Collective for Youth Network Kick Off

We are off to the races for the 2025-26 school year!
Partners throughout the CFY Network kicked off the 25-26 school year this fall! So far this school year, we have served over 4,000 students across our 41 sites.
CFY Network staff have been busy building a strong foundation for the school year to come and have attended a variety of CFY professional development offerings, consulted program data from last school year, and developed quality improvement plans and goals. To start the month of September, CFY gathered all principals, site directors, and managers to go over our CLC survey and data reports from the 24-25 school year. The teams reviewed valuable survey information from students, parents, and teachers in all of our sites and created action plans for continuous improvement.
We took this opportunity to also recognize principals who have been in a partnership with Collective for Youth programs for over 10 years: Mr. Milan (Bancroft), Ms. Williams (Druid Hill), Ms. Schmidt (Gilder), Ms. Cox-Jones (Skinner), Mr. Williams (Morton), and Mr. Gunter (Monroe). We appreciate their strong collaboration and their support of CFY program students and families.

Executive Director, Megan Addison was featured in Omaha Magazine’s October Giving section.

“Not all after-school programs are created equal, but that’s a problem Collective for Youth has quietly worked to solve in the Omaha metro for nearly two decades. Before Collective for Youth started doing its work, there was a mishmash of after-school programs operating within the Omaha area, some of which would lose funding and close abruptly, disrupting the lives of families. And depending on the school, there was often a disparity between the opportunities available to students from one community to another.
According to Collective for Youth’s Executive Director Megan Addison, the question the organization set out to answer at its inception in 2007 was, “How do we even the playing field so that no matter where a kid goes to an after-school program, they would have a high-quality, engaging experience?”
Click HERE to read the article in its entirety.

Saturday October 11th is our Annual Lights On Afterschool Celebration!

Collective for Youth and our partners will host a Survivor-themed Lights On Afterschool celebration on Saturday, October 11, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at UNO’s Sapp Fieldhouse. The event, part of a nationwide movement, will feature Mayor John Ewing, a student parade, and more than 22 interactive activities like rock climbing, STEM stations, pickleball, and archery. Over 1,000 parents and students are expected to attend, along with community partners such as Boys & Girls Clubs, Civic Nebraska, and Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo. The celebration highlights the importance of afterschool programs in keeping kids safe, engaged, and inspired. This event is free and open to the public.
Check out the video created by students last year to celebrate Lights On Afterschool.

Back-to-School Supply Drive Thank you!

Thanks to WOWT, Shadow Lake Town Center, Texas Roadhouse, Two Men and A Truck for hosting such a successful back-to-school supply drive to ensure our students have the supplies they need to learn. Spare Time Entertainment in Elkhorn surprised CFY with an additional load of school supplies as well! We are grateful for their patrons’ donations to the cause.

Get Connected Conference

In the early morning hours of September 26th, about 45 agency partners from the Collective for Youth network boarded a bus charter and headed to Kearney for an exciting day of learning at the annual Get Connected Nebraska Afterschool Conference.
The day was filled with learning, collaboration, and inspiration. Nik Stevenson and LaRon Henderson led Building a Quality System From the Inside Out, helping participants explore backward planning as a tool for program improvement. Later, Nicole Everingham hosted Making a Difference: The Power of Advocacy for Afterschool, equipping attendees with strategies to use their voices to champion afterschool programs. Partners returned energized and ready to put new ideas into action for the youth in our programs and the families in our community.

Workforce Survey National Study Findings

Join Every Hour Counts on Thursday, October 30 from 2-3pm ET for a conversation exploring key findings from the Power of Us Workforce Survey, a national study led by the American Institutes for Research (AIR) and commissioned by The Wallace Foundation. With responses from more than 10,000 youth-serving professionals, this cross-sector survey offers a first-of-its-kind look at the workforce that supports young people beyond the school day. From career pathways to compensation, the survey surfaces critical insights about the people at the heart of afterschool and summer programs—who they are, what they value, and what they need to thrive. We’ll unpack what the data means for systems leaders, funders, and advocates—and how we can take collective action to better support this essential workforce. Webinar Registration – Zoom

Michelle Arehart ELO Fellows Visit Omaha

The Michelle Arehart ELO Fellows program held its second meeting in Omaha on August 28^th at Collective for Youth. The fellows dedicated their time to learning from one another and developing strategies to address challenges facing afterschool programs throughout Nebraska. A key activity was a Zoom webinar they facilitated, titled “Maximizing Child Care Funding in Nebraska: A Guide to CCDF and 21st CCLC.”

The day concluded with a visit to the Completely KIDS program at Jackson Elementary, providing them with valuable, hands-on insight into a local afterschool program. This meeting was a continuation of their year-long leadership initiative, which aims to strengthen the state’s expanded learning opportunities through improved quality, advocacy, and leadership skills.  This program is facilitated by Beyond School Bells.

STEM Sparks Fly at PKF Community of Practice Meeting

The energy was electric at CFY’s recent STEM Community of Practice meeting (sponsored by the Peter Kiewit Foundation)! This gathering brought together a dynamic mix of site staff and program providers, each bringing their own unique expertise to the table. The result? A powerful exchange of ideas, strategies, and inspiration that will ripple across our afterschool STEM programs each month. As we launch into Year 3 of our STEM initiative, the momentum is stronger than ever. Everyone had the chance to get hands-on with STEM Library equipment, diving into challenges that reflect the creative, curious, and collaborative spirit we bring to STEM learning every day. 

If you too would like to participate in our STEM workshops, Mark your calendars! On Wednesday, October 29, from 10:00 AM to Noon, we’re hosting our STEM Skills Series Workshop. This is your chance to roll up your sleeves and explore two hands-on STEM topics you can take straight back to your program sites. Whether you’re a seasoned STEM facilitator or just getting started, this workshop is for you. All are welcome—come ready to learn, play, and grow! Click HERE to register!

Save the Dates-

Don’t forget to register for one or several of our upcoming professional development opportunities. As always, these trainings are free and open to the public. Click Here to register.

October 7, 2025- Emotional Intelligence Skill Building

October 11^th – 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.- CFY’s Annual Lights On Afterschool Event at the UNO Sapp Fieldhouse

October 16, 2025- Third Thursday PD

October 23, 2025 – National Lights on Afterschool Day

October 29, 2025- STEM Skill Building