Scott Scholars Community Action Projects (CAP) connect high-achieving STEM students from the University of Nebraska at Omaha with organizations in the Omaha metropolitan area to develop innovative solutions to community challenges.
CAP strives to create products that have value for community partners by way of processes that are valuable for students. Unlike traditional service-learning projects students face in academic contexts, Community Action Projects feature many more variables, real-life operational challenges, and ever-changing social and professional dynamics.
Using design thinking, a human-centered approach to innovation, teams of 6-10 Scott Scholars work with a partner to identify a challenge, learn more about those impacted by that challenge, and develop a list of potential solutions. From there, the team chooses one solution to prototype and ultimately helps the partner deploy and evaluate the impact of the prototype and their work overall.
Partner Organizations for Fall 2024-Spring 2025:
- RISE
- Malone
- Nebraska Medicine
- Prairie STEM
- Special Spaces
- Bockscar - 55th Wing
- Softsxills
- Collective for Youth
- Simply Kids
- Child Saving Institute