Lincoln Literacy

🎉 Congratulations to César, winner of the Mayor’s Award for Literacy Achievement! (And thanks to Councilmember Beckius for presenting the award on behalf of the City of Lincoln Government.)

At our Annual Awards Ceremony, we were thrilled to celebrate his remarkable determination. Learning a new language and building a life in a new country takes immense courage, and César shows what is possible when resilience meets the right support.

César has worked tirelessly in our free classes to gain the English language and job skills needed to unlock new career pathways and achieve his dreams. He is a true leader among our community of learners, and his hard work inspires us all. We are so proud to walk alongside him on his path to success.

Photo by Chuck Haacker.

👉 Want to help more neighbors like César succeed? We need volunteer tutors. No experience is necessary — we provide all the training. Sign up at https://buff.ly/QjH3zK4.

Mastering the English language is the first step toward a life-changing career. We are proud to partner with Bryan College of Health Sciences (with funding from the Community Health Endowment of Lincoln) to provide the linguistic foundation that new Americans like Nigora, Alla, and Thuzar need to succeed in healthcare certification.

Our students often start in an entry-level job (or multiple jobs), then go on to become Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs), phlebotomists, medication aides, licensed practical nurses, and more. These are in-demand occupations that provide stability for themselves and their families.

As Alla says, it’s about a second chance to reach a life goal.

Read the full story on CHE's website: https://buff.ly/MkGc1BC.

Thanks to CHE and LNKTV (City of Lincoln Government) for providing this story and photo of Nigora.

We are so grateful to Yana Mann and the International Rescue Committee (IRC) for celebrating Lincoln Literacy’s work with the SNAP Employment & Training (E&T) Bootcamp.

After graduating from the bootcamp in 2025, Lincoln Literacy leadership has stepped up as a regional mentor — presenting twice in 2026 to help new organizations navigate this vital grant program.

A special shoutout to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). Their partnership helps expand workforce pathways across Nebraska, using a 50/50 reimbursement model for job training and education.

At Lincoln Literacy, we use these vital systems to help Nebraskans find stable paths to employment. Together with our partners, we are building a stronger, more inclusive workforce system where everyone can thrive.

🤝 Learn more about our services at https://buff.ly/R5sIqk3.

We are thrilled to honor Hetal Patel with this year's Special Service Award!

Hetal says that when she arrived in Lincoln from India in 2018, she didn't know a single sentence of conversational English and felt isolated. Thanks to Lincoln Literacy's free classes and door-to-door van service, she found a safe community of learning. Her transformation has been extraordinary.

Today, Hetal travels confidently across North America. More than a student, she is now a key leader. She serves on our Board of Directors and volunteers as a childcare minder, giving other parents the peace of mind to study.

Hetal’s journey from hesitant newcomer to inspiring mentor embodies our entire mission. Thank you, Hetal, for helping our community thrive.

Photos by volunteer Chuck Haacker.

👉 Join our volunteer tutor team today at https://buff.ly/XfAsiwz.

We loved seeing our friends, supporters, tutors, students, and staff at our annual awards ceremony and potluck luncheon at Lincoln High School. Here are a few photos from our dedicated volunteer Chuck Haacker. More to come soon!

Check out our future events at https://buff.ly/SjFBa7q.

Looking back through our memories, we just had to share these wonderful photos from our trip to the Lincoln Children's Zoo back in July 2025.

Led by our incredible van driver and citizenship instructor, Jaafar, our students stepped outside the traditional classroom and into a real-world environment. From reading information plaques about the animals to navigating the park map and chatting with zoo staff, it was the perfect opportunity to practice everyday English literacy and vocabulary skills in a fun, hands-on way!

Enriching community experiences like this — and our daily classes — are only possible because of our dedicated transportation team. Our fleet of 15-passenger vans runs 6 days a week to ensure that transportation is never a barrier for our students and their families.

But keeping our vans moving requires fuel, tires, and regular maintenance.

💳 Your gifts directly fuel these vans, driving our students toward literacy, career readiness, and unforgettable community connections. If you'd like to support our transportation fund, you can donate anytime here: https://buff.ly/IG551T9.

When we look at thriving gardens at the Prairie Pines, we see more than just crops — we see the leadership, resilience, and rich agricultural heritage of Lincoln’s immigrant and refugee communities.

While this is not a Lincoln Literacy program, we are proud to highlight the good work done here. Through this incredible incubator farm partnership of Family Service Lincoln and Community Crops, refugee and immigrant farmers are taking the lead in rebuilding cultural food sheds, passing down traditions, and nourishing our city with fresh, locally grown food.

