Tyeisha Thompson, a CYI participant and recipient of the prestigious LEAP grant, talks about how she uses her design passion and newfound support to create new, safe spaces for young people like her who experienced foster care.
To Taiwan and Beyond: Beyond School Bells’ Think Make Create™ Trailer Takes Nebraska Expanded Learning Opportunities across the Globe
Learning can veer into countless directions and exciting terrains.
Afterschool provides that space, not only throughout Nebraska but the world. As you probably know, we all learn differently, but we know one thing for certain: when we are engaging ourselves and our children, our capacity for success is limitless.
In a rapidly changing, fast-paced world, our great state needs to retain and grow young, driven, and innovative professionals. There’s simply no better place than afterschool – wherever you may be – to partake in quality learning that can spark future careers.
Find out how Nebraska Children’s afterschool initiative, Beyond School Bells’ Jeff Cole and his daughter created a formidable team that’s taking afterschool halfway across the world, all the way to Taiwan and back!
Tagged with: after school program, after school programs, afterschool, afterschool program, afterschool programs, beyond school bells, elo, elos, middle childhood, STEM, STEM learning
Posted in Middle Childhood, News and Events
Posted in Middle Childhood, News and Events
Beyond the Books: Beyond School Bells and Young Entrepreneurs of the Future Omaha Help K-12 Students Work Toward their Dreams
In 2018, when married couple Breann and Travis Hines began the Omaha, Nebraska-based nonprofit, Young Entrepreneurs of the Future Omaha (YEF), they set out on a mission. Their goals were to inspire the vision of youth entrepreneurship and develop self-reliance…
Tagged with: after school program, after school programs, afterschool, afterschool program, afterschool programs, beyond school bells, elo, elos, middle childhood, STEM, STEM learning
Posted in Middle Childhood, News and Events
Posted in Middle Childhood, News and Events
Communities of Hope: Celebrating Nebraska’s Progress Towards Well-being and a Vision for the Future
After a 2-year delay, Bring Up Nebraska partners were finally able to gather in Lincoln to celebrate how Nebraska has become a national leader on building a community-based well-being system! On April 13-14, leaders from many of the community collaboratives across the state met with state and national partners in Lincoln.
The Power of Partnerships; the Essence of Failure: Beyond School Bells, Young Entrepreneurs of the Future, and VentureLab Empower Youth
Meet our new generation of businesspeople!
Girls create DJing businesses. Kids embody different food truck roles. Youth operate socially-conscious clothing brands and learn braiding, cosmetology, budgeting, and pricing, all thanks to your support of our Beyond School Bells initiative, VentureLab, and Young Entrepreneurs of the Future Omaha!
In Living Watercolor: Grai Gray Paints a Vibrant Future of Resilience with Connected Youth Initiative Supports
Grai Gray (they/them) is making a name for themselves in every area of their lives. From featuring a watercolor piece in the University of Nebraska Omaha’s (UNO) spring juried art show to doing digital illustrations, Grai keeps their world busy and colorful.
Pretty Fire: Loup Valley Childhood Initiative and Partners Light Up the Stage with a Play and Dinner to Honor Childcare Providers
When the Loup Valley Childhood Initiative (LVCI) decided to host almost 30 early care providers for the Crane River Theatre’s moving play, Pretty Fire, the team sought to celebrate providers and a love for the performing arts. LVCI is a community-driven team that works with Nebraska Children and Families Foundation’s Communities for Kids (C4K), our early childhood initiative that provides technical expertise, supports, and solutions that suit each location’s early care and education needs for children birth-5. Read more about their innonative approach to honoring childcare providers.
Nebraska Child Abuse Prevention Fund Board Recognizes Nebraska Children’s Community Collaborative Partners in Supporting Thriving Families
April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, which marks a time when Nebraska Children and Families Foundation reaffirms our commitment to prevention. As we work toward a thriving Nebraska, we and our community partners strengthen families by preventing problems before they start. Read how you can get involved in community collaboratives to strengthen children and families!
