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Early Years Matter

Sharing the stories of early childhood in Nebraska and beyond

Panel discussion in the U.S. Senate, with Raleigh Smith Duttweiler speaking at a podium bearing the U.S. Senate seal while several panelists sit at tables and an audience listens.

July 24, 2026

Congressional Briefings Highlight Military Child Care Gaps—and the Impact on Families, Workforce, and Readiness

The “Closing the Military Child Care Gap: Data, Workforce, and Federal Action” congressional briefings were hosted by the Buffett Early Childhood Institute and the National Military Family Association (NMFA) on July 20 in Washington, D.C. 

Presenter Amy Schmidtke from the Buffett Early Childhood Institute speaks to a seated audience at a Superintendents' Early Childhood Plan event.

July 30, 2026

What Happens When 11 School Districts Decide to Learn Together? 

Read an excerpt from a guest blog written by Amy Schmidtke, the Buffett Institute director of educational practice, for the AASA, the School Superintendents' Association, on the origins of the Superintendents' Early Childhood Plan and the 11 Omaha-area school districts who collaborated together to strengthen early childhood education. 

Adult holding a baby in a library children’s area, with the baby reaching forward while playing with a colorful toy.

June 30, 2026

Building Community Before Kindergarten: Meadows Elementary Finds Success Through Early Childhood Programming 

One aspect of the programming, affectionately called the “Little Mustangs” program, aims to connect families with resources, support, and a sense of community long before children enter a Kindergarten classroom. 

Speaker at a podium holds up a book during a presentation at the University of Nebraska Omaha, with the Buffett Early Childhood Institute sign on the lectern.

June 29, 2026

Omaha-Area Districts Share Results from the Superintendents' Early Childhood Plan 

Over a daylong collaboration summit hosted by the Buffett Early Childhood Institute on June 16, school and district staff who are implementing the Superintendents’ Plan shared and showed the outcomes and impact of the initiative. 

Video thumbnail with a purple overlay and play button, featuring a quote about the Buffett Institute Community Chair program bringing the university to the people alongside portraits of the four Community Chairs.

June 10, 2026

'Bringing the University to the People': Community Chairs Expand Early Childhood Research, Impact 

The Buffett Institute’s four Community Chairs, professors at the University of Nebraska campuses, help connect the university with the families, young children, college students, teachers, and other community members who make up Nebraska.

 

 

Have a comment, a question, or a story idea? Contact Managing Editor Erin Duffy at erinduffy@nebraska.edu.
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