The voices of Nebraska’s youth proved to be a powerful force, swaying Governor Jim Pillen to support crucial legislation impacting food security for 150,000 children in Nebraska. The young advocates, representing communities across Nebraska, presented compelling arguments at Legislative Days, ultimately influencing the governor’s decision. Their success highlights the transformative impact of youth advocacy in shaping policy.
“Sit down for just one minute and listen to me. That is what I would want to see changed; not, ‘You go here or here, or if you do this, we will put you here.’ As a kid, you don’t need to be threatened with a placement.”
Young leader Jacob Mckirdy is talking about the foster care system and the needs of children and youth who experienced this complicated entity. Read how he and other young leaders participate in Lincoln Legislative Days to make their voices heard about their passions.
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.
More than 50 young people from across the state gathered for the Nebraska Children’s annual Legislative Days at Camp Carol Joy Holling in February to learn about the legislative process and voice their opinions on bills before the legislature. The…
Written by GYAC members Ina Bhoopalam and Jennifer Wang On Friday, February 3, members of the Governor’s Youth Advisory Council (GYAC) arrived in Ashland, Nebraska, to participate in an immersive experience about government and leadership. What is Legislative Day? Legislative…
Written with GYAC members Tanya Wasson and Ina Bhoopalam Each year, members of the Governor’s Youth Advisory Council, or GYAC, come together for Legislative Days – a collaborative weekend gathering for GYAC and Connected Youth Initiative members to come together…
Proposed 2018-19 Federal Budget eliminates funding for afterschool President Trump recently released his first federal budget proposal, in which he proposed elimination of the only dedicated source of federal funding for afterschool and summer programs, the 21st Century Community Learning Center Program.…
This month’s CYI roundup brings lots of Learn and Earn to Achieve Potential (LEAP) activity, site visits, and a renewed youth interest in legislation. Read on to see what we’ve been up to over the past month. National LEAP partners…
Nebraska’s highly accessible legislative process uniquely primes Nebraska to empower young adults as civically engaged citizens. On February 11-13, 19 youth from the Governor’s Youth Advisory Council (GYAC) and the Connected Youth Initiative (CYI) gathered to learn about and engage…
Earlier this year, Nebraska Children and Families Foundation welcomed Nathan Busch to the team to serve as point person for implementing the state’s newly created System of Care. We recently had a conversation with Nathan to learn a little more…
Growing the Good Life 