“No More Band-aids”: Community Partnerships Build Better Early Childhood Systems
There may be truth to the old adage, “it takes a village,” when it comes to developing quality early childhood care systems. After all, the National Institute for Children’s Health Quality concluded that the coordinated systems needed to impact families’…
Tagged with: Cherry County Early Childhood, Childcare Centers, communities for kids, Dakota County Early Childhood, Early Childhood Community Coordinators, early childhood development, early childhood education, Holt County Early Childhood, in-home care, Madison County Early Childhood, preschool development grant, Rooted in Relationships, step up to quality
Posted in Early Childhood, Uncategorized
Posted in Early Childhood, Uncategorized
Christen Million Shares Why We Need to Close the Gap of Systemic Inequities
“I always knew I wanted to work with children. My vision for what that looked like changed and grew throughout my undergraduate program and the beginning of my career. Ultimately, everything led me to exactly where I needed to be, which is currently an Assistant Vice President of Early Childhood Mental Health with the Rooted in Relationships initiative at Nebraska Children and Families Foundation, and one of the co-leads for the Nebraska Pyramid Leadership Team.”
Christen Million, one of Nebraska Children’s experts, reflects on her passion for working with children, along with her future plans.
Full-Service Community Schools Deliver an Innovative Approach to Supporting Students, Teachers, and Families Alike!
Nebraska Children and the Nebraska Department of Education are addressing pandemic-related setbacks through the Together, Better Initiative, a deliberate series of efforts geared toward strengthening students and families in the most essential ways. Among these efforts is the piloted project, Full-Service Community Schools (FSCS).
Stick Creek Kids and Communities for Kids Open the Doors to Quality Early Childhood Care and Education
Stick Creek Kids and Nebraska Children and Families Foundation’s Communities for Kids have worked hard to arrive at their destination: more quality early care and education in Nebraska. Surprises, lessons, and discoveries were all part of seeing Stick Creek Kids brought to reality. But whenever the water levels rose, the community rose up as well.
Chance Encounter: Aiesha Rahn Shares How Her Commitment to Helping Families, Being Present, and Making Connections Has Led to Her Current Success
Aiesha Rahn doesn’t believe in coincidences. In fact, her seemingly chance encounters with various Nebraska Children and Families Foundation staff have led her to where she is today – as an Assistant Vice President of Early Childhood Programs and a recipient of an Endorsement for Culturally Sensitive, Relationship-Focused Practice Promoting Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health®. Read about how a series of surprises have moved Aiesha into her current success and how she recommends you can get there too!
Tagged with: early childhood, early childhood development, early childhood education, early years, sixpence, sixpence CCP, sixpence homebase, toddlers
Posted in Early Childhood, News and Events
Posted in Early Childhood, News and Events
In-Home and Center-Based Providers Agree: Circle of Security Classroom™ Promotes Healthy and Secure Relationships!
Imagine feeling free to try new things and explore, then being able to re-enter in for reassurance, support, and anything else you need before you set back out again. The whole time, knowing that no matter what you did or where you went, there was always that safe base for you to come back home. Read how our early childhood mental health experts and partners work throughout Nebraska to implement the Circle of Security Classroom (COSP-C™) approach, which helps teachers and childcare providers forge supportive bonds with children!
Tagged with: child care, child well being, childcare, COSP, COSP Classroom, early childhood, early childhood development, early childhood education, early childhood mental health, early childhood programs, early years, Rooted in Relationships, social emotional, social emotional learning
Posted in Early Childhood, News and Events
Posted in Early Childhood, News and Events
Nothing to Hide: A’zja Reveals How Her Past Gave Her the Strength to Succeed
As a teenager, A’jza escaped her family and hid for three weeks in a friend’s closet. She’s also walked herself to therapy, deciding that she needed mental health support. She learned Omaha’s public transit system as a child, worked a job since she was 12, and has been mistaken for someone almost twice her age – with good reason. Read about how, with a Connected Youth Initiative and Beyond School Bells internship, this remarkable young woman stepped into a thriving career.
