Driven by a mission to create positive change for Nebraska’s children, Beyond School Bells (an initiative of Nebraska Children and Families Foundation) focuses on providing K-12 students with high-quality expanded learning opportunities (ELOs) that promote hands-on, engaged learning. The Nebraska…
NGR, an initiative of the Nebraska Children and Families Foundation, has partnered with Schuyler and other communities like it to provide books in areas where they are harder to find or to populations who benefit from access to free books.
Changemakers celebrates efforts in Nebraska to strengthen families and communities. The event is hosted by the Nebraska Children and Families Foundation and focused on community partnership and innovations in workforce development. Highlights included presentations on youth development, community collaboratives, and the honored Peter Kiewit Foundation’s contributions to social progress and opportunity.
The Peter Kiewit Foundation was recently awarded the 2024 Grace Abbott Award for their investment in the growth of Nebraska’s children.
Shawna Rischling first became aware of COSP through her teaching in a preschool classroom for the Alliance Public School system. Her program is funded by Sixpence, which requires programs to serve at-risk children in the community, and the initiative told her of a new training in COSP. Circle of Security trains parents and other caregivers in developing strong bonds that give their children the security and confidence to explore, learn, grow, and build positive relationships.
Since its beginning, NGR has made creating stories that speak to the diverse landscapes, the experiences, the languages, and the cultures of Nebraska a central part of its mission. And now, NGR is not only encouraging such local content, it is working with writer’s in a series of workshops to create Nebraska-related books. Kim Parsons has lived in Schuyler for over 50 years and is writing a book about the sweet corn farming that has been a part of her family for 21 years.
Sixpence Vice President Stephanni Renn asked Maddie to write a book about Jeter for the new Nebraska Growing Readers program supported by Sixpence , which resulted in Rare is Beautiful. In June of 2024, Maddie and Jeter were able to attend an MFDM conference at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and were provided with copies of the book to distribute there.
David Santos, facing homelessness and underemployment in Nebraska, was on the brink of leaving for Colorado with no concrete plan. However, a timely call from Zach Preble, a PALS Coach from Central Plains Center for Services, changed his path. Zach, funded by the Nebraska Children and Families Foundation’s Connected Youth Initiative (CYI), provided coaching focused on David’s strengths, connecting him to resources like housing and job training.
Literacy is a ritual in the Mohmand household. Fariha Mohmand is an Afghan refugee who was an instructor for company management instruction and a university professor. She moved here to live with her “American Family,” a university professor named David…
The community of Thedford, population 211, lives inside one of the 11 Nebraska counties that were classified as a child care desert when they began partnering with the C4K initiative in 2023. The entirety of the county had no licensed child care at all, and residents were worried their town was dying. They applied for American Rescue Plan/LB1014 funding, and as soon as they got their notice of award, got right to work.
Growing the Good Life 