Blog Archives

Early Childhood Event Builds Bilingual Partnerships between Providers and Families

Posted on April 15, 2021 by Nebraska Children — Leave a comment

On Saturday, April 24, from 9:00-10:00 a.m. the counties will hold back-to-back Zoom sessions, one in English and one in Spanish, to inspire conversations about the bi-lingual experience in childcare. The event, titled “Supporting Spanish Speakers in Early Childhood,” offers providers insight into Latinx cultures and invites Spanish-speaking families to better understand the requirements of the American educational system and to engage actively with the providers who care for their children. Read more about this event!

Prevent Child Abuse Nebraska Recognizes Every Community’s Role in Supporting Thriving Families

Posted on April 12, 2021 by Nebraska Children — Leave a comment

On April 2nd, several Bring Up Nebraska partner organizations, and including First Lady Susanne Shore and DHHS CEO Dannette Smith met to plant blue pinwheels on the lawn of the Governor’s Residence.

Governor Ricketts signed a proclamation declaring April Child Abuse Prevention Month in Nebraska. Here, DHHS CEO Dannette Smith (left) poses with First Lady Shore (right) who is holding the proclamation.

Tagged with: Bring Up Nebraska, child abuse, Child Abuse Prevention, child well being, dhhs, prevent child abuse, Susanne Shore
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Sixpence Success Story: How Sixpence Laid the Groundwork for A Young Woman to Build Her Dreams

Posted on April 7, 2021 by Nebraska Children — Leave a comment

Today, Daisy Ortiz has a story to tell. Daisy was raised in a loving, supportive family. As a teenager, she and her parents were committed to her pursuing a bright future. At 16, however, she encountered an earth-shattering surprise: she was pregnant. How did her resolve and Sixpence help her through this major life challenge? Read more in our blog, in Daisy’s words.

Beyond School Bells and Cardinal Community Learning Centers Grow the Good Life with GPA Outdoor Program

Posted on April 7, 2021 by Nebraska Children — Leave a comment

If you visit Crete Public Schools’ campus, you’ll notice a sense of life. Monarchs flitter through gardens. Heirloom vegetables thrive in the greenhouse. Cardinals return to roost in trees. This revitalization is no accident; it is the result of Cardinal Community Learning Centers’ (CCLC) outdoor education program. This lively scene is also proof that working together, as a community, we can turn old spaces into vibrant new ones while creating opportunity and abundance.

Beyond School Bells and Cardinal Community Learning Centers revitalize outdoor spaces and create quality learning opportunites, thanks to supporters like you. Read more.

Meet Lauren Ward: Assistant Vice President of Trafficking and Violence Prevention Shares Her Empowering Approach

Posted on March 18, 2021 by Nebraska Children — Leave a comment

How do you and Lauren Ward, Assistant Vice President of Trafficking and Violence Prevention, support human trafficking survivors? Lauren describes how you can go from helping to empowering. Read more.

Not Just Kid Stuff: Falls City Sixpence FALLS in Love with its Community and Helps the Whole Family Create Change!

Posted on March 18, 2021 by Nebraska Children — Leave a comment

If you’re ready for some good news and a new year, then Nebraska Children has a good one for you from Sixpence, one of the early childhood programs we oversee. Susan Johnson, a Family Educator and Director of Sixpence Falls City Public School has a terrific Sixpence success story! Read more to hear about how a young family overcame their housing and professionals challenges and went on to obtain some impressive goals.

Wonder Powers, ACTivate: Beyond School Bells, UNL Honors, and Partners Create Test Prep for Low-Income Students 

Posted on March 15, 2021 by Nebraska Children — Leave a comment

BSB and UNL design studios create ACTivate. ACTivate is a college-readiness progrma that pairs UNL Honors students with GIPS students. The program provides test-prep for lower-income youth and the support they need to feel college-ready.

2021 Youth Legislative Days Meets Virtually for Young Leaders to Make Their Voices Heard

Posted on February 18, 2021 by Nebraska Children — Leave a comment

This year’s Youth Legislative Days took place over Zoom. From Feb. 6-8, young people from all over Nebraska had the opportunity to make their voices heard, network, and learn about our legislative system. This year’s event featured a mix of young leaders from the Governor’s Youth Advisory Council (GYAC) as well as participants of Nebraska Children’s Connected Youth Initiative (CYI). Read more.

Nebraska Children and Families Foundation is Sub-recipient of “Support for Youth Victims of Human Trafficking in Nebraska” Grant

Posted on February 17, 2021 by Nebraska Children — 2 Comments

In October 2020, Nebraska Children was the sub-recipient of a $1.5 million three-year grant, “Improving Outcomes for Child and Youth Victims of Human Trafficking” through the grantee, Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.

The grant is from the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC). The goal is to support the child and youth victims of sex and labor trafficking in Nebraska up to age 24 and employ evidence-based strategies from Nebraska Children’s Connected Youth Initiative’s (CYI) to support survivors including unconnected youth ages 14-25.  

Aftershock: Norfolk Public Schools’ Afterschool Program and Beyond School Bells Respond to the Community and Students’ Needs with a New Podcasting Club

Posted on February 17, 2021 by Nebraska Children — Leave a comment

Nebraska Children and Families Foundation is on board with purposeful afterschool programs like these. We are home to Beyond School Bells (BSB), a dedicated network of afterschool professionals who create, sustain, and enhance quality expanded learning programs, or ELOs.

Beyond School Bells is always glad to catch up with one of our partners and afterschool programs like Aftershock, which recently began a podcasting club. Say what you will about afterschool and summer programs, but they are anything but just babysitting. Here, kids build gumdrop towers, create robots, learn boradcasting and podcasting, and prepare for careers.