Tagged with: after school program, afterschool, afterschool program, afterschool programs, beyond school bells, cares act, connected youth initiative, Connected Youth Initiatve, early childhood development, elo, elos, foster care, foster care system, older youth, project everlast, Project Everlast Lincoln, Project Everlast Omaha
Posted in Uncategorized
Posted in Uncategorized
Retelling Her Story: Madison Honeyman Uses Her Voice and Connected Youth Initiative’s Internship to Create a New Future for Herself and Other Former Foster Youth
Madison Honeyman is an activist, slam poet, youth advocate, and history buff. Best of all, she’s retelling her past experiences in the foster care system, thanks to CYI supports to create a better tomorrow for other systems-involved young people.
Nebraska Infant Mental Health Forges New Alliance
Holly Hatton-Bowers knows the powerful moment of watching families struggle and trying to build positive bonds from analyzing such interactions. In a practicum where she had to employ video reflection, Hatton-Bowers tells of a woman who described herself as a…
Tiny Toilets, Small Worlds, and Big Partnerships: Boone Beginnings and Communities for Kids Pave the Way for Quality
Boone Beginnings has been involved with Communities for Kids (C4K) since 2018. The team modeled their program with an impeccable eye for detail and other preexisting centers as examples. And yes, that includes everything down to the tiny toilets. Read the good, the challenging and the funny parts behind Boone Beginnings’ quality childcare journey.
Tagged with: child care, childcare, Collective Impact, communities for kids, early childhood education, education, preschool
Posted in Early Childhood, News and Events
Posted in Early Childhood, News and Events
For Every Door That Closes, Another Appears: Americle Lends Former Foster Youth Her Secrets for Resiliency and Transformation
On her 18th birthday, the doors slammed behind her – and they were the doors to prison. Now, at 21 years old, Americle continues to focus on self-improvement. Part of her plan includes participating in PALS coaching, part of Central Plains Center for Services (CPCS), and Nebraska Children and Families Foundation’s Connected Youth Initiative (CYI). An older youth initiative, CYI provides supports and services to young people like Americle who have experienced incarceration or foster care, among other challenges. Read about her transformative journey and supportive resources.
At Home in Nebraska: McCook and Communities for Kids Support In-Home Providers
In 2019, when McCook decided to increase access to childcare, they didn’t know what the future would bring. In 2021, the community came incredibly far, but they’re still surging ahead. Read about their impressive strides to create quality early care and programs.
Marching to the Beat of Quality Care: Gering Communities for Kids Creates Magnetic Reminders of Providers’ Value
Gering Communities for Kids (C4K) prides itself in building a brighter future for their families through community engagement. As an organization that drives home the same mission, Nebraska Children and Families Foundation couldn’t agree more. In our minds, we can accomplish some incredible feats, including creating quality childcare for children 0-5. Our initiative, Communities for Kids (C4K), accomplishes this goal in partnership with communities like Gering. Read more about how this newer C4K team creates quality care solutions.
Lincoln Littles’ Story: If We Speak Up about Childcare, Our Communities Will Listen
We’re glad to kick off the first blog in a series that showcases Communities for Kids teams across Nebraska! What better place to start than right here in Lincoln, with Lincoln Littles? Read about how this team discovered its joys and challenges in creating childcare.
To See and Be Seen: Denise Daugherty Leaves Her Difficult Past Behind to Find Inspiration, a New Career, and Outlook
Meet Denise Daugherty.
“Now I do what makes me happy. I’m not worried about others. The reason I got into trouble was that I needed to love and protect people.” Denise Daughtery reveals how she pushed beyond foster care and incarceration and into her dreams with Beyond School Bells, Connected Youth Initiative, and Central Plains Center for Services’ coaching and support. Read more.