This isn't just about providing land; it’s about recognizing the immense skills our neighbors bring to Nebraska. Our very own former student, Shahad, now helps manage these operations.

True integration means breaking down silos and working in sync. By connecting English language literacy with land access and community resources, we aren't just helping our neighbors survive — we are ensuring they have the tools to lead and thrive. This beautiful collaboration is exactly what makes Lincoln a certified welcoming city where everyone belongs.

A massive thank you to the Lincoln Community Foundation (LCF) for supporting this project and championing the "Connections" that weave our community closer together.

👉 Read the full story of leadership and community growth on the LCF Blog here: https://buff.ly/30TL00a.

Our hearts (and stomachs!) are so full after spending the afternoon at the Heritage Celebration, hosted by our wonderful friends at the Asian Community & Cultural Center of Lincoln, NE.

Stunning traditional dances and live music. Breathtaking lion dance. All the cultural and community performances were absolutely unforgettable. We loved exploring the family-friendly activity booths and tasting delicious food samples representing the rich diversity of Asian cultures right here in Lincoln.

At Lincoln Literacy, we believe that sharing language, culture, and community is what makes our city a truly welcoming place to thrive. We are so grateful to partner with organizations like the Asian Center to support our newest neighbors on their journeys.

Thank you to everyone who organized, performed, and came out to celebrate with us!

On behalf of our staff, board members, and volunteer tutors — thank you, Lincoln! Give to Lincoln Day 2026 was absolutely historic.

Together with the incredibly generous matching funds provided by the Lincoln Community Foundation and our individual match sponsors, we broke every single organization record and raised $219,268.

We are completely overwhelmed with gratitude for the over 400 neighbors who stepped up to support our mission. Your generosity directly impacts the journeys of over 3,000 students as they work to gain English fluency and vital workplace skills.

Every dollar raised stays right here in our community to build paths from basic language skills to big dreams. These funds will immediately be used to buy:

- Books and classroom supplies for our expanding curriculum.

- Diapers, healthy snacks, and educational childcare materials so parents can focus on learning while their little ones learn, too.

- Gas, tires, and maintenance for our fleet of 15-passenger vans that provide free, vital transportation to our class sites.

Whether our students are pursuing their dreams of becoming a certified nurse, launching a local business, re-entering a profession from their country of origin, or gaining the digital computer skills required to move from an entry-level role to a supervisor — you are walking alongside them.

To mark this incredible milestone, the Lincoln Literacy team took an inspiring trip to the Sheldon Museum of Art on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus. We spent the afternoon exploring the powerful Hyphen American exhibit and visiting the museum's beautiful, permanent collection pieces by Mark Rothko and Edward Hopper.

Our summer session is underway, and we want to send a massive shout-out to our 200+ volunteer tutors who make this machine run 6 days a week across Lincoln. We quite literally could not do this without you.

📈 Want to see the transparency and impact of your investment? Check out the full breakdown of our finances and growth metrics in our latest annual report.👉 https://buff.ly/FZ55w1K.

At Lincoln Literacy, we believe that education is the ultimate bridge to a stable, thriving career. That’s why we love looking back at the incredible milestones achieved through our community partnerships.

In the Select Lincoln | Lincoln Partnership for Economic Development (LPED) Q1 2026 Labor Market Update, we were thrilled to see a special shout-out to a program hosted right here at our downtown office. Earlier this year, the Lincoln Manufacturing Council (LMC) delivered its Manufacturing Basics Certificate class in Spanish to 10 of our dedicated participants, all of whom successfully completed the program! 🎉

For years, Lincoln Literacy has partnered with this vital initiative to help neighbors without prior experience break into local manufacturing — a high-wage, high-demand industry with a bright future.

Our proud membership in LPED allows us to go even further. Through our Workplace Learning programs, we partner directly with incredible LMC members like Kawasaki Lincoln Careers and TMCO, Inc. to provide customized on-site English and skill-building classes, helping local businesses upskill and retain their workforce.

Opportunities like this only happen when a community rows in the same direction. We want to extend a massive thank you to our incredible partners at LPED and the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce for their visionary leadership and collaborative spirit:

🙌 Jason Ball 🙌 Luke Peltz 🙌 Allison Hatch 🙌 Caden Pearson - Thank you for linking arms with us to make Lincoln a welcoming, economically vibrant place where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

🔗 Learn more about our workforce and language classes at https://buff.ly/hDwAuRf.