Beyond School Bells, a program of the Nebraska Children and Families Foundation, is Nebraska’s statewide afterschool and summer learning network. A key part of our mission is to raise awareness about the important role afterschool and summer programs play in the healthy growth and development of all Nebraska youth. From providing opportunities for healthy social-emotional development, hands-on STEM, arts and civic learning experiences, physical fitness, and nutritious meal options, as well as providing peace of mind for working parents, afterschool and summer programs perform essential work in communities across the state.

While the COVID-19 pandemic has made the importance of out of school time learning experiences more apparent, many programs providing these crucial services day in and day out often do so under the radar screen. This website is intended to enhance that visibility by providing Nebraska policy makers, community leaders, and families with information about school-based afterschool and summer programs available across the state.

Finally, we know that this map is incomplete – it is based on information that is readily available from public sources. To make it more reflective of what is happening in communities across the state, we need you! If you are responsible for a school-based or school-linked afterschool or summer program in your community that is not reflected on this map, let us know – bsbinfo@nebraskachildren.org.

Both the graduation rate and population in poverty statistics used on this website is obtained from the American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year Data, 2018. For a detailed description of the dataset as a whole, you may navigate to the corresponding census page: ACS 2018

Graduation Rate

The graduation rate statistic taken from ACS 2018 data, as noted above. More specifically, this statistic represents the educational attainment percent estimate of people 25 years and older who have obtained a degree at the high school (or equivelent) level or higher.
The ACS census variable used to obtain this data is “DP02_0066PE”. You may find brief variable descriptions here: ACS5 2018 Variables

Population in Poverty

The population in pverty statistic taken from ACS 2018 data, as noted above. More specifically, this statistic represents the percentage of families and people whose income in the past 12 months is below the poverty level. Note: this estimate is limited to all families, where the householder has related children under 18 years old.
The ACS census variable used to obtain this data is “DP03_0120PE”. You may find brief variable descriptions here: ACS5 2018 Variables

By no means are school-based afterschool and summer programs the only school-age child care option available to Nebraska families. Indeed, child care centers and home-based providers are available in communities across our state. The Nebraska Child Care Referral Network, a diverse coalition of Nebraska child care advocates, developed a searchable database for licensed child-care facilities, including information about location and available spaces. You can find their tool here:

If you don’t see your program listed, or want to make an update to your current program, you may request an addition or edit using the following button.