Students at The Empire State Building, Thanks to AIM Institute’s TRIO Program
Upward Bound is part of AIM’s Youth Academies, which offers life-changing, intensive learning experiences designed to help students reach their full personal, academic and professional potential. Upward Bound is a college preparatory program funded through TRIO and the Department of Education to prepare first-generation high school students for college.
Through Upward Bound, students from Bryan, Thomas Jefferson, Papillion LaVista South and Papillion LaVista Monarch High Schools visited New York City in April for a memorable trip across the city and a campus visit to Fordham University. This experience was transformative for the students.
During the trip, students toured iconic landmarks such as the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Empire State Building. They also explored the Theatre District, Little Italy and Chinatown neighborhoods and attended a Broadway show. Beyond sightseeing, the journey fostered personal growth, boosted their confidence to travel independently and strengthened friendships among peers.
Naty Ledesma, AIM Upward Bound Site Coordinator for Thomas Jefferson High School, and Upward Bound Student Laisha Rascon Bencomo with her graduation certificate.
In May, the AIM Institute TRIO Upward Bound team proudly celebrated 42 graduating seniors alongside their families, bringing together over 130 attendees for a night of recognition, joy and inspiration!
These incredible students are part of AIM’s Youth Academies and represent the following area high schools: Omaha Bryan, Papillion LaVista South, Papillion LaVista Monarch and Thomas Jefferson. All of them will be attending college this fall—and 98% are first-generation college-bound students! The 42 graduating seniors have received over $3 million in total financial aid and scholarship offers, 12 students have received the Buffet Scholarship to attend a Nebraska university. This funding is critical to eliminating financial barriers for first-generation college-going students and helps limit the amount of debt they incur to attend college.
This year, we introduced a new honor: the TRIO Senior Leadership Award, recognizing students from each school for their outstanding leadership, community involvement, dedication, and compassion.
🏆 2025 TRIO Senior Leadership Award Recipients: Emely Gomez Jose, Tucker Reed, Adreana Logan, Kassandra Salas Perez
Congratulations, seniors, we can’t wait to see what you achieve next!
AIM is proud to have Bellevue University as a part of AIM’s Membership program.
Bellevue University is committed to delivering career-focused, affordable education with unmatched care and respect for every learner. Its mission reflects a deep dedication to student success, and its vision embraces the ever-evolving needs of the global workforce.
At Bellevue University, students are the heart of everything. Every degree earned represents a powerful individual who dared to dream big and take steps toward a brighter future. As a nonprofit, open-access university, Bellevue University is designed to support those dreams, helping students transform their passion into purpose.
The AIM membership is for organizations that want to hire new tech talent, upskill their teams, help promote tech as a rewarding career path, and are passionate about leveraging tech for economic development. There are other promotional benefits for organizations that have an AIM membership. To learn more, contact Blaine Nelson, bnelson@nullaiminstitute.org.
Students interacted with one of the 100 exhibits on display at the Luminarium.
Thanks to the collaboration of AIM’s TRIO program with Council Bluffs Community School District, AIM Institute representatives helped eighth-grade students from Wilson and Kirn Middle Schools tour Kiewit Luminarium on Omaha’s riverfront.
This was the second consecutive year AIM has hosted Wilson’s 8th graders, and we were excited to expand the experience by including Kirn Middle School students for the first time. The visit was timed to align with their Science curriculum, making the museum exhibits both relevant and enriching.
This was a fantastic opportunity for students to connect classroom learning with real-world observation—and AIM is grateful to help bring that to life.
Omaha-area elementary school students participating in 3v3 Robot Soccer.
Over 30 teams of young engineers from six Omaha-area elementary schools programmed robots that competed at the Kennedy Robotics Invitational, held at Howard Kennedy Elementary School on March 29. AIM Institute’s Isaac Piper, Director of Innovation, helped design the event for students to explore, wonder and build a passion for STEAM.
While the focus remained on learning and growing, there was a fun, competitive edge for students. For example, students programmed robots for the Code, Navigate & Deliver competition, where robots navigated a course to pick up a package and return it to a warehouse. Other students demonstrated their skills at the Drone-agility Course, where students flew their drones through a timed competition course. There also was 3v3 Robot Soccer—competitors used an iPad and controlled robots to score points in a soccer match.
The event was a collaboration between Howard Kennedy Elementary’s STEAM program, the AIM Institute and MCC’s STEM Program. AIM is a long-time community partner of Kennedy Elementary School. In addition to helping create the competitions, Piper helped students program their robots. AIM representatives judged the teams and provided assistance at the event.
It’s not too late to register for AIM Institute’s Infotec! Set for May 5 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Kiewit Luminarium on Omaha’s Riverfront. Infotec’s theme, “Harnessing Technology for Business Growth & Innovation,” underscores how technology is changing the way we do business and live.
Keynote speaker is Sam Sapp, Founder and CEO of LockBaud, a Kansas City-based IT and cybersecurity firm. Sapp works with organizations across the Midwest to build secure, resilient, and future-ready systems. His keynote will address the intersection of artificial intelligence and human creativity, exploring how AI is becoming a catalyst, not a competitor, for human imagination.
Infotec attendees can expect a transformative experience featuring breakout sessions led by local and nationally recognized leaders:
There will be two panels, one with CEOs and CIOs and the second panel will focus on data insights.
Interested college students can attend for free using their school email.