Tagged with: (Re)Connecting Youth, after school programs, afterschool, afterschool program, afterschool programs, beyond school bells, CARESAct, connected youth initiative, Connected Youth Initiatve, elo, expanded learning opportunities, foster care, foster care system, foster youth, project everlast, Project Everlast Lincoln, Project Everlast Omaha
Posted in News and Events, Systems, Teen/Early Adulthood
Posted in News and Events, Systems, Teen/Early Adulthood
Communities for Kids Translates Passion and Knowledge into Action
Wendy Gwennap, the Early Childhood Community Coordinator for Adams County, admits that before she started her position, she was unaware of the challenges migrant Spanish-speaking families face when they come to the U.S. “I was ignorant of what they go…
Tagged with: bilingual initiatives, communities for kids, community collaboratives, PDG funding, Rooted in Relationships, sixpence
Posted in Uncategorized
Posted in Uncategorized
CARES Act: Nebraska Children and Partners Set the Stage for Positive Change – and So Do Young People Who Experienced Foster Care
How do Nebraska Children and Families Foundation and partners create positive change? We work through and with our communities, especially our young people. As far as we’re concerned, they are the catalysts for transformation! Thanks to the power of CYI and Beyond School Bells, our afterschool network, Jessi said that she and our partners put CARES Act dollars to good use. Now, young leaders are changing children’s lives for the better!
Strong, Strong…Nebraska Strong: LEAP fellows and Nebraska Children Staff Share LEAP Strategies for Success
We’re so glad that our staff and Connected Youth Initiative participants joined leaders from across the nation for a two-day LEAP convening on November 3-4, hosted by the Annie E. Casey Foundation and organized by LEAP Young Fellows and partners. Read more about how LEAP creates positive change for young people who experienced foster care.
Wonderschool Modernizes Early Childcare Businesses in Nebraska
Fear of change can be hard . . . in fact so hard that Forbes reports 62% of us would rather remain in our comfort zone even if change might mean something better for us. When it comes to childcare,…
Afterschool’s Impact: “It Prepared Me for Being a Leader in the Adult World; I Have No Fear of Leading Adult Men or Women in STEM.”
Afterschool’s Impact: “It Prepared Me for Being a Leader in the Adult World; I Have No Fear of Leading Adult Men or Women in STEM.” Read more about Kathy.
Friendship Bracelet: How Lauren Mott Created Afterschool Engagement for Herself and Students
When Lauren Mott walked into her first job at an afterschool program, she saw children who became restless due to being unengaged. Wordlessly, she came into the classroom the next day with a box of supplies, sat down by herself at a table, and began making friendship bracelets. Read more about how this moment and others sparked Lauren’s passion for STEM diversity and afterschool learning.
Tagged with: after school program, after school programs, afterschool, afterschool program, beyond school bells, middle childhood, STEM, STEM learning
Posted in Middle Childhood
Posted in Middle Childhood
Working Overtime: Nebraska Children’s Early Childhood Staff and Childcare Providers Push through the Pandemic into Brighter Times
The Nebraska Children team worked overtime with equally hardworking providers to ensure they received almost $10 million in CARES Act funding.
Tagged with: cares act, childcare, communities for kids, early childhood, early childhood education, early childhood programs, early years, sixpence
Posted in Early Childhood, News and Events
Posted in Early Childhood, News and Events
Bubbles and Blocks: How Nebraska Children and Childcare Providers Create the Foundation for Well-Being During the Pandemic
When the pandemic struck, early childhood programs found themselves in dire straits. With fluctuating enrollments, mortgages to pay, and children to care for, the future of childcare seemed unpredictable. Read about how Nebraska Children’s expert early childhood team worked with providers and owners of early childhood programs like Cory Quimby to ensure they could see through to the end of the pandemic.
How Does Your Garden Grow? Beyond School Bells and Partners Reveal their New Afterschool High-Tech Tool
Today, Nebraska Children and Families Foundation’s afterschool initiative, Beyond School Bells, and many hardworking partners aren’t just growing greens. That is to say, the Greenery is not your typical afterschool program. Read about how we’re changing the face of afterschool.
Light and Dust: Liz Dozier, 2021 Changemakers Keynote Speaker, Shares How We Create a Better World Through Examining our Biases
We can’t wait for you to join us on Tuesday, October 26 at 11:30 am for Changemakers, featuring our keynote speaker, educator, and activist Liz Dozier!
