Fall 98

Volume 2, Number 4                          Page 1 of 4

Nebraska Network 21 (NN21) is changing the way Nebraskans will learn in the 21^st century. Since the Implementation Phase began in April 1996, a great deal of learning and experimentation has occurred, new partnerships have been forged, new policies are under development, and new programs have been implemented. Many people are curious about what’s been accomplished so far. Here are some examples.

NN21 Action Teams and Demonstration Projects are forging new partnerships with other higher education institutions, K-12 schools, communities, business/industry, government, and other entities. For example:

--The Sustainable Communities Action Team is collaborating with the Annenberg-funded "School at the Center Project" in Teachers College to work in four Nebraska communities to help assure sustainability.

--The Curriculum Action Team is partnering with the Nebraska Department of Education and business/industry leaders to develop new state policies and funding sources for innovative curricula in Natural Resources and Agribusiness education.

--The Lifelong Learning Center includes many education partners under one roof in northeast Nebraska. This is a model collaborative effort in providing on-site instruction and distance learning programs.

The NN21 Chautauqua reconnected stakeholders who participated in the Visioning Phase with those working on Implementation Phase activities and others new to NN21.

The Curriculum Action Team is collaborating with business/industry leaders, who are in turn working with state senators to craft legislation to establish a Nebraska Commission for Natural Resources and Agricultural/Agribusiness Education for pre-K through adult learners. They are also exploring new funding sources to sustain innovative curriculum design and delivery into the year 2020.

The Distance Education Action Team is designing a process for "orchestrating congruence" among education and community leaders. They are creating a new statewide distance learning network that will communicate honestly and openly in order to better serve the learning needs of all Nebraskans in the 21^st century.

Teacher training in the Biotechnology Education Demonstration Project in one school district has expanded to other districts in six counties and an Educational Service Unit. Business and higher education are working with K-12 teachers and extension educators to deliver training to improve K-12 science education.

The NN21 Chautauqua produced a new joint minor for students in the College of Business Administration and students in the Department of Nutritional Science and Dietetics. Business students will have a minor in restaurant management, and students in nutrition and dietetics will have a minor in business.

An interactive Web site now links nearly 500 LEAD alumni across Nebraska.

Artists from diverse backgrounds are using distance interactive technology and site visits with six high schools across the state. Students in these schools now can learn about and gain insight into the experiences of people from other races or cultures.

Workshops are being provided to higher-education faculty interested in learning how to teach via television.

The Youth Development Demonstration Project is making a lasting impact on more than 60 predominantly Hispanic youth and their families through partnerships with schools, local businesses, social service agencies, and higher education.

The Nebraska Women of Color Network has been reactivated by the Diversity Action Team.

The Distance Education Action Team commissioned five White Papers that address pertinent issues in distance education, and held a statewide conference at which the authors shared their research findings.

The Faculty Rewards Action Team has held faculty, staff, and administrator roundtables to hear concerns related to scholarship, evaluation and reward structures. The team also met with business leaders to learn about reward systems in the corporate workplace. Recently, several members of the team attended the Scholarship Unbound conference at Oregon State University.

The Food Systems in 2020 Action Team and the Visionary Food Systems Curricula Action Team have convened people from education and communities to explore issues related to food systems opportunities for producers and visionary curricula for students (pre-K through adult) in the 21^st century.

Lunches and dinners featuring locally grown organic foods have been hosted by the Sustainable Communities Action Team to provoke discussion and illustrate issues surrounding sustainability.

The Online Course Catalog Demonstration Project has a created a prototype for listing electronically all higher-education course offerings and contact persons in Nebraska.

The learning needs of Nebraskans were assessed during the NN21 Visioning Phase, and most recently by surveying a random sample of 1,827 residents across the state.

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