Ashley Scott
Kearney, NE
Ashley Scott is a University of Nebraska – Kearney student, an advocate, and a mom.
Ashley's Civic Action Plan:
The goal for Ashley’s Civic Action Plan is to create intentional support systems for parenting students. Many student parents face barriers to completing their education, including lack of childcare, isolation from peers, financial pressures, and limited institutional support. This initiative will build a network that provides practical support, advocacy, and community for parents pursuing higher education so they can persist and achieve their academic goals.
The purpose of the Central Nebraska Moms in School initiative (may be renamed) is to create a supportive community for parents who are enrolled in college in the Central Nebraska region. Student parents navigate higher education systems that were not designed with parenting students in mind. In Central Nebraska, parents attending college frequently struggle to balance coursework, employment, and caregiving responsibilities. Many experience isolation on campus, limited access to childcare during academic activities, and a lack of spaces where their identities as both parents and students are recognized and supported. Without intentional support systems, these barriers can contribute to delayed graduation, withdrawal from school, or reduced academic success.
Ashley plans to achieve these goals by:
- Establishing a network for parents enrolled in college through social media groups, campus outreach, and partnerships with student organizations.
- Hosting regular “study nights” where parents can bring their children to a welcoming space. During these events, parents can focus on coursework and studying, volunteer childcare providers engage children with age-appropriate activities, and participants build relationships with other parenting students.
- Developing partnerships with teacher education programs and other student organizations to recruit volunteers who can provide childcare and educational activities for children during events.
- Collect and share resources related to parenting students, such as childcare assistance programs, campus services, and scholarship opportunities. Over time, the group will identify systemic barriers and advocate for institutional changes that better support parenting students (example: flexible educational opportunities, student health initiatives).