As part of our Back To School Giving Campaign through Oct. 13, Civic Nebraska is highlighting our outside-of-school programs and sharing what they see. Earlier this month, Grant Writer Alex Brechbill checked out Civic Nebraska’s CLC at Randolph Elementary School in Lincoln.
I arrived at the end of the school day, awaiting students to flood the cafeteria for their pre-program snack. Students arrived in waves as I talked with club leaders and staff, not stopping until 65 of them made their way to the Community Learning Center.
Jacque Goering, Civic Nebraska’s school community coordinator at Randolph, shared that seven clubs were being offered this Monday afternoon: Arts & Crafts, Bad Guys Book Club, Homework, Mindfulness & Movement Club, Running for Office Club, Scouts, and Tabletop Games.
Prior to Scouts, I sat down with Elizabeth, Gabe, and Kolby, who were drawing themselves as superheroes. Elizabeth, an enthusiastic fourth-grader, did so, too – giving herself the power to change one color into another (an unsung hero who saves the day in kitchen and bathroom remodels). After the coloring session, boys and girls learned about camping, leaving no trace behind when in nature, and different aspects of the outdoors.
Halfway through the afternoon program, Jacque and I walked the halls, stopping by the Mindfulness & Movement Club, a popular one among Roadrunner students. On the way to the gymnasium, Jacque joked that it would be obvious that the students have mastered the movement aspect of the class, but were still working on the mindfulness part. Luckily, the school year is still young – and Civic Nebraska is there to guide them in their journeys.
Learn more about our Randolph Elementary CLC here. To donate to our Back To School Giving Campaign through Oct. 13, click here.