Gallup employee launches video series to promote Nebraska STEM

By Mary Kate Gulick

Arranger. Woo. Communication. Maximizer. Activator.

Those are Jim Collison’s top 5 Gallup Strengthsfinder attributes. And each one of is plain to see in Jim’s new YouTube video series, dedicated to promoting STEM in Nebraska.

Jim has been at Gallup for 7 years. Serving as the corporation’s Technology Manager, he puts his passion for STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) into practice every day. But as a member of the Gallup recruiting team, he was also keenly aware of the need for better STEM education at younger ages.

“There’s not enough full time tech workers in Omaha,” said Collison, “so we go to the college level and are like wow, there’s not enough STEM students in college. So then we look at high school and see there’s not enough students interested in STEM. For the long haul, we don’t have enough stem workers because we’re not capturing them in the lower grades.”

That’s why Jim started the Nebraska STEM interview series on YouTube.  He started shooting and producing interviews with Omaha-area STEM providers in February. Now, with six interviews under his belt, he’s hoping the series will create public awareness of the outstanding programs Omaha offers to make STEM learning more accessible.

“For a movement that lacks people, it doesn’t lack effort,” said Collison. “There’s a lot of STEM learning going on in Omaha. So my goal is to connect those providers so that they know what each other are doing and raise awareness for the general public.”

Creating a series like this takes time. Thankfully, Gallup supports what Jim is doing.

“We’re trying to do everything we can to support the professional ecosystem,” said Jim. “We’re looking for people to hire, but we also want to help the city of Omaha. There’s such a huge mission in this that’s so much more than hiring people. Gallup is willing to let me invest in this.”

Follow Jim on Twitter.

About Nebraska Children

Nebraska Children's mission is to maximize the potential of Nebraska’s children, youth, and families through collaboration and community-centered impact.