Fifteen rural communities across Nebraska are joining forces with Communities for Kids (C4K), the University of Nebraska at Kearney (UNK), and Nebraska Extension to address a pressing challenge: recruiting and retaining early childhood educators in rural areas. The initiative is called the Knowledge Network for Early Childhood Education Workforce (K.N.E.W.), and participating communities will collaborate over the next two years to craft innovative solutions, build local capacity, and strengthen professional development opportunities for early childhood professionals.
“It’s a three-pronged approach between C4K, UNK, and UNL-Extension,” said Kara Nickel, who is coordinating the work from C4K. “And there’s some power in that elevation, because Nebraska representatives are involved and paying attention. C4K gets to support and enhance the work that is already happening to help improve the workforce outlook, UNL-Extension gets to support quality enhancement through training and resources, and UNK gets to compile the data and package it in a way that will be able to help communities all across Nebraska.”
Nickel shares how engaged the participating communities have been: “The challenge for communities is that they’re working at the pace of life, they’re in the moment, trying things out in real time, advocating for providers, advocating for businesses, and they’re cooking—but when they’re in that mode, slowing down to really think through each piece, little by little, can be difficult. That’s where UNK comes in. Communities will be able to slow down as they work on these projects, and reflect in a formal way that produces information.”
Right now, the work is just beginning. Milestone goals are taking shape, reflective consultation sessions are being planned, and C4K is gearing up to host multiple in-person events over the next year so that communities can connect, share ideas, and learn from one another.
This is just the start of what promises to be a transformative journey for Nebraska’s rural early childhood workforce. Stay tuned for more updates as the K.N.E.W. Project unfolds!
Communities for Kids is an initiative of Nebraska Children and Families Foundation. To learn more about this work, visit www.CommunitiesforKids.org.
© 2025 Nebraska Children and Families Foundation. All rights reserved.
Nebraska Children’s mission is to create positive change for Nebraska’s children through community engagement.
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