One second past midnight, we went from Saturday night to Sunday morning. Most weekends, this shift holds no major significance – but this weekend, it ended one calendar year and kicked off the next. Every 365 days, many of us celebrate this unique tick of the clock to make New Year’s resolutions. Here are a few of Civic Nebraska’s for 2023.
We offer programs and provide resources that engage and empower Nebraska youth through service learning and community leadership. Our students learn critical thinking, civil discourse, issue identification, and problem-solving skills. Our K-12 projects are in classrooms, after-school programs, and a host of student organizations. Learn more
In 2023, we will:
›› Create new pathways to participation for K-12 students in their neighborhoods, communities, and state, both virtual and in-person.
›› Expand our created and curated curriculum for educators across Nebraska to help halt the “civic slide” among our youth.
›› Increase our number of service-oriented projects through the Service Learning Center of Excellence, based in Central Nebraska.
Our data-based civic health efforts strengthen social connectedness, confidence in institutions, community engagement, and political involvement in our state. Our civic health work began by creating the Nebraska Civic Health Index and continues with expansive asset-based civic education and civil discourse programs. Learn more
In 2023, we will:
›› Host dozens of Capitol Experience Days for youth and community members across our state, including a new program for Lincoln Public Schools ninth-graders.
›› Build an understanding of Nebraskans’ concerns and hopes for the news and media climate with the Crossing Divides project. These insights will inform future projects and support smart, healthy media consumption.
›› Expand the use of Collective Impact Lincoln’s Equitable Development Scorecard to encourage the principles and practices of equity and affordability in future project planning and development.
›› Continue its advocacy for affordable and adequate housing policy change through source-of-income, inclusionary zoning, and proactive rental inspection.
We ensure our elections and civic institutions are nonpartisan, accessible, and accountable. We are the only group in Nebraska specializing in nonpartisan voting rights research, policy advocacy, observation, investigation, and litigation. Learn more
In 2023, we will:
›› Fight to mitigate the imposition of voter ID on Nebraska voters by members of the Nebraska Legislature.
›› Advocate at the statehouse for pro-voter policies including the expansion of vote-by-mail and the restoration of voting rights for Nebraskans who have served their debt to society.
›› Counter unfounded conspiracy theories and other bad-faith efforts to undermine confidence in our democratic systems and elections.
Happy New Year, friends! Let’s make this next trip around the sun a great one.
