Buffett Early Childhood Institute

04/28/2026

On Monday, Belleaire Elementary in Bellevue Public Schools celebrated Month of the Military Child with some enthusiastic high-fives at the school entrance and a "Muffins with the Military" breakfast for family members.

Nearly 20% of students at Belleaire are connected to the military— it's located just outside Offutt Air Force Base—and the school is one of the Buffett Institute's School as Hub sites under the Superintendents' Early Childhood Plan.

Learn how we support schools like Belleaire: https://buffettinstitute.nebraska.edu/schools/school-as-hub

Learning Community of Douglas and Sarpy Counties

04/27/2026

The Buffett Institute's Communications team won two awards at the AMA Omaha Pinnacle Awards last week!

We earned a Pinnacle Award for our video celebrating University of Nebraska at Omaha Community Chair Debora Wisneski, and a Silver Award for our release of the Nebraska child care gap brief.

Thank you to the AMA team and congratulations to all the winners!

📽️ Watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTr2PxEYrEI&t=121s
➡️ Read the Nebraska child care gap assessment:https://buffettinstitute.nebraska.edu/_files/docs/resources/child-care-gap-policy-brief_digital.pdf

04/25/2026

National Home Visiting Week just wrapped up, and we want to celebrate the amazing home visitors who work with families through the Superintendents' Early Childhood Plan. They connect families with community resources, provide information on child development, and offer personalized support through one-on-one visits in homes, at schools, or in other community spaces.

Julie Breese, a home visitor at Cody Elementary School in Millard Public Schools, explained the trust she builds with families: "Something that's really important to us as home visitors is not just connecting with families, but working with them. I'm not coming in and telling them what to do. It's total engagement."

Learning Community of Douglas and Sarpy Counties

04/24/2026

On April 28, Buffett Institute staff, Community Chairs, and campus partners will present their work on topics including early literacy, school support, early childhood workforce burnout, partnering with Tribal communities on research, and more at the Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families and Schools 2026 Early Childhood Research Summit.

Check out the agenda: cyfs.unl.edu/ecs/2026

University of Nebraska at Kearney UNO College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences UNO School of Health and Kinesiology UNK Teacher Education

04/23/2026

🔍️ Research opportunity: The Native Children's Research Exchange Scholars program is now accepting applications for its 15th cohort. Learn more and apply here: https://coloradosph.cuanschutz.edu/research-and-practice/centers-programs/caianh/training/ncre-scholars-program

Funded by a grant from The National Institute on Drug Abuse - NIDA and co-led by the Buffett Institute and the University of Colorado Anschutz, the NCRE Scholars program supports early-career Native American scholars and late-stage graduate students interested in research on substance use and disorder and Native American child and adolescent development.

The Native Children’s Research Exchange (NCRE) brings together researchers studying child development from birth through emerging adulthood in Native communities. NCRE provides opportunities for the open exchange of information and ideas and for building collaborative relationships and disseminati...

04/21/2026

Our latest Superintendents’ Early Childhood Plan newsletter shares how schools and Buffett Institute staff are working together to ease Kindergarten transitions, work on family engagement activities, and learn new skills through professional development opportunities.

Take a look at the latest updates and stories:
https://buff.ly/DzE0Lca

04/20/2026

📅Applications for the 2026-27 Graduate Scholars fellowship program are due Friday, April 24. Apply here: https://buffettinstitute.nebraska.edu/about-us/graduate-scholars/

Who's eligible:
🎓️ University of Nebraska System Ph.D. students conducting early childhood research from a wide range of disciplines

Help us spread the word!

University of Nebraska Medical Center - UNMC University of Nebraska at Omaha UNL Child, Youth and Family Studies Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families and Schools UNMC College of Public Health UNMC Munroe-Meyer Institute UNO College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences University of Nebraska at Omaha- Department of Biomechanics UNL Office of Research and Innovation UNL Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education

04/19/2026

Join us on April 29 and meet the next generation of early childhood researchers at the 2025–26 Buffett Institute Graduate Scholars Showcase.

The event, at the University of Nebraska Medical Center - UNMC Davis Global Center, will feature brief presentations and a Q&A poster session with University of Nebraska System Ph.D. students Colman Freel, Rebekah Rapoza, and Ali Shull.

📩 RSVP here: https://buff.ly/SFCtj8U

04/18/2026

We tapped into our inner child this week as we celebrated the Week of the Young Child! Early Childhood Specialists Chantelle Marin and Tiffany Harris-Aguirre organized a full week of engaging activities for Buffett Institute staff, from Music Monday to Artsy Thursday.

Early educators nurture children's curiosity and sense of play every day—and we had fun putting those skills to use, too!

The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)

04/15/2026

Julia Torquati, a UNL Child, Youth and Family Studies professor and Buffett Institute Community Chair, recently moderated a webinar on Prior Learning Assessments, a way for early educators to earn college credits for work experience or skills they have learned on the job.

🎦 Learn more and watch

RESPECT Across Nebraska Webinar: “Prior Learning Assessments: Expanding Access in Early Childhood Education” March 30, 2026 Hosted by early childhood researchers at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, this webinar explores prior learning assessments, or PLAs, and how they can help turn work an...

04/14/2026

School officials, lawmakers, and families in Nebraska and across the country have debated the necessity of suspensions for younger children. Nebraska Public Media recently interviewed Buffett Institute Executive Director Walter Gilliam, who has conducted extensive research on PreK suspensions and expulsions.

“I've met teachers who have said that they have cried over the decision to kick a child out of their classroom, and they ended up doing it because they had no other options. They were afraid that another child might get hurt,” Gilliam said. “No teacher should be put in a position where they have to make a Sophie's choice between a child and other children in their classroom.”

The Nebraska Legislature this session changed a law to allow suspensions of prekindergarten to second graders for violent behavior. Some parents and community leaders say the definition is too vague, while school officials see it as a needed last resort — but all agree that schools need more resou...

04/13/2026

The Bellevue Public Schools Board of Education recently recognized the Month of the Military Child, celebrating the strength and resilience of students connected to military service. As a close partner and neighbor to Offutt Air Force Base, Bellevue serves more than 2,400 military-connected students.

Buffett Institute Program Administrator Tonya Jolley joined Bellevue School Psychologist Kim Rausch and Coordinator of Early Childhood Cara Graney to present to the school board. They shared birth–preschool program data and highlighted the impact of the Superintendents' Early Childhood Plan efforts to strengthen outcomes for staff, students, and families.

Learning Community of Douglas and Sarpy Counties