UNO EMDS Student Lands a National Grant for Native and Tribal Drone Certification
A service learning class that focused on tribal students earning drone licenses has turned into something larger. Twenty thousand dollars larger.
A $20,000 grant was awarded to UNO Emergency Management student Corice Lieb this spring. Called “Soaring Eagles” this grant project focuses on certifying area tribal members in using drone technology for disaster assessments on tribal lands. Lieb, an Omaha Tribe member, was awarded this grant in Washington D.C. from the national Running Strong For American Indian Youth.
The grant idea stemmed from his recent service learning and drone classes, and Lieb’s work with Edouardo Zendejas, director of UNO’s Tribal Management and Emergency Services (TMES). The classes mentioned the area floods of 2019, which showed many tribes were not ready to make declaration of disasters, and had few resources of their own for surveying damages.
“We want tribes to be able to access relief funds in times of disaster, to establish and coordinate their own emergency management teams, and to restore their environments,” he said. “Drones can assess damages, help with preliminary planning, search and rescue, and medical work."
"We are here to help local tribes figure out what the drones can do, and how we can assist with this." Corice Lieb, EMDS student and grant winner.
Drone technology is the perfect tool for surveying many tribal land disasters and situations such as oil lines, animal destruction, trains, and overbrush and potential wildfires. Drones can survey and monitor situations before they happen. And, they also have the capability of using AI technology which can compile data into video.
However, using drones requires certification, and that takes time and equipment. The Running Strong Foundation thought the grant proposal to proactively train and certify tribal members with drone technology was phenomenal, and “basically gave us free reign in supporting us in what we want to do,” Lieb said. Plans for the grant include starting classes for certification hours this summer for tribal members, and purchasing new GIS/ teaching drones and less sophisticated equipment for earning flying hours.
This grant is just one step in Lieb’s public service journey. As a former marine, Lieb loves giving back to his community and his tribe. Along with studying Emergency Management, he is earning a TMES minor and working on drone certification. At the awards ceremony, Running Strong staff asked him if he wanted to work with them in later years (and he said “Of Course!”); he was also invited to two other conferences this summer.
“I had an amazing time in Washington. I met other people with the same mindsets and goals. I’d like to help my tribe in any possible way, and focus on native youth leaders to accomplish their goals,“ he said. “I love it. Love it, love it, love it.”
