Julie Dierberger and UNO's Service Learning Academy

"Think of the P-16 initiative as a three-legged stool and you’ll also discover what sets it apart. Traditionally in teacher education courses, students are required to go to K-12 classrooms and observe so they can run lessons. The P-16 initiative adds different perspectives and participants to the experience by not only working with the K-12 schools, but by bringing in nonprofit partners as collaborators."

The program has engaged more than 20,000 Omaha students, who have learned to apply critical-thinking skills to community-identified needs—making classroom learning relevant and immediate. The P-16 initiative adds different perspectives and participants to the experience by not only working with the K-12 schools, but by bringing in nonprofit partners as collaborators.

Julie Dierberger, coordinator of the Service Learning Academy P-16 initiative, says having a space in the Barbara Weitz Community Engagement Center is essential to the success of the initiative. “We have community partners here and we have faculty members doing research just down the hall. We also train here, bringing teachers here to work with UNO.” The P-16 currently has 10 graduate students who help area schools coordinate different events that help educate the community and while allowing K-12 students to show what they are learning in the classroom.