The Beyond School Bells Innovation Invitational focused on empowering youth through purpose-driven afterschool programs. Key discussions addressed the challenges youth face, emphasizing belonging, engagement, and community. Experts encouraged educators to foster resilience and growth, while innovative initiatives aim to enhance Nebraska’s Expanded Learning Opportunities, ultimately inspiring young leaders and shaping future educational experiences.
Suzi and Kendra Muhsman recently showed their civic pride in the Schuyler community through the books they wrote for Nebraska Growing Readers. In the process, they promoted family engagement in shared reading, a community commitment toward literacy, and an intergenerational approach toward reading. Learn more about how this mother-daughter duo connected with their community and others beyond.
Nebraska Growing Readers (NGR) has plenty of local online books you can relate to spring that can help celebrate the season even on those one-off bad-weather days.
Rooted in Relationships will be a part of the statewide collaborative that has been invited to join the current cohort of Zero to Three’s Financing Policy Project for 2025.
Sometimes, the little things aren’t all that little. So when Yanki Smith makes a spiral flourish with her hand to indicate writing with a pen and says her contribution to the writing of Moving Day Made Fun was “a little…
Nebraska’s Ravenna area is now the 75th community to partner with Communities for Kids (C4K)! This milestone marks continued progress in expanding access to quality early childhood education across the state. With a dedicated core team, Ravenna is working towards sustainable solutions for childcare needs.
“It could have been us.” Powerful words spoken by a young advocate during Legislative Days, capturing the real-life stakes behind the bills debated at this year’s event. Designed to educate young people on the legislative and policymaking process, the event gives youth leaders a platform to push for meaningful change. Hosted by Connected Youth Initiative (CYI), an initiative of Nebraska Children and Families Foundation (Nebraska Children), Legislative Days emphasizes civic engagement as a tool for personal growth and community betterment. For many participants, this event marks the beginning of their advocacy journey, setting them on paths to future leadership roles.
At Camp Catch-Up’s Winter Carnival, siblings separated by foster care reunite for a day filled with games, connection, and joy. From bouncing balloons to heartfelt gift exchanges, every moment is about strengthening bonds and creating cherished memories. For many, this is the only time they see their siblings all year—making every hug, laugh, and shared experience priceless.
Rooted in Relationships (RiR) is an initiative by Nebraska Children aimed at transforming early childhood mental health through community collaboration. By providing childcare providers with training, RiR addresses behavioral challenges in young children, enhancing their social-emotional skills. Recently, the team was recognized nationally for their work.
Paw Tha Hser and Fariha Mohmand are both refugees who seek to pass on their native languages to the next generation. They have been working with Nebraska Growing Readers and teams of translators to create children’s texts in their own languages. Their contributions have been an important part of the 51 NGR texts that have been translated this year.
Growing the Good Life 