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D2 Center

Blackburn High School / D2 Center Partnership Moves to New Heights with Champions’ Club Summer Program

by | Jun 21, 2019 | Career Navigator Program, Events, General, Updates

This June marks the launch of OPS Blackburn Alternative High School counselor Dr. Suzi Yokley-Busby’s brainchild, the Champions’ Club, in partnership with D2 Center Career Navigators Bette Norton Ball and John Moore. Blackburn students who will be seniors this fall are meeting daily with various professionals in the community to experience life-changing stories and opportunities to inspire them to graduate from high school and move on to postsecondary education and careers.

Program participants will start senior year with a post-secondary plan and finish putting the pieces into place during senior year. The D2 Center Career Navigators will continue to meet with Blackburn students weekly next school year to follow up and assist with postsecondary planning and connections, and continue the vision created during the Champions’ Club summer experience.

Champions’ Club is meeting three times a week for three weeks. The first week, Champions’ Club students learned from individuals who are playing a key role in changing the lives of others in Omaha. This week and next, students will see specific avenues to put a plan in place with a tour of Metro Community College and a workshop with MCC college planners to further develop their vision. There will also be a tour of UNO. Other site visits include the Chamber of Commerce and The Boss radio station. Female students are going to visit the Women’s Center for Advancement as well, and will be outfitted so they are ready for job and college visits. All activities contribute to students building a portfolio to use during the coming school year.

The last day includes a group photo at “Champions Club” and a picnic lunch at Standing Bear Lake.


(Above) Blackburn Champions’ Club staff meet to plan the summer experience. L-R: Dr. Suzi Yokley-Busby, Amanda Thompson, Angelique Wright Burns, John Moore, and Bette Norton Ball. Ms. Thompson and Ms. Wright Burns are counselor interns from UNO working with Dr. Busby; Ms. Thompson will be a counselor at Gateway Elementary next school year, and Ms. Wright Burns will return to Central High as a Human Growth & Development teacher.

 

About Carolyn

Carolyn Miller is one of the directors of the D2 Center. She is a graduate of Omaha Northwest High School and the University of Iowa. Carolyn has been with the D2 Center since 2010.

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