#GivingEveryTuesday: Education
Each Tuesday, SHARE Omaha features a unique cause theme for #GivingEveryTuesday and encourages our community to give and support in any way we can! This week's #GivingEveryTuesday theme is nonprofits providing Education. Help support these local nonprofits with a gift today.
DIBS for Kids
Angie Miller of DIBS for Kids shares, "Third and fourth grade students reading on grade level is a critical educational milestone and a bellwether for high school graduation, post-secondary education, lifetime earnings, healthier lives, and more. At DIBS for Kids, we deliver infinite books to children who live in book deserts so they can practice their reading skills while finding joyful experiences in books. Many students in the Omaha metro area live in book deserts, where they do not have access to a sufficient number of books to read and therefore, gain the vocabulary, background knowledge, and other skills necessary to obtain reading proficiency."
Literacy is a cornerstone of education, regardless if a student wishes to be a baker, pilot, engineer, historian, or theater costume designer. With over 360,000 books taken home by over 6,000 students in the 2023-2024 school year, DIBS provides educational opportunities over and over and over again, in the form of access to books.
"Books showcasing the incredible diversity of stories, cultures, and interests in Omaha (and beyond) are always of great need at DIBS. We continually strive to build a book collection where students and families can see themselves as well as their families, neighbors, and community," says Angie.
Nebraska Writer's Collective
Zedeka Poindexter and Gina Tranisi of Nebraska Writers Collective shares, "Our nonprofit pays Teaching Artists to facilitate writing workshops and mentor young people across Nebraska and Southwest Iowa. We do not rely on volunteer labor, and believe it's imperative to pay artists for their time, expertise, and labor if we want to keep their talents here in the Midwest."
Nebraska Writer's Collective facilitates writing workshops and after-school programming for writers of all ages, and at all stages of their writing life.
"In order to serve all people, we need support from the community to book venues that are inclusive and fully accessible, and to pay translators and interpreters so that multilingual writers have the opportunity to participate equitably in our events" says Zedeka.
Donate to Nebraska Writer's Collective
No Shame Ministries
Larry Derksin Jr of No Shame Ministries shares that they focus on mental health/wellness education. "No Shame Ministries is 'Filling Gaps and Continuing Stories' within the mental health system. This includes a proactive approach in teaching mental wellness, so that mental health disturbances do not become mental health disorders."
No Shame provides education through conferences, mental health panel discussions, weekly personal growth and development topics in support group meetings, and through educational "Mental Health Moments" on numerous social media platforms.
"No Shame Ministries has experienced a massive influx of individuals requesting assistance with mental wellness, mental health coaching and community education. We are currently 100% volunteer based but we are growing to the point where we need more volunteers and full-time staff to meet the needs of the community," says Larry.
Keep Omaha Beautiful
Alex Walters of Keep Omaha Beautiful shares, "Donating to Keep Omaha Beautiful (KOB) means supporting a variety of programs that benefit all of Omaha. In any given year, KOB plants hundreds of trees, provides education and resources specific to Omaha on how to recycle right, and activates thousands of volunteers to promote a cleaner, less polluted, and healthier urban ecosystem in Omaha. Within our environmental education program specifically, we are focused on engaging learners of all ages in understanding why it is important to contribute to this healthy urban ecosystem and discovering ways in which individuals in Omaha can do so."
KOB's mission revolves around education - it is in everything they do. KOB provides a wide variety of education for people of all ages. For youth, the focus is school enrichment programming both during school time and within after-school & summer programming. This enrichment programming is directly tied to grade level expectations and state standards while offering hands-on learning and a focus on real-world application of environmental education topics. KOB also provides opportunities for educator professional development to allow teachers, early childhood care providers, informal educators, and anyone interested in training to more effectively implement environmental education within their classrooms, groups, daycares, or wherever they educate youth. For families and adults, KOB offers a variety of education at events, workshops, online education such as the OmahaRecyclingGuide.org, and educational opportunities during community service projects.
"KOB most needs continued support and engagement from the Omaha community. All of us are part of the urban ecosystem, and caring for it can only be successful if residents are actively engaged. This can be as easy as exploring new recycling options at home, picking up litter the next time you are outside, planting a tree where you live, or participating in a Keep Omaha Beautiful hosted volunteer opportunity or educational event. When community members work together for a healthy ecosystem, everyone and every tree, critter, and bird who calls Omaha home benefits," says Alex.
Donate to Keep Omaha Beautiful
The Set Me Free Project
Kelly Cranor of The Set Me Free Project shares, "You have to know what human trafficking is before you can stop tt. Human trafficking is the second fastest growing crime globally at a $150 billion dollars per year. And this stat is now 10 years old. Only 1-2% of trafficked individuals are ever recovered and restored. Our mission is to stop human trafficking before it starts by providing prevention education to all ages."
The Set Me Free Project's flagship READY To Stand Curriculum is age-appropriate, interactive, and fun. They educate everyone from kindergarten through adults. The areas they cover are: Healthy Relationships, Trustworthy People, Consent, Social Media Safety, Survivor Lived Experience, and Human Trafficking 101 (sex and labor trafficking) including industry specific.
