By Ashia Aubrey 
 
On March 27, a room full of school and community leaders in Omaha listened as national education expert David Jacobson outlined how he’s worked with schools and communities in Michigan, rural Maine, Rhode Island, Alabama, and more.  
 
Jacobson is the designer and director of the Education Development Center’s First 10 initiative, which takes a community-wide approach to give children the opportunities, support, and resources they need to thrive during their first 10 years of life.  

It’s a program modeled in part on the Superintendents’ Early Childhood Plan in metro Omaha. The plan aims to provide quality early childhood programming to young children and families living in poverty or facing other challenges. The Buffett Early Childhood Institute partners with the Learning Community of Douglas and Sarpy Counties and local school districts to provide leadership and support for the plan.   

Attendees nodded along and snapped photos of Jacobson’s presentation, which was followed by a panel discussion featuring principals and school administrators from the Omaha, Ralston, Papillion La Vista, Millard, and Douglas County West districts. They shared how their schools have implemented pieces of the Superintendents’ Plan, like home visits with families and improving collaboration between school districts and community child care providers.  

“Having all of these different leaders together in one room to think about the Superintendents’ Early Childhood Plan, to think collectively about the work we do for young children and families, is an incredible opportunity,” said Amy Schmidtke, the Buffett Institute’s director of program development.  

Check out event photos below: