OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Omaha Public Schools’s Next Level Learning started this week. The summer is program is designed with educational activities to enrich learning. This year, approximately 17,000 students are enrolled. It’s the highest yet for this program.
Destin Blackshear is about to enter the second grade. He said he loves learning about reading and math. It's his first time attending Omaha Public Schools Next Level Learning.
"It feels great because you get to make all kinds of friends," said Destin Blackshear.
Forty-eight schools with more than 2,000 staff members are making this program possible. There are 2,000 more students in the program this year than last year.
"That just means there's a lot less kids playing video games, and more kids learning," said NLL Principal Catherine Dose.
The summer program picks up where classes left off, except teachers do a deeper dive. Students are also tasked with hands-on activities almost every day, something that isn't always provided during the school year.
Alexandria Lee's class is focusing on STEM and making underwater robots.
"I love seeing some of the kids who maybe aren't as confident, kind of come out of their shell and really grow during the STEM-based learning because it is a new experience and a different learning activity," said teacher Alexandria Lee.
This program was restructured back in 2021 after the COVID-19 pandemic to focus on getting kids back in the classroom.
"They're learning in the morning, they're having fun in the afternoon. They definitely want to be here and our attendance shows it," said Dose.
Any student is still able to enroll in the free program. And for Blackshear....
KMTV: What does learning mean to you?
Blackshear: "It means. It means you just got to learn. That's it. That's what it means."
July 3 is the last day for this program.
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