This month’s newsletter highlights the incredible advocacy efforts of Nicole Everingham at the Afterschool for All Challenge, the national recognition of CFY’s leadership at the Every Hour Counts Conference, and the promising data emerging from our STEM Initiative. We’re also excited to share a landmark national report on youth development and look ahead to events that will keep us connected and energized in the months to come. Enjoy our June newsletter, stay cool and have a great summer!

Summer Fun and Next Level Learning

Members of the Collective for Youth network kicked off the Summer Fun program with a training on May 22^nd. The program is funded by the Peter Kiewit Foundation and is set to provide over 16,000 individual admissions to field trip destinations around the Omaha area. Summer programs kicked off in the last week in May and the first week of June. Many network partners are collaborating with Omaha Public Schools through Next Level Learning.

Students throughout programs will be focused on literacy, STEM, physical activity, and of course, fun! We love summer because it highlights so many of our great partnerships and the spirit of collaboration we strive for in our network.

Afterschool for All Challenge

Our very own Nicole Everingham, recently embarked on a quick but impactful trip to Washington D.C. Her mission? To represent Nebraska’s afterschool programs in the Afterschool Alliance’s “Afterschool For All Challenge,” advocating for the vital role they play in our communities.
Alana Pearson from Beyond School Bells, Jillian Luchner from the Afterschool Alliance, and Nicole held meetings with the offices of Senator Deb Fischer, Senator Pete Ricketts, Congressman Don Bacon, and Congressman Adrian Smith. These discussions centered on the indisputable value of Nebraska’s afterschool programs, highlighting their significant contributions to:

Education: Providing extended learning opportunities and academic support that complement the school day.
Skill Development: Fostering critical life skills, leadership, and positive social-emotional growth.
Economic Support: Enabling parents to work by offering safe, enriching environments for their children.

A key point of discussion during these meetings was the potential impact of the President’s “skinny budget” on 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) funds.  The meetings conveyed how reductions to these vital funds would directly threaten afterschool programs across Nebraska, potentially leaving thousands of students without access to these crucial services.
The meetings also discussed the effective utilization of Child Care and Development Block Grants (CCDBG), emphasizing how these grants could be leveraged to expand the number of students served by afterschool programs, ensuring more Nebraska families have access to quality care and educational enrichment.
We encourage all of you to also let our congressional delegation know about the incredible work being done in afterschool programs across Nebraska. The Afterschool Alliance has a new website, AfterschoolWorksforAmerica.org, and it contains everything afterschool supporters need to make the case to protect federal funding for afterschool programs.

Every Hour Counts Conference: A Vision for Afterschool Programming Through 2050

The Every Hour Counts Conference brought together over 200 professionals, including our CFY Team and some of our Agency Partners, for two wonderful days of envisioning the future of afterschool programming and intermediaries from now through 2050. The conference was a celebration of the Every Hour Counts Network’s 20th year, and we were excited to contribute a CFY t-shirt to the time capsule commemorating this milestone.
One of the highlights of the conference was the session titled “Building a Quality System from the Inside Out,” led by Nik and LaRon from the CFY team. This session was attended by 38 conference participants and received high praise from attendees, who mentioned it positively afterwards.
The conference was a fantastic opportunity for professionals to come together, share ideas, and envision the future of afterschool programming while also learning from other intermediaries in the Network. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with the Every Hour Counts Network and our Agency Partners as we work towards a brighter future for all.

New Report- The Future of Youth Development

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine released its new report on out-of-school time programs this afternoon on a webinar that featured Jen Rinehart and other experts. The Afterschool Alliance issued a news release commending the new study, “The Future of Youth Development.” The news release can be accessed by clicking here, and you can access the study, free of charge, by clicking here.

CFY STEM Initiative

We recently wrapped up our second year of the Collective for Youth STEM Initiative, supported by the Peter Kiewit Foundation, with an exciting final meeting at the Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum. Some of the STEM providers and afterschool site staff were present and had a blast engaging in SAC’s new FAA certified flight simulators and participating in a fun scavenger hunt.
As we conclude this school year, we are thrilled to see the positive impact of our training series and Community of Practice around STEM-based informal programming. Regardless of their background in STEM, participants are reporting increased confidence, comfort, and capability in facilitating STEM activities. This growth is further reflected in the quality scores from assessments observing their program activities/experiences.
CFY is incredibly proud of the work being done to provide the youth in our network with quality STEM experiences and for the commitment of all those involved in this initiative. Just like the SR-71 Blackbird in the photo pushing the limits of speed, these educators are pushing the limits on what is possible in afterschool STEM experiences. Here’s to continuing this journey and making an even greater impact next year!

Save the Date

July 14-18, 2025
National Summer Learning Week
April 10, 2025 @ 10:00 am – 11:30 am

July 29, 2025 from 8 a.m.- 5 p.m.
Stuff the Bus Supply Drop Off–
Shadow Lake Towne Center
7775 Olson Drive, Papillion NE

September 26, 2025
GetConnected 2025 Nebraska Afterschool Conference
Younes Conference Center North
Kearney, NE