Buffett Early Childhood Institute

10/24/2026

On Oct. 28, join former Native Children's Research Exchange (NCRE) Scholar Evan White (2019-22) and Harvard University Native American Program for a webinar on clinical cultural neuroscience and Indigenous resilience. Register here: https://buff.ly/alQ6J4D

White is a principal investigator and director of Native American research and the electroencephalography core at the Laureate Institute for Brain Research. His research blends neuroscience with community-engaged mental health research and outreach. His lab uses electroencephalograms (EEGs) and other biological measurements to study brain activity that can provide insight into mental health disorders like anxiety and depression, and how protective factors like spirituality and close-knit social networks can support well-being.

10/23/2026

🌳The University of Nebraska-Lincoln's LEAF initiative is working to bring more nature-based learning to Nebraska's child care programs. Buffett Institute Community Chair Julia Torquati is a co-investigator and former Graduate Scholar Matthew Brooks is a project manager on this important initiative.

A University of Nebraska-Lincoln initiative is helping child care providers across the state incorporate nature into education through training, coaching and fu

10/22/2026

📰 New blog: Omaha-area schools are garnering national attention for their collaborative approach to early childhood education.

Principals and education leaders from across the country recently visited Omaha to learn how 11 local school districts are working together to strengthen early learning opportunities for children and families.

As part of the AASA, The School Superintendents Association Early Learning Cohort, visitors heard from local superintendents, Buffett Institute leaders, and educators—and visited DC West Community Schools to see our School as Hub approach in action.

Read more about the visit and see more photos in our blog recap: https://buff.ly/IV7Qx4x

Learning Community of Douglas and Sarpy Counties

10/21/2026

There are still a few spots left in our Early Learning Through the Lens of the Child series! This professional learning cohort will begin in January and is open to early educators who work in Douglas and Sarpy Counties in Nebraska.

▶️ Watch an overview video: https://buff.ly/KGBefA9
✅️ Register now: https://buff.ly/zWT0lqP

10/20/2026

💡A 28% increase in teacher-child conversations in just five weeks!

That's one promising early result from an innovative literacy research project underway in Nebraska Head Start classrooms using LENA technology.

Back-and-forth conversations between teachers and young children are critical for early language and literacy development.

LENA considers 40 conversational turns per hour as an optimal benchmark in center-based early childhood classrooms. The first 15 Nebraska classrooms participating in the project started strong, averaging 35 turns per hour. Through tracking and coaching, that number climbed to 45 turns per hour in just five weeks.

Read more about these promising preliminary findings and our collaboration with the University of Nebraska at Kearney and Nebraska Head Start Association, supported by a Comprehensive Literacy State Development (CLSD) grant. https://buff.ly/eMmGQEx

Dodge County Head Start Northeast Nebraska Community Action Partnership, Inc. Nebraska Department of Education

Discover how Nebraska Head Start teachers use LENA Grow technology and coaching to strengthen children's language development and early literacy skills.

10/19/2026

A policy win for early educator tax reform, a visit to Omaha from national school leaders with the AASA, The School Superintendents Association, and promising new data from our early literacy project in Nebraska Head Start classrooms: You can find all this and more in our October newsletter!

🔗 Read here: https://buff.ly/ddyK5wu
Subscribe: https://buff.ly/OPcm823

10/17/2026

How can we build a stronger community of Indigenous researchers to advance research that supports Native children and families?

That's the mission behind the Native Children's Research Exchange (NCRE) Scholars Program, co-founded in 2012 by Michelle Sarche, the Buffett Institute's senior director of Tribal research, policy, and partnerships, and Nancy Whitesell, professor with the Centers for American Indian and Alaska Native Health at the University of Colorado Anschutz. It's now co-led with Jerreed Ivanich, principal investigator at the Laureate Institute for Brain Research.

This week, the 14th and 15th cohort of Scholars gathered in Juneau, Alaska, to connect with one another, strengthen research partnerships, and learn from Tribal communities.

KTOO highlighted the program in a great story. Read it here.

Indigenous scholars from across the country are convening in Juneau this week to learn from local experts, write grants, and build community.

10/16/2026

At DC West Elementary School in Valley, Neb., families are playing an active role in their children's learning through the Buffett Institute's School as Hub approach.

In a new story from KMTV 3 News Now, one parent shares how her two sons are growing in their reading skills and confidence.

The story also features Buffett Institute Director of Educational Practice Amy Schmidtke, who explains the importance of engaging families and communities in children's learning beginning at birth.

Watch the story to see School as Hub in action. ⬇️
https://buff.ly/7lXCWOL

DC West Community Schools Learning Community of Douglas and Sarpy Counties

A Valley school program is helping parents support early reading with the Buffett Early Childhood Institute's "School as Hub" initiative.

10/15/2026

"We have to have child care for everything else to work." This week, Friends Center for Children is bringing together early childhood leaders and organizations across the country to learn from its innovative work providing rent-free housing for its early educators in New Haven, CT.

Buffett Institute Executive Director Walter Gilliam spoke Thursday at the First Home, First Teacher National Convening. He shared data on workforce well-being and left attendees with a powerful message: "How much we truly care for our young children can be measured by how much we care for those who care for our young children."

We're excited to share more about this model and how communities are exploring solutions to support and retain early educators.

10/14/2026

This week, we welcomed our 2026-27 Graduate Scholars—Marisol Loza Hernandez, Rebecca Jack, and Paige Wernick—to a reception where they shared overviews of their Institute-funded research projects and answered questions from staff.

Meet our Scholars and learn more about their projects on group trainings for Spanish-speaking families caring for young children with autism, afterschool programs and their impact on mothers' employment, and how toddler teachers make in-the-moment decisions during classroom interactions: https://buff.ly/iVkpMkB

University of Nebraska System UNMC Munroe-Meyer Institute UNL Child, Youth and Family Studies University of Nebraska-Lincoln