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Find free or reduced-cost resources like food, housing, financial assistance, health care, and more.
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If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, chat with them online via their website, or text HOME to 741741 (multiple languages available). If this is an emergency, call 911.

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findhelp.org by findhelp - Search and Connect to Social Care

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Search and connect to support. Find financial assistance, food pantries, medical care, and other free or reduced-cost help in your area, anywhere in the US.

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OCRISI – OMAHA CENTER FOR REFUGEE & IMMIGRANT SERVICES INCORPORATED

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National Alliance for Public Charter Schools

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Creating A Sense of Belonging for Refugee and Immigrant Students | Get Schooled on Public Education

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Building a Community of Strengths: Family Engagement Strategies

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Bridging the gap between academia and our Nebraska community

Our Community Engagement Office serves as the vibrant heart of UNMC's commitment to making a difference in the lives of those we serve. Together with our community partners, we amplify our collective impact and drive positive change where it's needed most.

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The UNMC Office of Community Engagement serves as a bridge to connect campus-wide community engagement efforts with community partners..

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Completely KIDS - Creating Community for Kids and Families

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Completely KIDS works for a world where children are the future, family is the foundation and the community is inclusive.

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Part of Children's Ministry is engaging parents in their child's discipleship journey. Here are 14 ideas for engaging parents in your church.

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Family Engagement: Strengthening Family Involvement to Improve Outcomes for Children

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Student and Community Services / Community Resource Directory

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The Community Resource Directory provides information about services and programs across the community that may be of assistance to our families. This is available in English and Spanish.

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About us

Founded in 2000 by a high school teacher in the Bronx, DonorsChoose empowers public school teachers from across the country to request much-needed materials for their students. Right now there are thousands of teacher requests that you can help bring to life with a gift of any amount.
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DonorsChoose: Support a classroom. Build a future.

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DonorsChoose connects teachers in high-need communities with donors who want to help.

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It’s Not What You Teach, It’s What Kind of Teacher You Are | Gregory Chahrozian | TEDxAUA

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How to Respond When A Student Disrespects You

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How to make students (and teachers) want to go to school | Michele Freitag | TEDxYorkBeach

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Using technology to facilitate "aha!" moments | Dave King | TEDxOU

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How to Set Up Centers in a Special Ed Classroom

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Parent-teacher collaboration is an important part of a student's education. When the family of a student is able to communicate with their child's teacher, the two sides can work together to build a relationship and create an optimal learning environment, both at home and at school. Plus, they can commiserate on the student's strengths and weaknesses, create a plan of action to strengthen those weaknesses, determine which factors may be amplifying or hindering the student's learning capabilities, and become a united support system to help the student become their best academic self.

For example, if a student is struggling in math and hasn't necessarily told their family, the family may get that information from the teacher-and from there, the two can work together to create a more favorable learning environment. This can mean getting more one-on-one time with the teacher, the family taking on projects at home to supplement the student's in-school lessons, or even hiring a tutor.

On the other hand, if a student is struggling in school because of complications at home, the family can alert the teacher. Or if that information isn't shared, the teacher can ask the family if anything at home may be causing issues for the child. Through trust and a good relationship, the teacher and family can communicate about the issue and create a plan to help the student thrive through a tumultuous time.

Teachers are often expected to be mind readers when it comes to their students, but by forging a strong collaborative relationship with a student's parents or family members, a teacher can gain the insight needed to provide support for the student.

There are countless benefits associated with parent-teacher collaboration, but some of the key benefits include:

Building a positive relationship and trust with the student and their family.

Creating open lines of communication that support the student's academic pursuits.

Creating a more welcoming space for the student to learn.

Getting to know more about the student and how they learn.

Creating understanding between the teacher and the student's parents, ensuring all are on the same page about the student's goals and capabilities.

Keeping parents abreast of their student's progress, both academically and socially.

Teachers who want to lay the groundwork for successful collaboration with their student's family have a number of avenues available to them-and it's ideal to leverage several at a time. Some of the collaborative avenues teachers should explore include:

Communication: There are a variety of options available to teachers under this category, such as:

Encouraging parental involvement such as volunteering at school events.

Making routine phone calls to the student's home to connect with parents and family on a regular basis.

Creating a weekly newsletter that can be sent to all family members for every student to convey generalized information.

Trying the Remind App to get information about school happenings or events to families via text, e-mail, or in the app itself.

