Update 7/29/2014: Ebony no longer works at the D2 Center. Good luck in your new endeavors, Ebony! This week, we continue our Meet the Staff series with an interview with Ebony Hawkins, Project Coordinator for our Careers & Community Engagement Program. Read...
Carolyn
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.
Meet the D2 Center Staff: Netta Prince, Intake Specialist & YAN
Our Meet the Staff Series continues this week with Q & A with Netta Prince, intake specialist and Youth Academic Navigator (YAN). Read previous Meet the Staff posts on the Meet the Staff page. What’s your role at the D2 Center? I am an Intake Specialist and YAN....
Meet the D2 Center Staff: Cathy Curry, Youth Academic Navigator (YAN)
Today marks the return of our Meet the Staff series! First up is Cathy Curry, one of our Youth Academic Navigators. Read our archive of Meet the Staff posts on the Meet the Staff page. What’s your role at the D2 Center? I’m a YAN, which is like a mentor for youth:...
News from the Nat’l League of Cities Blog: Re-engagement in Chicago
Re-engagement efforts continue to grow across the U.S. Check out the latest from our colleagues in Chicago in this blog post from the NLC's Andrew Moore. All returning students undergo an intake assessment designed to identify barriers to school success, which...
Starting Sept. 2013: Weekly Math & Reading Classes / Tutoring Available
We're wrapping up our summer elective classes for the year and starting to plan for fall already! Once again this year we'll be offering math and reading elective credit classes and tutoring on selected weekday afternoons, taught by certified teachers. These classes...
Defining a YAN (Youth Academic Navigator)
Check out this excellent infographic Haylie from Building Bright Futures made for us (click to enlarge). Each D2 Center student is assigned a YAN to help support them in their path towards a high school diploma. If you want to know more about what a YAN does, take a...
2013 Summer Elective Classes at the D2 Center: July & August
Our first class, Reading Strategies, has wrapped up and our second, Careers and Community Engagement, is underway. There are two classes left to sign up for this summer, along with one-on-one math by appointment. For students who are behind in credits, this is a great...
Education Week: “Dropout Recovery Takes Shape Nationwide”
Please take a look at this article from Education Week focusing on the growing number of re-engagement centers and services across the U.S. The D2 Center is mentioned, along with our colleagues from the National League of Cities Dropout Re-engagement Network, from...
June 6, 2013 Webinar– Partners in Dropout Recovery: Getting Creative to Find and Recruit Students
Update 6/18/2013: the webinar recording and materials are now available, along with a recap post from AIR's Marshal Conley, Community Manager for the Dropout Recovery and Prevention Online Community of Practice. Partners in Dropout Recovery: Getting Creative to Find...
“Standing Up to Poverty” Video from Nebraska Loves our Public Schools
The folks from Nebraska Loves our Public Schools and the Sherwood Foundation have created a powerful video that illustrates the many challenges facing Nebraska families today. "Standing Up to Poverty" shows barriers that stem from living in poverty, from poor health...
News from the Nat’l League of Cities Blog: Dropout Re-engagement Strategies in Los Angeles
Please read our colleague Andrew Moore's blog post on new re-engagement efforts in Los Angeles, CA. The City of Los Angeles and the LA Unified School District are partnering to support out of school youth in thirteen re-engagement centers throughout the city. Andrew...
The D2 Center is hiring! Careers & Community Engagement Program Project Coordinator
The D2 Center is hiring a Project Coordinator for our Careers & Community Engagement Program. Please see the listing on Careerlink.com for more information and to apply. Building Bright Futures D2 Center Project Coordinator Building Bright Futures (BBF), a local...
Friday April 26, 2013: Movie Night at the D2 Center – “Dropout Nation”
This Friday, April 26, 2013, from 5 - 8 P.M., the D2 Center will host a movie night to watch "Dropout Nation," a PBS Frontline documentary that follows four students in Houston, TX, through one school year. A discussion will follow the viewing. Pizza and popcorn will...
2013 Summer Elective Classes at the D2 Center
Despite possible snow in the forecast this week (April?!), it's time to start thinking about summer plans, including ways to catch up on elective credits during summer break! The D2 Center will offer five different elective credit opportunities this summer. Take a...
Improv Workshop Recap: Building Confidence
This past Saturday, D2 Center students and YANs participated in an improv workshop facilitated by improv actor Will Meinen. The focus of the session was to discover new ways to communicate, explore strengths, and build confidence. After establishing the day's ground...