Sweeter Every Year: Nebraska Children Thanks You for Making the Perfect Pour Worth the Wait
You support Nebraska Children through attending our yearly fundraisers, including Perfect Pour. Thanks to you, we made this year’s event and craft cocktail competition even sweeter by sampling our state’s leading mixologists’ Tequila Avion drinks, which was this year’s mixer of choice. Read about this year’s event!
Sixpence: Scottsbluff’s Home Visitors and Parents Share Successes
From providing resources for parents’ mental health to encouraging toddlers’ and infants’ developmental well-being, Sixpence home visitors help families thrive! Sixpence is a Nebraska Children early childhood initiative for children prenatal through 3. Read how home visitor Janelle Anderson works with her families to move through mental health issues, find housing, and developmentally engage their children:
Tagged with: early childhood, early childhood development, early childhood education, early years, sixpence, sixpence homebase
Posted in Uncategorized
Posted in Uncategorized
Big Hearts, Open Arms, and Long Hours: CARES Act Funding Brings Childcare Providers and Nebraska Children Together
As we move into a new Nebraska, we envision childcare providers AND children thriving in every way possible.
Tagged with: childcare, communities for kids, early childhood, early childhood education, early years, sixpence
Posted in Uncategorized
Posted in Uncategorized
It’s in the Bag: A Sixpence Home Visitor Brings Comfort to Families During the Pandemic
It’s in the bag: Lyndsey Witte, a Sixpence home visitor, brings comfort and creativity to families during the pandemic. Sixpence is a Nebraska Children early childhood initiative that works with families, schools, and children from prenatal to three to create developmentally stimulating learning environments. Read about how Lyndsey found creative ways to engage her families during a difficult time.
Tagged with: early childhood, early childhood development, early childhood education, early childhood programs, early years, kindergarten, sixpence
Posted in Early Childhood, News and Events
Posted in Early Childhood, News and Events
Sixpence: Scottsbluff’s Sixpence Home Visitors and Parents Share Successes
Read some testimonials from Sixpence families and home visitors. Thanks to their collaboration and hard work, kids thrive! Sixpence is a Nebraska Children early childhood initiative that creates high-quality learning opportunities for children ages prenatal through three. Thanks to these families’ and home visitors’ efforts, they pushed through the difficult times during the height of the pandemic.
Tagged with: early childhood, early childhood development, early childhood education, early childhood programs, sixpence
Posted in Early Childhood, News and Events
Posted in Early Childhood, News and Events
Communication as Collaboration
If you’re a regular reader of the PDG newsletter, you’ll be aware of the collaborative efforts between organizations connected to grant initiatives, collaborations built on sometimes small moments of communication. A few that have been highlighted in the newsletter arose…
Tagged with: bilingual event, collaboration, preschool development grant, provider training
Posted in Uncategorized
Posted in Uncategorized
Camp Catch-Up Reunites Siblings Separated by Foster Care Placements for an Overnight at Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo
The third summer session of Camp Catch-Up kicked off from July 28-29, this time, with 40 campers. Camp Catch-Up is a Connected Youth Initiative (CYI) program that reunites siblings between the ages of 8-19 who were separated due to foster care placements.
To Infinity and Beyond: Amanda Gutierrez Joins Million Girls Moonshot Advisory Board, Plans a Trip to Mars, and Takes the Next Generation with Her
Meet Amanda Gutierrez. Amanda is passionate about Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). She’s planning on being an astronautical engineer. Amanda is also one of the newest members of the Million Girls Moonshot (MGM) Advisory Board. MGM is a multi-year, national initiative organized by STEMNext to increase the presence of women of color and other underrepresented groups in STEM. STEMNext awarded an MGM grant to Beyond School Bells (BSB), Nebraska Children’s initiative supporting afterschool and summer learning in Nebraska. Read about why STEM is Amanda’s passion and how a trip to the moon might be in her future.
How Do You Open a Childcare Center During a Global Pandemic? Sixpence CCP and Kyla Habrock Have Answers
If you want to open a childcare center at the start of a global pandemic, you can refer to Kyla Habrock and Nebraska Children and Families Foundation’s Sixpence Child Care Partnership Program made possible by a partnership with Hastings Public Schools. Learn more about how during the pandemic, Kyla, her talents, and the Sixpence Child Care Partnership Program ALL helped her open her new center!