"There is a lot of information in our communities about what human trafficking looks like that is inaccurate. We want our READY To Stand Curriculum to be in every school, community and business throughout the United States. We are currently in seven states and are in the process of growing to all 50 states. To get our curriculum in the hands of every community, we would love to increase our monthly donations in order to scale," says Kelly.
Donate to The Set Me Free Project
YMCA of Greater Omaha
Jennifer Johnson of YMCA of Greater Omaha shares, "At the YMCA, our mission is to provide programs that build a healthy spirit, mind, and body for all."
The most pointed example of education at the YMCA of Greater Omaha is their Early Learning Centers in Omaha, NE and Council Bluffs, IA. In 2023, these centers helped 421 young learners ages 6 weeks to 6 years grow and thrive in a safe environment through reliable, affordable childcare services. Their dedicated teachers helped youth meet development milestones, engaged parents in two-way communication, and provided nutritious snacks and meals.
The YMCA of Greater Omaha also provides education, mentoring, and training in a variety of other ways. Couches teach athletic skills, teamwork, and sportsmanship in youth sports programs. Swim instructors provide life-saving water safety skills to people of all ages and abilities. Summer camp counselors prevent summer learning loss and guide socio-emotional growth in our youth. Group exercise instructors, personal trainers, and wellness coaches provide expertise, resources, and information to improve health and wellbeing for our community members. The YMCA also provides CPR and child abuse prevention training to all staff, professional development training opportunities, and industry leading lifeguard training.
"Consider making a gift to empower your community with education resources. If we can make an additional ask, be a reminder in the community that the Y is so much more than a gym. We are a nonprofit organization committed to strengthening community," says Jennifer.
Spark CDI
Tiffany Sessions of Spark shares, "Spark’s mission is to help profoundly transform disinvested neighborhoods into prosperous and thriving communities. Every donation to Spark goes directly toward initiatives that empower residents, revitalize infrastructure, and create sustainable economic opportunities."
Spark provides numerous educational opportunities to help community development professionals including their Developer Academy, Deep Dives, and Build Sessions.
Spark Developer Academy is an intensive training and networking opportunity for emerging real estate developers who identify as BIPOC, women and gender expansive individuals. The program aims to provide access to fundamental training, create networking opportunities to develop formal and informal business relationships, establish a supportive ecosystem including lenders, grant makers, city staff, and mentors, and create opportunities to access financing for your projects.
Their Deep Dive and Build Sessions explore - in greater detail - real estate and community development topics, presented by local experts and industry leaders. The sessions give attendees tools and takeaways for their future developments.
"At Spark, we're constantly seeking local experts and industry leaders who are eager to share their knowledge and expertise with emerging developers. Your insights and guidance can make a profound difference in shaping the skills and capabilities of our developers. Join us in shaping the future of our community through education and mentorship. Those interested in partnering with Spark can reach out to Deauna at deauna@sparkcdi.org," says Tiffany.
Kiewit Luminarium
Mariana Nieto of Luminarium shares, "Kiewit Luminarium is more than a science center. With over 100 hands-on exhibits, Kiewit Luminarium ignites curiosity, wonder, interest, and passion to understand our world. Programs and experiences help address shortages and disparities in STEM by welcoming diverse audiences to explore the astonishing phenomena that shape our lives."
Kiewit Luminarium is building a future for Omaha and the region where everyone will have the opportunity to dream, play, wonder, experiment, and consider something new. To achieve this, Kiewit Luminarium provides hands-on experiential learning through a robust field trip program aligned with school curricula and its Luminator Program, an educational and workforce program that introduces young people to STEM career pathways. Kiewit Luminarium brings scientific demonstrations and activities to community events, engaging students and families in unique educational experiences.
"Field trips offer students from diverse backgrounds the chance to visit Kiewit Luminarium. Studies show stark disparities in museum attendance by race, gender, geography, and socioeconomic status and students who attend field trips have improved grades and exam scores. Over 11,000 students visited last year and with youth returning to classrooms soon, Kiewit Luminarium expects to exceed those numbers during the upcoming school year. Supporting Kiewit Luminarium’s field trip program helps reduce costs for underserved schools and lowers barriers to STEM learning, complements classroom learning and increases interest in STEM careers," says Mariana.
The Durham Museum
Dawn Myron of The Durham Museum shares, "By donating to The Durham Museum you help us connect more students, families and visitors to programs rooted in local history and beyond, fostering learning and curiosity in the world around us. History matters and your support does, too."
The Durham Museum provides educational opportunities for all ages. From school and summer field trips, camps to adult tours, programs and events, the Durham has something fun and educational for everyone!
" We love volunteers! Our volunteers play a critical role in our mission and we always have a need for tour guides, special event volunteers and behind the scenes opportunities."
"The single greatest need is financial support to help underwrite admission and field trips for students during the upcoming school year. A donation of just $11 funds an experience for one student," says Dawn.