Creating an action plan for setting and achieving academic goals and including the family in those plans.

Encouraging the student's family to reach out to you for anything related to the student's schooling or educational needs.

Coordinating Supplementary Activities: By encouraging a student's family to engage in activities that supplement or contextualize what they're learning in school, a teacher can help foster learning outside of the classroom-and make it more fun for the student.

For example, maybe the local museum has an exhibition that correlates with a recent lesson and can extend their learning through a family field trip. Or perhaps there's a math or science camp that takes place over a week during the summer that could bolster their in-class lessons in those fields. If a student's family needs help choosing activities that can enrich their child's in-class learning, teachers can offer specific suggestions or share resources to help guide the family in their choices.

It's also recommended to share more insight on how this approach to out-of-school learning can complement their in-school efforts, while also helping the family to understand the curriculum and how they can support it during out-of-school hours.

Feedback: Telling a family that their student is doing well can be a wonderful feeling. But relaying that they're facing challenges can be challenging. Providing feedback on a student's progress is important for the student and helpful in building on the parent-teacher collaborative environment. When giving feedback about a student, remember to:

Be clear.

Be encouraging.

Celebrate the positives.

Don't shy away from discussing negatives.

Offer constructive ways to help the student improve.

Offer insight on how the parents or family can be part of a student's success.

Make the family a partner in supporting the student through their challenges.

Work together to create a plan going forward, whether it's keeping the student focused on their current path, or creating a new path to help them excel.

Be open to feedback from the parents and communicate with them to address their concerns.

Remember that teachers and a student's family are a team and communicate as members of the same team.

Community-Building: Building an entire community around family-teacher collaboration is a great way to help students realize their academic goals and prepare for the next step on their education journey. While Parent Teacher Organizations can be a great way to collaborate with parents and make them an integral part of the school, but not every parent has the time to commit to being a dedicated board member.

But by creating events, fun educational activities, and other social opportunities that parents and family can attend à la carte, a student's family can still find ways to be active members of the school community and contribute. And by encouraging collaboration between families, students have even more opportunities for educational growth as supported by the community at large.

Empowerment: To provide the most enriching environment for their student to excel, parents need the resources and confidence to contribute to their child's education. Educators can cultivate that confidence by including their students' families in conversations and events that affect a student's in-school life and also direct families toward tools that can assist their student in realizing their goals. Additionally, teachers can also empower themselves through education by pursuing supplemental degrees or working toward an advanced degree in their field of choice. Parents notice this commitment and appreciate that kind of dedication to their child's education.

To foster effective family-teacher collaboration, teachers and educators should recommend the following tools:

Email: Email can be a quick and easy way for teachers and parents to stay in contact about a student. Rather than opting for in-person meetings or even a phone call, the communication can be less regimented and easier to schedule-and it gives both parties a record of communication that can be referred to when making plans and problem solving.

Video conferencing software, such as Zoom: For parents or families who prefer face-to face communications but don't have time for in-person meetings, Zoom is another convenient way to address family-teacher collaboration. Teachers and families can set a predetermined time to meet online, and easily talk through a student's triumphs or tribulations.

PTO or PTA membership: By becoming a part of a parent teacher organization or parent teacher association, parents and families can become more involved in school events and activities and have more opportunity to collaborate directly with teachers and educators.

Apps such as Remind or ClassDojo: There are a variety of apps that make teacher-family collaborations a cinch. Apps like Remind allow teachers to text important updates to their students' families without revealing their phone number and send file attachments or photos as needed to individual parents or family members, select groups, or the entire class. ClassDojo goes further by offering a classroom management system and a behavior management system, so families can monitor reports on their student's advancements and behaviors.

Of course, the key to a great family-teacher collaboration is to create a plan with a student's family. A teacher can share these ideas, methods, and insights with a student's family and develop an effective collaboration plan together-and then, they can watch their student excel.

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Teachers know it's important to create a collaborative partnership with their students' parents, but what are the best methods of collaboration?

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How can we support the emotional well-being of teachers? | Sydney Jensen

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How Can Teachers Show They Care? - Aspiring Teacher Guide

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Skip to content Enjoy $1,200 off our Mindfulness, SEL, and Yoga Teacher Training until March 16th. Learn More Breathe For Change offers transformational trainings that empower educators with science-backed skills to enhance collective well-being, foster connection, and improve educational outcomes. Learn More Why Breathe For Change?