Blame It on Cakey: Bilingual Support Growing in Nebraska for Childcare Providers and Families
There are no easy answers to bridging the gap between the increasing number of bilingual families in Nebraska and a childcare system that can’t always provide the support they need. Some communities have no Spanish-speaking providers in areas with a…
We Meet Again: Camp Catch-Up Kicks off its First Summer Session to Reunite Siblings Separated by Foster Care Placements
When life gives you rain, you play foosball.
Such was the case for this year’s Camp Catch-Up (CCU), anyway, which is no stranger to obstacles.
A Nebraska Children and Families Foundation program that operates within Connected Youth Initiative (CYI), CCU remains as resilient as its campers.
Throughout the pandemic, the CCU staff continued to find creative, innovative ways to reunite siblings between the ages of 8-19 separated by the foster care system.
This year’s first Camp Catch-Up summer session, Camp Moses-Merrill, kicked off in Linwood, Nebraska from June 10-13. Read more about how campers and staff enjoyed creating fun, tie-dye shirts, and memories!
Early Childhood Event Builds Bilingual Partnerships between Providers and Families
“Speak English!” That’s the reception Angelina Fregoso received from one parent when she was overheard speaking Spanish to a child in her care, a story she recently shared with a gathering of providers who had come to hear how they…
Posted in Uncategorized
Mission and Ministry: Kenesaw Opens its New Childcare Center, Thanks to its Committed Residents and Communities for Kids
Whether you’re a believer in fate, divine intervention, or hard work, Adams County Communities for Kids blends these elements. Find out how patience and faith created the perfect childcare center at the perfect time. Read more.
REDI for Positive Change: Nebraska Children and Families Foundation Puts into Motion Racial Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
Our organization has long driven home our objective for all Nebraskan children, youth, and families to thrive. We also understand that we can’t achieve this goal so long as racial and ethnic discrimination exists. We put our goals in motion with a Racial Equity position statement, from which we’ve then created measurable goals. Read more about our racial equity position statement and what we’re doing to put those goals in motion.
Tagged with: community well being, diversity, inclusive workplace, racial equity, racial equity diversity and inclusion, REDI
Posted in News and Events
Posted in News and Events
Resiliency in the Time of COVID-19: Americle Participates in Connected Youth Initiative and Pulls Through
Americle, a Connected Youth Initiative (CYI) participant, pushes through obstacles and continues to be her best self. Although her journey hasn’t been easy, this young woman who experienced foster care went on to accomplish great things, thanks to her resolve and Connected Youth Initiative programs.
Power in Numbers: Nebraska Children and Partners Roll Out the Latest Iteration of the Data-Rich Nebraska Community Opportunity Map
What tool reveals Nebraska’s well-being indicators? Whether you’re a policymaker, social worker, or journalist, the latest iteration of the Nebraska Community Opportunity Map puts relevant, timely data at your fingertips. We are glad to have played a part in this initiative, having served as The Nebraska Community Opportunity Map’s facilitator. As with any major project, the map was a group effort among data experts from many statewide agencies and organizations. Read about the map’s newest features.
Tagged with: Bring Up Nebraska, community opportunity map, community prevention system, community well-being, well-being indicators
Posted in News and Events
Posted in News and Events
Planting the Seeds: Beyond School Bells, the Malone Center, and the Career Academy Grow STEM Afterschool Equity and Activities for Girls and Women of Color and Underrepresented Groups
Beyond School Bells (BSB) wants to empower girls, especially those of color and other underrepresented groups, with the power of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). Tyrina Webster, Director of Operations at the Malone Center, wants to equip young women with knowledge, dreams, and career choices. So does Joshua Jones, the Director of The Career Academy. Together, we make a formidable team. Thanks to BSB’s partners at STEMNext, we joined the charge in this nationwide initiative to include more girls in this cutting-edge field. When we hear how partners like the Malone Center and The Career Academy have partnered with us to join this movement, we’re thrilled to the moon and back.
Growing the Good Life 