 O Street #601, Lincoln, NE

At NIFA, the intern will join the “MOD Squad” to support the Modular Home Ordering and Delivery Program, an initiative designed to expand access to affordable housing across Nebraska. The intern will help create a digital catalogue of modular home options tailored to community needs and design an efficient regional delivery system to move homes from factory to site. The intern will apply technology, analytical thinking, and creative problem-solving to map and optimize workflows, contribute ideas for scalability, and collaborate with internal teams to streamline the entire process from site preparation to final installation. This hands-on role offers exposure to affordable housing initiatives, supply chain logistics, project management, data analysis, and strategic systems design, providing a meaningful opportunity to make a tangible impact on housing accessibility in Nebraska.

Project Title: Neighborhood Community Redevelopment and Wellness Intern

Location: South Salt Creek area in Lincoln, Nebraska

TMCO is a metal manufacturing company that has a strong commitment to community impact and invests in education, workforce development, and place-based learning initiatives. This project centers on the redevelopment of the neighborhood surrounding TMCO into a connected, Wellness-focused campus that links the manufacturing shop, The Prep Academy childcare, and the future nature and garden center. The intern will research, design, and support a holistic TMCO Campus model that integrates walkability, biking, green space, child and family wellness, nutrition, and community gathering into a cohesive environment while collaborating with the neighborhood, schools, community partners and city stakeholders. We will work on creating strategic and visual plans to tie together the TMCO campus experience utilizing the green spaces and designing landscaping to beautify the area. The intern will have the opportunity to develop community connections with the neighborhood, schools, city planners, and other stakeholders to build a cohesive plan. This project will also require a creative storytelling component as the project is explained publicly.

Project Title: Clean in Place (CIP) 5550 Optimization for tanks

Location: Lincoln, NE

Zoetis, as one of the world’s leading animal health companies, works to discover, develop, manufacture and commercialize vaccines, medicines, diagnostics and other technologies for companion animals and livestock. The intern will focus on improving how manufacturing equipment is cleaned between product runs at Zoetis. The intern will study an automated cleaning system, called Clean-in-Place (CIP), that washes tanks and filter lines without taking them apart. By observing cleaning cycles, collecting time and usage data, and mapping each step of the process, the intern will identify where time, water, or cleaning chemicals are being used inefficiently. Using Lean principles, the intern will help evaluate opportunities to reduce excess cleaning for certain water-soluble products while still meeting quality and safety requirements. The role also includes helping design small, controlled tests to evaluate improvement ideas and estimating the operational and cost impact of proposed changes. This project will provide the intern with exposure to manufacturing operations, teamwork across departments, and real-world process improvement.