LINCOLN – In May, “Nebraska Stories” takes viewers to Omaha’s newest cultural gem to discover how it sparks interest in science, math and technology careers. Also in Omaha, see how a women’s professional volleyball team is spiking interest in the game and meet an exiled human rights advocate who made a new life in the city.
The season's final two episodes of the award-winning, local television series premiere at 8 p.m. Thursdays, May 2 and 9, on Nebraska Public Media.
On May 2, explore the ways Volleyball Day in Nebraska smashed stereotypes and changed conversations about women’s sports. Plus, curious characters find military uniforms, Elvis suits and vintage clothing at the Nebraska Wesleyan University Costume Library in Lincoln.
The same episode stops in the village of Potter to meet locals who still enjoy spirited rounds of duck pin bowling. Proudly claiming it’s the home of the Tin Roof Sundae, the charming community is a convenient stop for both inquisitive and hungry travelers along Interstate 80.
Also on May 2, members of the Pawnee Nation unite with Nebraska farmers to preserve the tribe’s ancestral corn. Sacred to their heritage, the corn can be traced back to when the Pawnee were expelled from their homeland in 1877, carrying their prized seeds with them. Set aside for years, the corn was on the verge of extinction until an unexpected friendship gave the Pawnee a chance to grow their corn in Nebraska once again.
The May 9 episode opens along the Missouri in the heart of Omaha’s reimagined RiverFront, where the Kiewit Luminarium changes the ways its visitors see the world. Interactive exhibits and a kaleidoscope of engaging programs aim to spark curiosity in STEM careers among young visitors. The space is designed to inspire people of all ages to dream, play, wonder, experiment and consider something new.
Also in Omaha, a new segment focuses on the first women's professional volleyball league in the U.S. and the city’s Supernovas team. Another introduces an exiled Sri Lankan human rights advocate who lives in Omaha after escaping political persecution and death threats in her home country.
The masterful storytellers who collaborate on “Nebraska Stories” serve as the modern archivists of Nebraska’s stories – both present and past. Enjoyed by viewers across the state for its feature-based, characterdriven storytelling, “Nebraska Stories” covers art, science, history, sports, performance, nature and more.
New episodes repeat Fridays at 7:30 p.m. on Nebraska Public Media.
“Nebraska Stories” is funded in part by The Margaret and Martha Thomas Foundation and the Bill Harris and MarySue Hormel Harris Fund for the Presentation of Cultural Programming.
The series is also funded in part by the Nebraska Soybean Board, the Nebraska Tourism Commission, Phelps Memorial Health Center and TeamMates Mentoring Program.
“Nebraska Stories” is on Facebook, at NebraskaPublicMedia.org/ nebraskastories and on the Nebraska Public Media App.
