UNL Children’s Center educator plays with two toddlers. Photo courtesy of Jacht Agency.
New Undergraduate Courses | Enroll Fall 2026
University of Nebraska–Lincoln students will soon have access to new online courses designed to provide career-ready training in early childhood care and education.
Starting in the 2026–27 academic year, undergraduate students in all majors may enroll in Connections for Kids — a series of five asynchronous online courses focused on promoting young children’s social and emotional development through innovative, evidence-based practices.
Developed through UNL’s Grand Challenges Catalyst grant project, TransformED, the courses are relevant to students interested in learning how to support children’s social and emotional growth across a range of professions such as:
- Classroom educators
- Child care providers
- Clinical psychologists
- Counselors
- Family service providers
- Health care professionals
- Human services providers
- Child life specialists
- Other helping professionals
Evidence-Based Training
Taught by faculty in UNL’s Department of Child, Youth and Family Studies, the courses will prepare students to use an innovative approach called Connections for Kids. The approach is built on three evidence-based programs widely used by practitioners in Nebraska:
For the first time, this coursework gives undergraduates the opportunity to complete comprehensive training across all three programs.
The approach draws on UNL research and educators’ experiences, with an emphasis on:
- Creating supportive classroom environments.
- Strengthening family engagement.
- Supporting positive educator well-being.
Flexible, Accessible Format
Connections for Kids online courses are open to all majors and designed to be flexible and accessible. Enrolled students take five one-credit “mini” courses in sequence over 22 weeks in fall and spring semesters, including one 6-week course followed by four 4-week courses. Each course combines 14-16 hours of online training content with 10-12 hours of discussions and reflections, allowing students to learn at their own pace while building connections with peers.
The following courses must be taken in order:
- CYAF 490N Workshop Seminar: CK CHIME (6 weeks)
- CYAF 490P Workshop Seminar: CK Pyramid Model 1 (4 weeks)
- CYAF 490Q Workshop Seminar: CK Getting Ready (4 weeks)
- CYAF 490R Workshop Seminar: CK Pyramid Model 2 (4 weeks)
- CYAF 490T Workshop Seminar: CK Pyramid Model 3 (4 weeks)
Strengthening the Workforce
Connections for Kids coursework addresses challenges faced by Nebraska’s early childhood workforce, particularly the need for educators to be well-equipped to meet children’s needs, which have grown more complex in recent years.
Niki Gemar, administrative specialist for the Head Start Child and Family Development Program, Inc., and president of the Nebraska Head Start Association, is seeing a rise in staff turnover driven by stress and burnout. Frequent turnover disrupts continuity of care for families, and can heighten children’s anxiety and challenging behaviors.
“When staff understand why children may behave in the way they do, including the impacts of trauma, they view children through a different lens,” Gemar said. “It’s important for staff to understand how to support children demonstrating strong emotions as this is what we are seeing in many of our classrooms. While math concepts and other academic skills are important, social–emotional training should be a large component of their education.”
Giving Students a Competitive Edge
In addition to enhancing their skillsets, students can also earn certificates of completion for these programs, giving them a competitive edge after graduation.
Soo-Young Hong, associate professor of child, youth and family studies, is leading the effort to build Connections for Kids training into students’ degrees.
“The Connections for Kids courses will strengthen students’ career prospects, as well as the quality of the services they provide to children,” Hong said. “They’ll gain practical, evidence-based training, along with meaningful credentials to add to their resumes.”
Graduates who enter the workforce with these skills in place are better prepared to serve children who need extra support — allowing programs to focus on other coaching and training priorites, Gemar noted.
“As an administrator, when we see a degree that includes training in an evidence-based social–emotional curriculum, we’re confident in that person’s ability to teach our children,” Gemar said. “Head Start spends significant time and resources training staff in these skills. If graduates already had them, it would reduce some of that investment — and likely lower staff turnover by helping teachers feel more prepared for classroom management.”
Interested?
Plan ahead — UNL’s priority registration for Fall 2026 begins March 23, and open registration runs April 8 to Aug. 23.
For more information on the Connections for Kids coursework offerings and how to enroll, please contact Dr. Hong at shong5@unl.edu. Incentives for student enrollment may be offered. Details to be announced.
The University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s TransformED is a collaborative research initiative that promotes children’s social and emotional development by enhancing early childhood education services, strengthening connections across systems and supporting the workforce. TransformED is funded by a Grand Challenges Catalyst grant from the UNL Office of Research and Innovation.