bright futures partnership

In the fall of 2005, All Our Kids, Inc., the Winners Circle Schools Program and Omaha Public Schools (OPS) all joined forces to launch the Bright Futures Partnership. This new partnership is a three year pilot project designed to help at-risk youth prepare for middle school and work toward their high school graduation.

The Bright Futures Partnership will build on the existing Winners Circle Schools Program created by Jerry and Cookie Hoberman in 1996. The Program helps the students set academic goals and encourages their achievement in reading, math and citizenship in eleven OPS elementary schools. It has helped these schools to create a more positive academic environment and has greatly increased the level of family participation.

Approximately 450 at-risk youth from Belvedere Academy, Conestoga Magnet Center, King Elementary and Howard Kennedy Elementary will participate in the pilot program. The Bright Futures Partnership will serve many of those students and families as they move from elementary school to middle school, high school and beyond. Omaha Public Schools will provide the students with the appropriate academic component to help them reach their potential. All Our Kids will offer the students group mentoring support and after school curriculum to develop their academic potential. As these participants meet the academic criteria and graduate from high school they will have the opportunity to apply for college or trade school scholarships from the program’s endowment fund.

The Bright Futures Partnership is funded through grants from the Peter Kiewit Foundation, the Holland Foundation and the Weitz Family Foundation. The key components include: students

  • Providing a community of caring for 450 at-risk students and their families.
  • Creating long-term group mentoring programs for the students in the project.
  • Emphasizing family involvement at all program events as well as counseling and referral services for family members in need of support.
  • Tutoring for remediation and enrichment.
  • Incentives for academic achievement and community celebrations to recognize students' success.
  • Development of student academic growth plans and portfolios to document students' progress from sixth grade through high school graduation.
  • Ongoing program evaluation and feedback to broaden the community impact.
  • Strong community collaboration.
  • College or trade school scholarships as incentives for the students in the program.