COLUMBUS, Neb.— Thousands of kids came to Columbus this month to get hands on experience in S.T.E.M.

4-H S.T.E.M. Field Days in Platte County is a four day event over two weeks to gain interest in the fields of Science Technology Engineering and Math.

According to 4-H Youth Development Educator Sheila Hoppe, some of the activities teach more than just the basics.

“This particular event is obviously S.T.E.M and we’re preparing them for the future,” Hoppe said. “We’re hoping that by kids participating in these events, they might realize this is something I want to do in the future.”

The program is in its third year with this year’s theme, take flight, letting kids build catapults, use drones, and even learn how wind chill is calculated.

The participants told NCN that some of their favorite parts about the program were the drones they got to fly.

These programs happen all around the state to encourage more learning among students in Nebraska.