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Young Life is a Christ-centered ministry that helps kids know Jesus, grow in their faith, and serve Him. We go to kids, build bridges of authentic friendship, and introduce them to Jesus Christ.

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Every kid needs a champion | Rita Pierson | TED

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How to Turn Advocacy Into Action | Heidi Harmon | TEDxSanLuisObispo

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OCRISI – OMAHA CENTER FOR REFUGEE & IMMIGRANT SERVICES INCORPORATED

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Mental Health Resources – Omaha Refugee Task Force

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There are many resources available for mental health treatment in the Omaha Metro. Below is a directory of agencies that support or provide mental health services as well as a directory of specific providers.

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Behaven Kids | Children Mental Health Services in Omaha, NE

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Behaven Kids in Omaha, NE delivers the highest quality behavioral and mental health services to children and adolescents. Call (402) 926-4373

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How can we support the emotional well-being of teachers? | Sydney Jensen

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Cookie Monster Practices Self-Regulation | Life Kit Parenting | NPR

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5 Incredibly Fun GAMES to Teach Self-Regulation (Self-Control) | Social Emotional Learning

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Phoenix Trauma Center & Dr Scott Giacomucci

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Education Buzzwords Defined: What Are Trauma-Informed Practices?

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3 Trauma-Informed Practices Backed By Science

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How miscommunication happens (and how to avoid it) - Katherine Hampsten

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The importance of relationships and trust - Trauma-Sensitive Schools

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Anxiety in children: Tips For Teachers : Nip in the Bud

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WATCH: Teachers share advice for students struggling with mental health

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How teachers can help students navigate trauma | Lisa Godwin

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What Does a Trauma-Sensitive Middle/High School Look Like?

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IEPs: The difference between IEPs and 504 plans | Understood Explains

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DINET - Dysautonomia Information Network

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The Purpose and Benefit of Emotional Education

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How the body keeps the score on trauma | Bessel van der Kolk for Big Think+

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Relationship Inspired Learning and Development

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Trauma, Healing and The Brain: Community Learning Event, Dr. Gabor Mate

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Download important state-specific mental health statistics (as of 2021) to share with decision makers to help inform their policy positions.

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Making government services easier to find | USAGov

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Find government benefits, services, agencies, and information at USA.gov. Contact elected officials. Learn about passports, Social Security, taxes, and more.

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YouthLine is a peer-to-peer help, support, and crisis line serving youth ages 10-24 across the United States since 2000. YouthLine is staffed by youth

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street out reach-spanish

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​​​ Real stories from real people who have been helped by YLYV and the Boys Town National Hotline. Marcus’ Story I sent you an email about my struggle with depression. I said I didn’t want to live to see 17. I couldn’t see myself making it to graduation. A year ago I was in such a dark place… Gia’s Story I wanted to let you know that I’m doing better now. When I texted YLYV last month, I felt like my life was falling apart, I was ready to give up. Hurting myself was the only way I knew how to deal… Alexis’s Story It’s been about a month and I can honestly say, I’ve seen the change in me. I’m smiling more, laughing a lot more, getting along with my mother, appreciating what I have, and so many good things… Kenna’s Story So I called…I spoke to a lady and she was literally like an angel, she was just there. And she told me that my life was worth so much more than what people said. …And that was my turning point. She changed everything, absolutely everything. She saved my life. That is really when things started looking up…after that call. Leah’s Story I want to thank you for the advice and hope you instilled in me. I no longer feel like I have to constantly watch my back at school, I am more confident in myself and my voice… Eric’s Story I cannot tell you what your email meant to me… I know it has taken me a long time to respond, but that was simply out of panic. When I sent that email that night, I never thought I would get a response, let alone such a heartfelt and meaningful one. I’ve read your email hundreds of times since you sent it, and I cannot believe how much it means to me. I just want to tell you how grateful I am and that people like you, those who are willing to listen no matter what is happening in someone’s life If you have thank you that you would like to share, submit your story.

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Outreach Ministry | Bellevue Church of Christ | Bellevue, NE

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We at Bellevue Church of Christ in Bellevue, NE want to love and serve our community, and beyond. Learn more about how we are reaching out to share the love of Jesus.

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NeedyMeds is the best source of information on patient assistance programs. All our information is free and updated regularly.