Building Community in the Heart of Cherry County: Expanded Learning Opportunities in Valentine, Nebraska

Driven by a mission to create positive change for Nebraska’s children, Beyond School Bells focuses on providing K-12 students with high-quality expanded learning opportunities (ELOs) that promote hands-on, engaged learning. The Nebraska Department of Education (NDE) and Beyond School Bells (BSB) have a long-standing partnership built on addressing the educational needs of Nebraska’s children. 

The partnership between NDE and BSB highlights the critical effort to support students during a time of unpredicted challenges. As schools across the country navigated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the introduction of ESSER III funding became a vital resource to ensure that students received the support they needed. Those needs extended beyond the pandemic to the impact on students’ learning and growth. Through the ESSER Collaborative ELO grant, NDE and BSB collaborated to leverage ESSER III funds to expand learning opportunities beyond the traditional classroom, providing students with the tools and experiences necessary to thrive academically and personally and to address learning loss associated with the pandemic.

In the article, “Building Community in the Heart of Cherry County: Expanded Learning Opportunities in Valentine, Nebraska,” readers are introduced to how the ESSER Collaborative ELO grant created impactful ELOs for Nebraska’s youth, and expand access to resources and supports that students need to thrive.

Building Community in the Heart of Cherry County: Expanded Learning Opportunities in Valentine, Nebraska

Nestled in Cherry County, Valentine, Nebraska, is a small, close-knit community surrounded by natural beauty. With landmarks like Smith Falls and the Niobrara River, Valentine is a rural town of about 3,000 residents, just ten miles from the South Dakota border.  In its second year, Valentine’s afterschool program, which began in August 2022, was made possible by ESSER III funds. This valuable resource offers a safe environment where students can thrive and build community.

Addressing Critical Needs with ESSR Funding

Families have long faced challenges with limited childcare options in a town deeply rooted in farming and ranching. The ESSER funding was instrumental in establishing The Badger Club which has transformed the afterschool and summer landscape for local children. Before the program, many children returned home unsupervised due to the need for more childcare.

Thanks to ESSER funding, The Badger Club was able to launch and offer a range of educational and recreational activities previously not provided in the community. The program’s success is due in part to the support and commitment of the community, addressing critical needs in a high-need district.

To identify highly impacted communities and sites, the Nebraska Department of Education triangulated school identification (e.g. CSI, TSI, ATSI) and achievement data, COVID-19 impact, and measures of a community’s ability to respond to crisis (social vulnerability index). ESSER III dollars were provided to highly impacted districts with pre-existing afterschool and summer programs and to start new programs that would help students recover learning loss from the pandemic. Selected communities were categorized into Incubator, Accelerator, or Accelerator with Incubator sites.

Incubator sites, like Valentine, are newly developed programs and/or sites that do not receive federal 21^st Century Community Learning Center funds.

Engaging Youth Voice in Programming

The Valentine program emphasizes integrating youth perspectives into its planning process. “I ask the kids what they want to do,” explains Rachelle O’Kief, Director of the Badger Club. “We used brainstorming sheets to find out what the kids wanted to learn and do this summer. It was a great way to get student voices involved in the decision-making process.” This interactive brainstorming process, developed by Beyond School Bells, is designed to solicit feedback from young participants in afterschool and summer programs. These sheets offer insight into Nebraska youth preferences, help shape the program’s future, and engage students in decision-making. This student-led approach has led to a wide-range of activities that the students enjoy and find enriching.

Building Bonds and Fostering Mentorship

The program provides a safe place for children to build relationships and develop mentoring bonds with staff members, many of whom are high school students. “The bonds the kids have made with the high school staff have been amazing to watch,” Rachelle recalls. One notable story involved a young boy who had faced significant challenges outside of school. Initially, he was resistant to the program but eventually grew to love it, forming a close bond with one of the high school staff members. His mother has noticed the tremendous growth in him, both academically and personally.

Rachelle also relies heavily on vital role that school age staff play in her program. Whether it’s ensuring the program is adequately staffed, getting to know the students quickly, or being that first “hello” when a student walks through the doors. “Sometimes the students don’t want to talk to me, but they’ll talk to the high schoolers,” explains Rachelle.

The high school staff also play an important role in the mentoring program.

Support for the School

The program offers students a structured schedule during the summer and after school. During the school year, the program provides homework help and ensures that the kids spend time reading. This helps busy families by ensuring that students get in their reading time each day before they head home for the evening.

Overcoming Challenges and Looking Ahead

The program’s success hasn’t come without challenges. Valentine is an isolated community, and integrating new initiatives requires careful effort and community buy-in. Rachelle, who moved to Valentine from Omaha/Gretna seven years ago, had to earn the community’s trust and demonstrate her experience in afterschool programs. Over time, the community has come to value the program’s contributions, recognizing its essential role in providing a safe, enriching student experience.

The program’s impact is clear. It offers a critical service for working parents, many whom are engaged in long hours of ranching and agriculture. The Badger Club ensures that no child is left without supervision or support by providing a place to learn through hands-on, innovative activities, play, and growth.  

The program is offered at no cost to students, ensuring that financial constraints do not hinder participation. During discussions about the pricing model, there was a proposal to provide free access solely to students on the free and reduced lunch list. However, Rachelle insisted on making it universally available for all students. She recognized that many families who didn’t qualify for the free and reduced lunch program might need help to afford participation. She hoped these students might take advantage of the opportunity. “We can’t deny access to kids,” she emphasized. “Families need a safe place for their children to go.” This commitment underscores the program’s mission to support the entire community, regardless of financial circumstances.

A Bright, Connected Family

As the Valentine afterschool and summer program grows, it remains committed to community building. It serves nearly half of the elementary school’s students and constantly adapts to meet their needs. The program’s success demonstrates the power of community-driven initiatives and the importance of providing children with safe, supportive environments to learn and thrive.

For many parents in Valentine, the program provides a secure, safe place for their children. According to the young members of The Badger Club, their enthusiasm is clear: “We love coming here!” The kids laugh and support each other. This demonstrates how, even in remote locations, tightly-knit communities can flourish and thrive.

In Rachelle’s words, “We have really built a family. They laugh with each other and help each other. That bond has been cool to watch.”

About Beyond School Bells (BSB)

Beyond School Bells is a statewide public-private partnership that supports sustainable, high-quality, school-community collaborations that provide youth with what they need to succeed in school and life. These collaborations offer kids access to areas of learning they may never experience, including hands-on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) activities. Participants exhibit increased school attendance, positive behavior, and improved academic performance. Visit the Beyond School Bells website.