For the past nine years, First Five Nebraska has been investing in advocates—people with conviction and a readiness to take the next step in their advocacy journey and move from personal passion to public policy. The magic of policy advocacy and community organizing...
Tag: jodi-renee giron
Policy Leadership Academy Class Celebrates Graduation, Shared Commitment to Community Change
On Wednesday, March 11, the seventh cohort of the Policy Leadership Academy presented their capstone projects and celebrated their accomplishments with a graduation banquet. This year’s class was a lesson in the power of representation, intentionality and pursuit of a...
Grassroots advocates share real-world strategies for community change at Thriving Children conference
The 2025 Thriving Children, Families, and Communities Conference in Kearney was a resounding success, bringing together nearly 500 diverse participants—from child care providers to business leaders and policy advocates. Hosted by the Community for Kids team, this...
Welcome Class 7 of Nebraska’s Early Childhood Policy Leadership Academy
Where passion meets purpose, and voices become movements It’s the same energy that has always driven change in our great state—the unwavering belief that one voice, joined with another, and another, can reshape the landscape of possibility for Nebraska’s expecting...
Applications open soon: Join the Policy Leadership Academy and become a catalyst for change
Are you passionate about shaping public policy and creating lasting change in your community? The Nebraska Early Childhood Policy Leadership Academy (PLA), a premier leadership development program, is excited to announce that applications for the 2025-26 cohort will...
Building a stronger future: Nebraska’s Policy Leadership Academy completes 2024-25 program
Nebraska’s premier early childhood leadership initiative, the Early Childhood Policy Leadership Academy (PLA), recently celebrated the completion of its 2024-25 program in Columbus. This milestone marks another step forward in strengthening early childhood and...
Policy Leadership Academy Class 6 advocates for maternal health and child care at the Nebraska Capitol
Members of the Nebraska Early Childhood Policy Leadership Academy (PLA) Class 6 spent the day at the Nebraska Capitol February 5th engaging with their State Senators. Their focus? Advocating for key bills and policies that impact maternal health and child care—two...
Breaking down advocacy, activism, lobbying and educating: Distinct roles in driving change
We often hear terms like advocacy, activism, lobbying and educating. While they are interconnected, each plays a unique role in the larger movement for change. Let’s explore what sets them apart and how they contribute to progress.
Everyday advocacy: How small moments can yield big results for kids and families in your community
Earlier this month, Cohort 6 of the Nebraska Early Childhood Policy Leadership Academy (PLA) held the second meeting of its 2024-25 program in North Platte. This day-long workshop focused on strategies to build political momentum at the local level for early childhood...
Nebraska Early Childhood Policy Leadership Academy kicks off 2024-25 program
The 2024-25 class of the Nebraska Early Childhood Policy Leadership Academy (PLA) kicked off October 9 in Kearney with a new class of 24 citizen advocates. A program of First Five Nebraska, the PLA is the state’s premier, nonpartisan leadership initiative focused on...
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...











