Community Engagement
The purpose of the community engagement workgroup is to build relationships with communities and gather data about community strengths, beliefs about experiences that are most important for young children to have to thrive, and expectations for early childhood educators’ knowledge and skills. The community engagement team is coding and synthesizing focus group data and learning a lot about what is important for Nebraska’s early childhood educators and parents. The last focus group was held in Winnebago on Sept.11. Simin Kazemi, graduate assistant, is coordinating a proposal to co-present with community researcher partners at the Nebraska Young Child Institute in June 2026.
Student Experiences & Supports
The purpose of the student experiences and supports workgroup is to use data to understand early childhood education students’ experiences and the supports they need to be successful. The team has been analyzing interview data and will have a final report soon, followed by a manuscript to submit to a peer-reviewed journal. Importantly, the team is using what they have learned through this process to continually improve pathways to degree completion and early childhood teacher certification.
Apprenticeships
This past spring term, the apprentices completed between 1–4 classes, earning grades ranging from A to B. In the summer term, seven apprentices took 1–2 classes, also earning grades in the A–B range. A few apprentices had personal challenges that required them to drop a few classes.
On-the-job training (OJT) hours ranged from 661–881 hours during the spring semester. OJT time is focused around the NAEYC competencies, and apprentices spent the most time on Development of Early Childhood and Individualized Special Needs (1A and 1B), Diversity of Families (2A), Assessments (3A and 3B) and Adult/Child Interactions (4A). In July, the apprentices and their sponsoring programs received their first stipend.
Assessments
The purpose of the assessment workgroup is to design measures of student competencies that can be used within coursework or to demonstrate prior learning to earn credit. This approach enables students who are working full-time in the ECE field to demonstrate what they already know and can do, honoring their experience and knowledge while helping to expediting degree completion. The assessment workgroup has designed a “prior learning assessment” guidebook and is gathering feedback from students, ECE professionals and higher education faculty. The process for awarding credit for prior learning will need to be approved by each campus before it is formally enacted. The team will present its work to higher education faculty from institutions across Nebraska at the Pathways to Possibilities RESPECT Conference on Oct. 27 and looks forward to discussion and feedback.
Competencies
Although the competencies workgroup no longer meets regularly, the assessment workgroup has reformatted and revised the competencies framework to eliminate redundancies and facilitate use. The revised framework is being reviewed by higher education faculty and key stakeholders to ensure it still meets all required standards for certification and accreditation, and that essential competencies are retained. The revised competency framework will be presented at the Pathways to Possibilities RESPECT Conference on Oct. 27 for discussion and feedback. Use of a common competence framework across institutions would facilitate course transfer and degree completion.
Upcoming Meetings & Events
Several important meetings and touchpoints are scheduled this fall as part of the RESPECT Across Nebraska project. These gatherings will guide ongoing work and keep momentum strong across the project. All times listed below are in Central Time (CT).
Workgroup Meetings
October
- Community Engagement: Oct. 9 at 2:00 p.m.
- Apprenticeships: Oct. 11 at 10:00 a.m.
- Steering Committee: Oct. 30 at 10:00 a.m.
November
- Community Engagement: Nov. 8 at 2:00 p.m.
December
- Community Engagement: Dec. 9 at 2:00 p.m.
- Steering Committee: Dec. 18 at 10:00 a.m.
Events
RESPECT Scholars Program
- Fall In-Person Scholars Event: Oct. 18 from 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. — Invitation Only
Pathways to Possibilities: Reimagining Degrees In Early Childhood Education Conference
- Oct. 27, Lincoln, NE — Invitation Only
The RESPECT team is bringing together higher education faculty and institutional leaders to share challenges, exchange best practices, and work toward solutions that improve the preparation and support of Nebraska’s future early childhood educators.
Budget Reminder
Quarter 1 invoices should be submitted by Sept. 30. Please reach out to Lisa Knoche with questions or concerns.
Reflections from Our Scholars: Lessons and Highlights from the Year
As we wrap up another year of the RESPECT Scholars Program, we had the opportunity to connect with a select group of our scholars, about one-third of the cohort, and hear directly about their experiences. These meaningful conversations are some of the highlights of our work. They give us a chance to celebrate successes, reflect on challenges, and learn how RESPECT can continue to grow and support students across Nebraska.
Lessons Learned and Key Takeaways
Throughout the year, scholars consistently reflected on the importance of balance and resilience. Many described learning to navigate the demands of full-time work, academic responsibilities and family life. For some, this meant building new time management habits; for others, it meant learning the value of asking for support from their navigators, classmates and family members. A recurring theme was confidence, several students shared that they began the program unsure of themselves yet finished the year with a stronger belief in their abilities and a clearer sense of purpose.
Scholars repeatedly mentioned that the support they received from their navigator and the RESPECT staff was essential to their success. Equally important was the encouragement they drew from their broader communities, including family members, coworkers and others outside of school, who celebrated their achievements and helped them stay motivated. Many also highlighted the in-person cohort events as a favorite part of the program, describing these gatherings as opportunities to connect with peers, exchange ideas and build lasting relationships.
I felt supported anytime I was meeting with you guys; you’re all very like, ‘You’re doing great!’ [It was] very motivational. You’re super positive. The navigator was awesome — driving out to my job to come support me was super cool.
In terms of successes, scholars were particularly proud of their ability to directly apply what they learned in their coursework to their daily work with children. This immediate connection between theory and practice gave their studies meaning and reinforced their professional growth. Many also expressed pride in simply keeping pace, completing classes and assignments while working full time in the field was no small accomplishment, and students recognized the resilience this required.
It was really fun and engaging. I really liked that class, and I think that one was easiest to see how the stuff that I learned from it [could be] put into action.
I was doing homework at night and kind of learning about the school environment, and then the next day I would go into work and be like, ‘Oh, I see.’ I was making real connections between what I’m learning and what I’m seeing at work.
At the same time, scholars were candid about the challenges they faced. Concerns about the feasibility of completing student teaching while continuing to work full-time were raised, particularly among in-home providers who have limited flexibility. Others spoke about communication challenges between advisors, navigators, and campus faculty, emphasizing that clearer, more consistent communication would strengthen their experience.
Program Impact
One of the strongest themes to emerge was the benefit of support. Scholars pointed to the encouragement, emotional support and accountability offered by their navigators. Financial assistance that helped ease the burden of tuition and materials, and the sense of belonging that came from being part of a community of peers walking a similar path. Together, these supports not only helped scholars persist through challenges but also gave them confidence that they are not alone in this journey.
When we had that conference and got to meet the other people…It’s just nice to connect with people who are kind of on the same journey as you.
Looking Ahead
We are deeply grateful to our scholars for their honesty, resilience and willingness to share their experiences. Their reflections remind us why this work matters and highlight the tremendous potential of supporting those who will shape the future of early childhood education in Nebraska.
As we look ahead to the next year, we carry forward these lessons with renewed commitment. By listening to our scholars, strengthening our supports and fostering community, we will continue to create pathways that allow educators to thrive, both in their studies and in the communities they serve.
- Visit our website regularly for the latest news and updates on the RESPECT project.
- Access meeting recordings, notes and other resources from the workgroups through the RESPECT Teams channel.
- View the project personnel directory.
Contact
If you have any questions, are interested in joining the project or one of our workgroups, email our project coordinator at respectnebraska@unl.edu.