What’s All the Buzz About?

The Collective for Youth team traveled to Florida for the 2023 Every Hour Counts Conference after the Labor Day weekend! The conference asked for each Network to provide an artifact highlighting their afterschool network in some way. This year, the team took a unique approach by using the idea of honeybees to depict the Collective for Youth Network.

The poster photo that you see highlights the complexity of the Network: The beekeeper symbolizes the Collective for Youth team, the nine hives indicate each lead agency in the network, and the number on each hive corresponds to the number of sites that the lead agency oversees in the network, which is also the number of flowers in the field. Additionally, the worker bees that you see on the poster are the site/agency staff in the network that make things happen and the frame in the hive are the supports that exist in the network, with the honeycomb itself being the program providers that work within the network. Finally, all of this goes into the final product (the honey), which is high quality programming for the youth that the Collective for Youth Network serves.  Photo credit: Nik Stevenson

Peter Kiewit Summer Fun-
It’s Happening!

Summer Fun 2023 kicked off earlier this month and we’re so excited for all the enriching opportunities available this summer! We have over 30 host destinations offering experiences to 40 youth serving programs. The opportunities range from team building at the ropes courses at Carol Joy Holling Center, Lego robotics at Metro Community College, plant and pollinator education at City Sprouts and Lauritzen Gardens, and fire building, archery, and kayaking at Lake Cunningham! Youth also get a chance to just have fun and cool off with Omaha Parks and Recreation pools, spray grounds, Mahoney State Park, Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium, and Omaha Children’s Museum. A new highlight this year was partnering with Union Omaha FC to host youth on the soccer field, for a meet and greet with the players, and to walk out on the field with the players to start the game. Youth and staff had a great time at the game and we hope to continue this next year!

We want to extend a big thank you to Peter Kiewit Foundation for funding all of these meaningful experiences and to Student Transportation of America for working diligently to coordinate and provide transportation for all the opportunities.

 

Save the Date for these exciting events that are coming up!

July 20, 2023 – This will be our 6th annual Stuff the Bus school supply drive. Partnering with WOWT and sponsored by Scheels , Stuff the Bus is an important opportunity to help students get the supplies they need to be fully prepared for the upcoming school year! The supply collection event is being held at Village Pointe Shopping Center (west of Scheels) on Thursday, July 20th from 5 AM to 7 PM. 

September 21, 2023 – Support Collective for Youth by joining us for movie night at Classics with a Cause movie night at the Quasar Drive In movie theater, 13427 North 300 Street, Valley, Ne. 

September 22, 2023 – Get Connected Nebraska Afterschool Conference   The Get Connected 2023 Nebraska Afterschool Conference provides an opportunity to learn more about planning and implementing a quality afterschool or summer program. CHI Health Center, 455 N 10th Street, Omaha, NE .