On the first day of kindergarten, the child who is ready to learn is not necessarily the one who can count to 20 or name all the colors in the rainbow, rather it’s the child who can pay attention, take turns, get along with others and follow directions.
We welcome Dr. Sara Brady to First Five Nebraska as Data Analyst. She pivoted into policy research after 10 years in academia and research consulting. In her previous roles, Sara trained countless students in rigorous quantitative methods and data analysis and...
The Nebraska Academy for Early Childhood Research (NAECR) has selected six faculty members to serve as Policy Fellows for the 2022-23 academic year. The NAECR Policy Fellows Program is designed to educate early childhood researchers on policy processes, impacts and...
The second cohort of the Nebraska Academy for Early Childhood Research (NAECR) Policy Fellows program concluded April 13 with a panel presentation at the CYFS Summit on Research in Early Childhood. The Research Summit is a bi-annual event co-sponsored by the Nebraska...
First Five Nebraska policy staff and early childhood researchers from all five University of Nebraska campuses kicked off the second cohort of the Policy Fellows Program recently. The Nebraska Academy for Early Childhood Research (NAECR) and First Five Nebraska began...
We’d like to introduce FFN's policy research interns for the 2021-2022 academic year. Dalhia Lloyd and Samuel Mitchell-Sturgeon will serve in a primary support role for Data and Policy Research Advisor Katie Bass. In particular, they’ll assist with a School Readiness...
Nebraska’s statewide community of early childhood policy advocates just got larger. This past week, the 2021-22 class of the Nebraska Early Childhood Policy Leadership Academy (PLA) kicked off in Kearney after a one-year pause in the program due to the onset of...
We’re excited to announce the launch of First Five Nebraska’s new website. Featuring a fully responsive look and enhanced user experience, the new site was designed to educate and engage Nebraskans around critical early childhood news and policies in our state. “For...
First Five Nebraska Director Jason Prokop and Strategic Partnerships Advisor Mike Feeken recently joined a virtual panel with business, law enforcement and military leaders to release a new report by Council for a Strong America (CSA), Early Childhood Programs’...
We're happy to introduce Katie Bass as our new Data and Policy Research Advisor. Prior to joining First Five Nebraska, Katie worked to improve outcomes for Nebraska children in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. In her most recent role as research...
The answer may be as much as a 13% annual return on every dollar we invest in high-quality programs for young children, especially those most at risk. On the other hand, Nebraska researchers say we may lose nearly $1.4 billion annually if we fail to strengthen the...
FFN's Elizabeth Everett tesified at a legislative hearing for LR390 this week, along with experts from the Nebraska Early Childhood Workforce Commission, the state’s early childhood system, business and child care.