This week, we hosted students in the STRIVE Refugee Mentoring Program from Omaha, Lincoln, and Grand Island Public Schools for a Capitol Experience Day. Usually when we host young people at the Capitol, their hours are spent immersed in the intricacies of state government, learning how Nebraska’s unique form of governance serves the state.
This was a special “Cap Day,” however. Coordinated by Mentor Nebraska, STRIVE is a refugee-focused mentoring model that supports recently arrived refugee students in Nebraska, and students were treated to a Cap Day focused on art. They toured the State Capitol and learned about our state government, but also took in the building’s murals, sculptures, and designs and their meanings – why they appear in our state’s center of government. Then, the group went next door to First Baptist Church Lincoln to create their own art projects based on what they had just seen, absorbed, and reflected upon.
It was a special day on a number of levels, not least of which because it was the final Cap Day – and final work day – for our beloved Curriculum Coordinator, Christine McCurdy. Happy retirement, Chris!
We believe that Nebraska students shouldn’t only visit the State Capitol in fourth grade. As one of Civic Nebraska’s flagship programs, Capitol Experience Day offers that opportunity – and more – to middle- and high-school students across the state. Learn more about Cap Days here.
