First Five Nebraska’s Jodi-Renee Girón reflects on the achievements of our 2023-24 PLA graduates and why milestones mean more than finish lines.
Congratulations to our 2023-24 PLA graduates
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Posts by: Jodi-Renee Girón, Grassroots & Outreach Advisor
Policy Leadership Academy: Influencing policy at the local level
The Early Childhood Policy Leadership Academy Class 5 convened November 15 in Norfolk for their second workshop, which focused on creating policy impact at the local level, including becoming an expert on their community, the role of local government and how to affect...
Policy Leadership Academy Class 5 is underway
The fifth class of the Nebraska Early Childhood Policy Leadership Academy is underway! Twenty-six citizen advocates met up for the first time in Ogallala for an orientation dinner and the first of five workshops. Representing Nebraska from the western border all the...
The Policy Leadership Academy is accepting applications for Class 5
The Early Childhood Policy Leadership Academy (PLA) is excited to announce that applications are open for Class 5! We’re looking for individuals with a passion for early childhood and pre/perinatal issues who want to be effective change agents in their communities. ...
Policy Leadership Academy graduates are movement builders
Last week, we at First Five Nebraska were proud to recognize the fourth class of the Early Childhood Policy Leadership Academy as they finished the program and graduated into the statewide network of PLA alumni. This class was exceptional in a handful of ways: They...
PLA alumni, elementary school principals to team up
I had the privilege of meeting in Kearney recently with the Nebraska Association of Elementary School Principals’ (NAESP) leadership cohort. Kristine Luebbe, director of Programs & Partnerships at the Nebraska Department of Education and I have been working to...
2022-23 Policy Leadership Academy kicks off in Broken Bow
“It’s about long-term momentum.” It takes a lot to give young children the best possible start in life. It takes cohesive, resilient families who are prepared to address children’s earliest developmental needs. It takes quality early childhood services and supports to...
Policy Leadership Academy alumni are making an impact, Part 2
As I continue my travels around Nebraska to meet and renew friendships with alumni of the first three classes of the Nebraska Early Childhood Policy Leadership Academy (PLA). I made the easy drive into Grand Island to meet with Robin Dexter (PLA Class 1), associate...
Policy Leadership Academy alumni are making an impact, Part 1
Have you experienced a renewed enjoyment sitting across from a friend or colleague and talking in person over a cup of coffee? The past few weeks I’ve been traveling to different parts of Nebraska to visit with more of the Policy Leadership Academy alumni. We’ve sat...
Early Childhood Policy Leadership Academy concludes with senator visits
Our Early Childhood Policy Leadership Academy Class 3 brought six months of advocacy training and their years of community expertise to a powerful culmination with an in-person visit to the State Capitol on February 16. This event is the highlight of each class of the...
Early Childhood Policy Leadership Academy alumni are making a difference
“We live in a world in which we need to share responsibility. It’s easy to say ‘It’s not my child, not my community, not my world, not my problem.’ Then there are those who see the need and respond. I consider those people my heroes.” I have a library of Mr. Rogers...