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March 5, 2025

Cradle-to-Career Community of Practice

High-quality education is the cornerstone of sustainable neighborhood development. It fuels curiosity, opens doors to new ideas, and creates pathways to lifelong success—where students not only see possibilities for their future but gain the tools to achieve them. At Canopy South, we are working alongside key strategic partners to ensure South Omaha is a community anchored in equity and excellence, where prosperity is shared more broadly.

As part of this commitment, in September 2024, Canopy South launched the Cradle-to-Career Community of Practice (C2C CoP)—an initiative thoughtfully designed to foster collaboration, build capacity, and drive innovation in education. This initiative is dedicated to creating a continuous educational pathway for residents, from early childhood through college and career success.

The C2C CoP brings together 100+ individuals from nearly 50 organizations, including residents, education partners, and nonprofits—known as The Collective. This diverse group gathers quarterly to connect, share a meal, and engage with guest speakers who inspire new ideas and best practices.

Beyond these large gatherings, participants meet regularly in focused alliance teams to develop strategies that improve educational outcomes for children in the Southside Terrace – Indian Hill neighborhood. Their efforts ultimately aim to promote economic mobility and long-term success across South Omaha.

Cradle-to-Career Alliance Teams:

• Early Learning + Elementary Alliance – Focused on expanding access to high-quality early learning and K-5 education.
• 6-12 Graduation Success Alliance – Supporting middle and high school students to graduate on time, fully prepared for college or career opportunities.

Through these collaborative efforts, we are shaping an education ecosystem with targeted goals to foster a thriving, inclusive community where every student can succeed.

Thank you to all of our participating organizations for sharing your time, energy, and ideas with us! 

• Archdiocese of Omaha / Catholic Schools Consortium
• Avenue Scholars 
• Bluestem Middle School
• Boys and Girls Club of Midlands
• Boys Town Common Sense Parenting
• Bryan High School
• Bryan Middle School
• Buffett Early Childhood Institute
• CNW Alliance
• Collective for Youth
• Completely Kids
• D2 Center 
• Dynamic Workforce Solutions
• Educare of Omaha, Inc.
• ESU #3 Early Learning Connection
• First Five Nebraska
• Future Kids
• Girls Inc of Omaha
• Heartland Workforce Solutions
• Indian Hill Elementary
• Kids Can Community Center
• Latino Center of the Midlands
• Learning Community of Douglas and Sarpy Counties
• Metro Community College
• Metro-Omaha Raise Me to Read
• Nebraska Children and Families Foundation (NCFF) 
• NCFF – NE Growing Readers
• NCFF – Sixpence CCP
• Nebraska Department of Education – Office of Early Childhood
• Nebraska Early Childhood Collaborative
• Omaha Housing Authority
• Omaha Police Department
• Omaha Public Library
• Omaha Public Schools (OPS)
• OPS – Family Engagement
• OPS – Early Intervention
• OPS – Student Placement
• OPS – Early Childhood
• OPS – English Learner, Migrant, and Refugee Education
• OPS – Curriculum and Instruction
• Omaha Public Schools Foundation
• Omaha Police Department
• One World Community Health Centers
• Partnership 4 Kids
• Seventy Five North 
• South High School
• Stephen Center, Inc.
• The BIKE Collaborative
• The Rose Theater
• The Salvation Army Omaha Kroc Center
• The Simple Foundation 
• The Wellbeing Partners
• University of Nebraska Omaha
• YMCA of Greater Omaha

The C2C CoP is led by Barb Stratman, Director of Education. Please contact her for more information at barb@canopysouth.org or (531)466-5922