Jacht Agency showcased the Nurture Nebraska campaign at the 2026 Thriving Children, Families and Communities Conference. Pictured: Lily Dohmen, student in the UNL College of Journalism and Mass Communications.
Student leaders from Jacht Agency, the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s student-run advertising and public relations firm, represented the Nurture Nebraska campaign at one of the state’s largest gatherings of early childhood professionals.
The ninth annual Thriving Children, Families and Communities Conference was held Sept. 22 in Kearney, bringing together hundreds of partners from across Nebraska to connect, collaborate and explore solutions to early childhood challenges.
Lily Dohmen, Kavanaugh Splittgerber and Parker Thomsen, all undergraduates in the College of Journalism and Mass Communications, hosted a Nurture Nebraska display booth to raise awareness of the statewide campaign and spark conversations about children’s social and emotional development.
The student team shared campaign resources and connected with education administrators, community leaders and other stakeholders, inviting them to learn more about Nurture Nebraska’s mission to champion the social and emotional development of children.
Attendees were interviewed for short videos and engaged in an interactive mapping activity to capture local perspectives on youth well-being. A map of Nebraska provided a visual representation of personal experiences and reflections from communities across the state — and a shared commitment to creating supportive environments where all children can thrive.
Nurture Nebraska is part of the TransformED research initiative and is now in its third year of implementation thanks to funding from a Grand Challenges grant from the UNL Office of Research and Innovation.
To learn more about the campaign, including ways to get involved, visit nurturenebraska.org and follow the campaign on Facebook and Instagram. Check out the photo gallery below.
Nurture Nebraska logo and tagline.
Nurture Nebraska logo and tagline.
Jacht students Kavanaugh Splittgerber and Lily Dohmen at the Nurture Nebraska display booth.
Kavanaugh Splittgerber and Lily Dohmen manage the Nurture Nebraska display booth.
Nurture Nebraska’s interactive mapping activity.
Jacht students Kavanaugh Splittgerber and Lily Dohmen invite conference attendees to share their perspectives on children’s social and emotional development.
Banquet hall at the 2026 Thriving Children, Families and Communities Conference.
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.