RESPECT Across Nebraska
Creating pathways to strengthen Nebraska’s early childhood workforce.
RESPECT
Across Nebraska
Creating pathways to strengthen Nebraska’s early childhood workforce.
Who We Are
Responsive Equitable System for Preparing Early Childhood Teachers (RESPECT) Across Nebraska is a collaboration among multiple institutions and communities dedicated to strengthening the state’s early childhood workforce. We support high-quality early childhood teacher preparation and well-being, which in turn, promotes children’s positive development and strengthens families and communities.
Our partners
Our partners
Our partners
- Buffett Early Childhood Institute
- Buffett Early Childhood Fund
- Little Priest Tribal College
- Metropolitan Community College
- Nebraska Indian Community College
- Nebraska Association for the Education of Young Children
- Nebraska Department of Education
- Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services
- University of Nebraska–Lincoln
- University of Nebraska at Omaha
- University of Nebraska at Kearney
Our Work
RESPECT Across Nebraska aims to build lasting solutions to one of the state’s most pressing challenges: Meeting the demand for high-quality early care and education in every corner of the state through community-based pathways and in culturally-sustaining ways. Our work is guided by equity, inclusion and collaboration — and supports efforts to recruit and retain a diverse, skilled and informed workforce.
Our mission is to strengthen Nebraska’s early childhood workforce by creating more inclusive, accessible and culturally-sustaining pathways to teacher preparation.
Our Vision
Our vision is to transform the culture of early childhood teacher preparation by:
Removing barriers and promoting access to higher education, licensing and credentialing.
Forging new pathways for culturally sustaining preparation programs.
Generating opportunities for education and career advancement.
Our Impact
The expected impact of our collective efforts is to:
- Improve the quality of care and education for all children in Nebraska.
- Diversify our workforce to reflect local communities and cultures.
- Bolster the early childhood workforce in every region of Nebraska through accessible education, certification pathways and support mechanisms.
Our Why
Children’s experiences from birth to age 5 build a foundation for their health, education and well-being for the rest of their lives. Nebraska’s ability to support and expand its local early childhood workforce is vital for delivering positive developmental experiences to children while strengthening families and communities.
Interested in supporting these efforts? Reach out to us to find out how to get involved.