Our youth programs point students toward their inherent power.

One of 2020’s indelible images has been of motivated young people demanding change.

They must employ knowledge, skills, values, and motivation to realize that change – and that’s where Civic Nebraska comes in. We help build lifelong civic leaders and create opportunities for youth community participation, service learning, problem-solving and civil discourse instruction, and student-centered enrichment. We develop skills in issue identification, problem-solving, and collaboration. And we link our programs based in schools with their respective communities to strengthen families, keep neighborhoods vibrant, and help children succeed in school and in life.
In 2020, Civic Nebraska launched before- and after-school programs for elementary students in the Raymond Central school district – our first extended-learning efforts outside Lincoln or Omaha, bringing our school-based programs to nine. As COVID-19 persists, our instructors maintain their strong connection with students, families, and communities; from summer activity kits to virtual clubs to hundreds of hours of remote video education and enrichment for all ages.

‘We the People’ means our youngest Americans, too. Through our growing Youth Civic Leadership work, Civic Nebraska empowers more and more young people to critically and creatively participate in their world. And work to improve it.

CIVIC U.

Amid scholastic disruptions due to coronavirus, Civic Nebraska launched CIVIC U., a free virtual learning hub. Our innovative Youth Civic Leadership team is the force behind CIVIC U., adding new content regularly, and hosting live events and activities for students and non-students alike. As we continue to navigate the pandemic together – and apart – CIVIC U. is there to connect civic-minded citizens of all ages.

Service Learning Center of Excellence

In 2020, Civic Nebraska became a Center of Extended Learning Excellence in the area of service learning. In this new capacity, our Youth Civic Leadership team showcases and shares best practices with service-learning programming, staffing, and partnership development across Greater Nebraska. Our center, based in Grand Island and made possible by Beyond School Bells, offers regular professional development and coaching, including a free Civic Nebraska-developed resources toolkit available to all communities.