Regional response to Prosper Omaha 2.0, a strategic economic development campaign designed to fast track Greater Omaha’s preferred future, has raised more than $18 million in business pledges toward the initiative’s $32 million goal – nine months after launching the six-county initiative.
“Business is booming in Greater Omaha,” said David G. Brown, president and CEO, Greater Omaha Chamber. “Current 2018 capital investment commitments exceed $1.3 billion, and more than 1600 jobs have been created so far this year. This is truly a place where everyone can prosper.”
Greater Omaha is a No. 1 ranked up-and-coming-tech hotspot, the No. 1 Best City for College Grads to Start their Careers in 2018 and Time magazine’s 2017 No. 3 Most Up-and-Coming City in America. The community has also been recognized for its “We Don’t Coast” attitude, and named America’s No. 2 Best Small City.
Greater Omaha is home to more than 30 communities and nearly 1 million people, with a youthful population (more than 40 percent are age 24 or younger), low cost of living and steady economic growth that outpaces the nation.
A five-year aspirational plan that accelerates a people/place/business-growth model, Prosper Omaha 2.0 is transforming a region where annual median income growth (3.4 percent in 2017) already outpaces the national growth rate of 2.6 percent, according to the U.S. Census Bureau; while higher education opportunities increasingly draw students to what Ziprecruiter calls the “No. 1 best city for college grads to start their careers in 2018.”
“High median salaries and low unemployment are hallmarks of Greater Omaha,” said Mikaela Borecky, senior director, fund development, Greater Omaha Chamber. “We have such gratitude to the organizations contributing to our collective momentum, and can’t wait to catalyze the region for ever-more explosive growth.”
The inaugural Prosper Omaha strategy launched in 2014, and produced nearly 300 landed projects, grew $4.2 billion in capital investment and created more than 13,000 jobs – thanks to $25.9 million in support from 300 investors.
Facebook Community Boost will be coming to Omaha on October 2-4.
Announced in November 2017, Community Boost invests in small businesses across the country. The program is designed to help small businesses grow and to give more people the digital skills they need to compete in the new economy.
Anyone is welcome to attend Community Boost, which kicks off on Tuesday, October 2nd at Thompson Center at UNO, 6705 Dodge Street, Omaha, NE 68182.
According to Facebook, when they heard that Nebraska wanted more digital skills training, it became a driving force behind why Omaha was chosen to host Community Boost. A survey by Morning Consult of small businesses in Nebraska found:
Registration for the event is open at fbcommunityboost.com/cities/omaha-ne/.
In August, students with the AIM TRIO Talent Search at Monroe Middle School and Benson High School participated in a week long Summer Technology Camp at AIM’s Brain Exchange. The students were excited to learn technologies such as Virtual Reality, Drone Piloting, 3D Modeling/Printing, Video Game Design, and Robotics.
Included in the technology camp were discussions about current and future jobs, which are all a part of the growing landscape of careers that cross STEM fields.
Students work Blockly Games, coding for video game design, and with lunchbox computer kits using Raspberry Pi.
During the Summer Technology Camp, the students also had the opportunity to ask questions during Congressman Don Bacon’s Round Table discussion presented at the AIM Brain Exchange on August 3, which highlighted the value of computer science and STEM Education.
Middle and high school students interested in creating technology, are invited to participate. Winners are invited to Washington D.C. to be recognized and be eligible for prizes. http://www.congressionalappchallenge.us/
September asw the return of two popular After School programs for students in AIM TRIO Talent Search at Monroe Middle school.
Technology Mash Up will explore cool IT gadgets like SMART basketballs and soccer balls that use technology to calculate angles and speed while Science Club will experiment with crime scene investigation and rocket launches.
Andrea Padilla-Rosas (director) and Kari D’Angelo (coordinator)
AIM TRiO Upward Bound at Bryan High School held their first annual Upward Bound Returning Student Orientation on Wednesday, September 5, 2018. They had a great turn out with students and families in the library at Bryan.
Eighteen students and 21 family members enjoyed dinner catered by Sam’s Leon Mexican Restaurant and learned more about the program and the calendar of events planned for the school year. The surprise announcement was the destination of our Spring Break College Trip: Oklahoma and Texas! The students (and parents) are excited about it!
In addition to getting the school year up and running, Andrea Padilla-Rosas (director) and Kari D’Angelo (coordinator) have been recruiting students to fill the spaces that the 2018 graduating seniors vacated. They’ve had an increase in interest simply by word of mouth—referrals from current AIM Upward Bound students. Their Bryan UB students are their best recruiters.
The next items on the calendar are the UNO/EducationQuest College Fair at UNO on Sunday, September 23 and UNL College Access Day on Wednesday, October 3.
Go Bears!
Back to school can be a tough time for both teachers and students everywhere––Thomas Jefferson High School in Council Bluffs is no exception. But there is one special corner of the school (otherwise known as Classroom C-218) where there were some people VERY excited for the launch of another new year and the school’s Back to School event.
Tanya Jacha, the new Director of Upward Bound at Thomas Jefferson, and Matt Patten, the new Coordinator, had been planning for the first day back for weeks, and were looking forward to getting kids just as excited about Upward Bound as they were.
Jacha and Patten arrived at the Back to School event early in order to make their Upward Bound booth special for students and their families. Their huge, 18-inch jar of candy was filled to the brim, the AIM bouncy ball supply had been replenished, and the shiny new Upward Bound pens were begging to be used to fill out new applications.
Parents started arriving early and were able to hang out at the Upward Bound table while they enjoyed a few pieces of candy and encouraged their kids to listen to Jacha and Patten’s plans for getting them to college.
The event had a huge turn out and Jacha and Patten said that the Upward Bound table had at least two or three families at it at all times who were asking questions and requesting applications. Their simple question of, “Who wants to go to college?” kept families flocking their way.
Jacha and Patten said that although the parents are intrigued by that question, the students showed more interest when they would ask, “Who wants to travel to fun places?”
The students and their sibilings were able to see some of Upward Bound’s 2018 summer trips on a slideshow, giving them a sneak peek at what could be in store for them, too.
In total, 13 Upward Bound applications are completed at the event with another 34 taken to fill out at home. Jacha and Patten said it was a great evening and a sign of the energetic and exciting year to come!
