Why I Love Omaha

The Last Three Years

It's my fault.  I know. I'm not sure the whole family was ready to move.  They took the gamble. For that, I will always be grateful to them.  The transition wasn't easy.  I went over a month and a half without them while the house was selling in Kansas.  Leaving after having built our family there for 20 years, you lose so much in relationships. Our extended families live in Missouri, so now any free time would mean making decisions of seeing old friends or extended family.  But this blog is titled, "Why I Love Omaha", it wasn't without some pain and sacrifice. Here was our house in Andover, located a couple of blocks from the girls' schools and my work.

Now....On To Omaha

#LoveOmaha Part 1 - Always Something To Do

Omaha is amazing.  It has so many things that attract loads of people from outside of Nebraska as well as brings entertainment to its citizens. From the Henry Doorly Zoo, to the College World Series, NCAA Basketball Tournament, and many many others.  The talent of events that is brought to this mid-western city is incredible. 

#LoveOmaha Part 2 - Great Neighborhood & Relationships

My girls love volleyball.  They will play out in the road in our neighborhood for hours. The kids across the street and down the road totally look up to them.  It's a part of what makes a great neighborhood, well, great.  Sitting outside with the neighbors, sometimes by the fire, or yearly when we plan to shoot fireworks off; these are all ways we all interact. 

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#LoveOmaha Part 3 - The Community Gives Back & Supports Public Education

I briefly outlined my thoughts on this, and really didn't do it justice.  From the Sherwood Foundation, Lozier Foundation, Heritage Foundation and our very own Omaha Schools Foundation, there are so many great stories from these organizations giving back to the community.  One that wasn't highlighted in the video is the 75 North Project. Check out this video that outlines this incredible revitalization effort. 

75 North isn't the only community engagement project happening in Omaha.  Another great example of engaging the community is through innovative spaces.  The Dospace is a great high technology experience.  I say experience because it isn't just about access, they also provide classes that can empower the youngest learner or introduce technologies to the older citizens in the community as well. 

#OPSProud

I am proud of our district and its accomplishments over the past couple of years. We have incredible leadership that creates vision that staff, students, and the community can engage in.  In my area of expertise, our team from instructional trainers down to our building techs have helped infuse purpose and proper implementation of technology.  The district is willing to go in areas it hasn't been exposed to.  In a couple of weeks, we will introduce a mobile learning unit that will teach the North Omaha area students and parents digital literacy and citizenship.  This mobile learning unit is not what you would expect. It's a flexible space, collaborative in every wall you turn to, and access to high technology that will bring digital access to many of our impoverished areas. Starting the first virtual school in Nebraska history is another example of paving the way.  All good things.  It's about what's best for the students. 

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#NELovesPS

Another organization I want to identify is Nebraska Loves Public Schools.  You might have seen the t-shirt when I spoke at Microsoft's Hack the Classroom event this summer, they are a great billboard for public education.  I have done blog posts about how important it is we in education tell our story, NELovesPS does this in an inspiring way with video.  Check out their site:

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Nebraska Loves Public Schools

The place to see what's happening in our public schools. We invite you to explore the films, be inspired by the stories, share what you see and discover how you can show your support. Check back as we roll out new video documentaries that showcase the great stories we're discovering all over our state.

So many great things to be proud of in Omaha.  It hasn't been easy, but I know that my family is grateful for what Omaha brings to us.  So thank you Omaha, thank you to my friends both at work and around me, and thank you to those who provide our students opportunities that otherwise they wouldn't ever experience.