This op-ed originally ran in the Lincoln Journal Star on 9/25/2026. Nebraska needs more nurses. Nebraska needs more teachers. Walk into a nursing program or a teacher-prep classroom, and you’ll notice the same thing: almost no men. That’s a missed…
Nebraska Children and Families Foundation's Connected Youth Initiative recently hosted the Imagining the Future: Older Youth Convening, gathering 50 participants to enhance support for older youth in foster care. Young leaders emphasized the importance of community, connection, and adult support. The meeting underlined collaboration's role in fostering positive outcomes for young people in Nebraska.
Why Teaching Youth Advocacy Is So Important Imagine standing in front of your state’s governor at sixteen years old, presenting a carefully researched argument about a bill that could change lives — and doing it with confidence, evidence, and heart.…
What if the person who once needed support became the one offering it? That’s exactly what happened to Tyeisha Thompson. As a young person navigating challenges as she transitioned to adulthood, she felt alone—like no one could understand her story.…
When children pick up a picture book about paleontologists digging for fossils, they’re not just learning vocabulary or learning to read—they’re discovering that science happens right in their own backyard. That’s exactly what happened when two Nebraska women collaborated to…