Sat. March 30, 2013, 10 AM-2PM: Improv Workshop “You are Enough!”
Join us at the D2 Center for an Improv Workshop on Saturday, March 30 from 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. and earn up to five hours towards a Careers & Community Engagement elective credit. What are your strengths and talents? What kind of leader are you? Led by...
D2 Center and the Early Childhood Services Teen & Young Parent Program
Here at the D2 Center we partner with the Early Childhood Services Teen & Young Parent Program to help serve our students who are pregnant or parenting. ECS works with four local agencies: Visiting Nurse Association, Child Saving Institute, Lutheran Family...
Tues. March 12, 2013: “The Josh Jones Story” Screening
D2 Center students are invited to a screening of the new documentary, "The Josh Jones Story," on Tuesday March 12, 2013, at 4 PM. Meet at the D2 Center at 3:15 PM; we'll leave at 3:30. Join us for this brand-new film that explores the life of Jones, an Omaha Central...
Upcoming Careers & Community Engagement Activities: March 2013
March 2013 is a busy month for the D2 Center Careers & Community Engagement (C & CE) Program. Students who participate in C & CE explore all sorts of careers in a hands-on way, receive one-on-one instruction on job skills and self awareness, PLUS have the...
D2 Center Math and Reading Classes Available
The D2 Center offers two ongoing elective credit courses taught by certified teachers: Math and Reading. These classes are available twice a week and each class allows students the opportunity to bring in assignments from current classes they’re taking in their...
February 15, 2013: Daniel Beaty at the Holland Center
Please join us in welcoming Daniel Beaty to Omaha on February 15, 2013, at 7:30 PM at the Holland Center. This event is free for D2 Center students. To learn more about this award-winning actor, singer, & writer, visit http://danielbeaty.com. To see him in action,...
Media Coverage: “Exploring” with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office CSI Team
Several D2 Center students attended this event hosted by the Exploring program and said it was a great experience. See the coverage in the Omaha World-Herald and on WOWT Channel 6.We're looking forward to participating in more Exploring events. Please contact René at...
D2 Center Closed Monday, Jan. 21, 2012
The D2 Center will be closed Monday, Jan. 21, in observance of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. day. We will reopen Tuesday, Jan. 22.
Christian Science Monitor Article: Re-engagement Centers Across the U.S.
The Christian Science Monitor has published an article about re-engagement centers across the U.S. including Boston and the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo school district in south Texas. In How to get high school dropouts into 'recovery'? Ideas bloom across US., Stacy Teicher...
Career Experience Workshop: Douglas County Sheriff CSI Team, Sat. Jan. 19, 2013, 9am-12:30pm
On January 19, 2013, D2 Center students can spend the morning with the Douglas County Sheriff’s CSI Team. This is a great opportunity for students who are interested in law enforcement careers as well as students who are exploring career options in general....
D2 Center December 2012 Holiday Hours
The D2 Center will be closed Monday, December 24, and Tuesday, December 25, reopening on Wednesday, December 26. We will also be closed Monday, December 31, and Tuesday, January 1, 2013, reopening Wednesday, January 2. Have a safe and happy holiday season!
Dropout Re-engagement Network Meeting, Denver, CO, Dec. 4-6, 2012
Last week, D2 Center co-director Greg Emmel, Barb Farho from the City of Omaha Mayor's Office, and I flew to Denver to attend this year's Dropout Re-engagement Network meeting along with representatives from seventeen other cities across the U.S. The conference was...
D2 Center Elective Credit Math Class Starts Dec. 17, 2012
A new D2 Center elective credit math class starts Monday, December 17, 2012. The class, taught by Nebraska certified math teachers Ms. Donna Trout and Ms. Jackie Thomas, allows for ongoing participation every week on Monday and Wednesday afternoons. Online global...
CPR Certification Class: Monday Dec. 10, 2012 at the D2 Center
Omaha Area Health Education Center (AHEC) will be offering a CPR / First Aid and Infant CPR certification course for D2 Center students at the D2 Center, Monday, December 10, 2012, from 4-8 P.M. We're excited to provide this service at no cost to our students. This...
Rennie Center Case Study – Forgotten Youth: Re-Engaging Students Through Dropout Recovery
The Rennie Center has published a case study about Massachusetts' efforts to reconnect out-of-school youth. Called Forgotten Youth: Re-Engaging Students Through Dropout Recovery, the case study focuses on the Boston Re-engagement Center, which co-director Greg Emmel...