On Tuesday, Jan. 13, Nebraska will mark a milestone in civic education and youth leadership with the inauguration of Nebraska’s first Kid Governor®, Charlie Couch, at the Nebraska State Capitol.
The public ceremony will take place from noon to 1:15 p.m. CST in the Rotunda of the Nebraska State Capitol, bringing together students, educators, families, and community leaders from across the state to celebrate the launch of a new statewide tradition centered on youth voice, civic learning, and democratic participation.
The Kid Governor® program is a yearlong, nonpartisan civic education initiative that mirrors the real election process. During its inaugural year in Nebraska, fifth-grade students across the state developed platforms around issues they care about, learned how campaigns work, and participated in a statewide election held in November 2025. Charlie was elected by her peers, becoming Nebraska’s first-ever Kid Governor.
A cabinet chosen through a statewide election
Finalists from the November election were invited to serve as members of the Kid Governor Cabinet, each representing a different community, school, and set of priorities from across Nebraska.
The 2026 Kid Governor Cabinet includes Alma White of Laurel Elementary School (Laurel), who focused on ensuring students have access to basic necessities; Eila Rohlfsen of Trinity Lutheran Church and School (Fremont), whose platform emphasized kindness and inclusion in schools; Kenzie Reed of Neihardt Elementary School (Omaha), who highlighted student-led recycling and environmental awareness; Reid Maulsby of Ravenna Elementary School (Ravenna), who focused on student health programs; Victoria Vargas of St. Gerard Catholic School (Ralston), who raised awareness about the dangers of feeding wildlife; and Will Milliken of Paddock Road Elementary School (Omaha), who ran on making playgrounds and play spaces safer and cleaner.
Together, the Kid Governor and Cabinet will spend the year learning about leadership, collaboration, and how ideas move from classrooms into action.
What to expect at the inauguration
The Jan. 13 ceremony will mirror a traditional inauguration, adapted for young leaders and a broad public audience. The program will include opening remarks, reflections from state leaders, the civic oath and swearing-in of Nebraska’s first Kid Governor, Charlie’s inaugural address, recognition of the Kid Governor Cabinet, and closing remarks.
A statewide effort rooted in classrooms
The program’s inaugural year reached fifth-grade classrooms across Nebraska, made possible by the enthusiasm of participating schools and educators. Students from All Saints Catholic School; Alma Elementary; Bloomfield Elementary; Karen Western Elementary; Laurel-Concord-Coleridge Public Schools; Loomis Elementary; Meadows Elementary; Miller Park Elementary; Mockingbird Elementary; Morrill Elementary; Neihardt Elementary; Oak Valley Elementary; Paddock Road Elementary; Pender Public Schools; Ravenna Public Schools; Seymour Elementary; Southwest Elementary; St. Pius X / St. Leo Catholic School; St. Edward Public School; St. Gerard Catholic School; Trinity Lutheran Church and School; and Wildwood Elementary took part in this first statewide effort.
Their participation helped lay the foundation for what Civic Nebraska and its partners expect to become a lasting tradition of youth civic engagement.
Building civic skills early
Through the Kid Governor program, students learn not only how government works, but how democracy functions at its best—through listening, collaboration, and shared responsibility. Participants practice public speaking, critical thinking, respectful debate, and community problem-solving, while seeing their ideas taken seriously.
The Jan. 13 inauguration officially launches Charlie’s term as Nebraska’s first Kid Governor. It opens the next chapter of a civic tradition that centers young people as leaders, learners, and contributors to Nebraska’s shared civic life.
