When schools temporarily closed amid COVID-19, so did our seven school-based Community Learning Centers in Omaha and Lincoln. Our CLCs are daily gathering spots for K-12 students and provide everything from homework help to service-learning projects to fun and educational clubs – so we knew how much young people would be missing from their after-school lives without them. That was one of many reasons why we launched CIVIC U., our virtual learning hub for all ages.
The first C in CLC stands for community, and that’s what we’ve worked to build with CIVIC U. To help connect with our middle- and high-school students this summer, our CLCs are partnering with talented local residents in offering interactive clubs. It’s a Zoomed-in slice of our CLCs, brought to you free by Civic Nebraska.
Our current slate of virtual clubs includes:
> Writer’s Block: Creative Writing with Mackayla Kelsey, 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. CDT Mondays and Wednesdays
Club members come together as a creative writing community to write their way through poetry, essay, and short non/fiction pieces. They share words about their identities as writers, themes of expression, and hold feedback circles to foster creativity, development of our compositions, and other activities.
> Once Upon A Code: Coding & Community Storytelling with Mackayla Kelsey, 2 to 3 p.m. CDT Tuesdays and Thursdays
Mackayla, a graduate student at Nebraska U., studies education – specifically art, tech, literacies, communities, and pedagogies. In this club, she brings creative technology, multimedia, and writing together!
> Wise Mind with CenterPointe’s Kristi Quattrochi, 1 to 2:30 p.m CDT Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays
Wise Mind explores mindfulness and skills to help students manage stress, relationships, and their minds. This is a great way to connect with others, have fun, and gain tools to benefit their lives. Wise Mind is for anyone wanting to learn more about how to calm their mind and reach their goals.
>Â Gaming Together Online, Â 3 to 5 pm CDT Thursdays
Join Community Learning Center staff for fun and connection! During this time students gather to play online games such as Jackbox Games, Kahoot, and others based on students’ technology and requests/
>Â Podcast Club, 1 pm CDT Thursdays
Students brainstorm and research topics, plan episodes and subject matter, and learn easy, low-cost ways to share your own podcast on their favorite topics.
For all scheduled live events, visit CIVIC U.’s live events page. Are you a middle- or high-schooler in the fall and have an idea for a virtual club? Let us know!
