Services
The mission of the D2 Center is to connect out-of-school and disengaged youth ages 15-21 into an educational pathway with other resources and supports needed to earn a high school diploma and prepare for post-secondary opportunities and a career.
Youth Academic Navigators
YANs are education-focused case managers who check in with their students frequently and help with issues as they emerge to ensure students are making progress and earning credits in school.
They are often on-the-go, meeting students where they are: school, home, or even court. They stick with them regardless of school changes and will work with them for months or even years until they earn a diploma.
YANs find a balance between offering support and holding students accountable, cheerleading and pushing for excellence. YANs celebrate successes big and small and provide encouragement during difficult times.
Tutoring & Elective Classes
We offer tutoring for students who need academic assistance or alternative ways to earn high school credit. Our certified teachers specialize in creating a small, caring classroom environment with a focus on individual students and their success.
Tutoring in core subject areas is offered on an as-needed basis utilizing Microsoft Teams or Zoom. In-person tutoring at the D2 Center is available late afternoons upon request.
Three D2 Center elective credit classes focus on math and verbal skills as well as postsecondary planning: Math Elective, English Elective, and Navigating Your Future.
Career Navigators
Career Navigators assist students with postsecondary planning and connections for both career and educational opportunities. Services are also available to graduates.
Career Navigator activities include application assistance with scholarships, FAFSA, and colleges. Other activities include longer-term career exploration, college tours, job searches and applications, resumé creation, interview prep, and focused conversations on the students’s goals, opportunities, and life obstacles.
Our Career Navigators are experts in working with young people; they are all retired guidance counselors. They partner closely with OPS alternative programs at Blackburn, Independent Study, and Accelere.
Reengagement Partnership
The Omaha Public Schools/D2 Center Reengagement Project is a partnership where D2 Center and OPS staff members work collaboratively to reengage students who have withdrawn from school but are eligible to enroll.
The goal is to encourage these young people to reconsider the possibility of earning a high school diploma and to assist with reenrollment.
Both YANs and Career Navigators do outreach to these students and family members through phone calls, text and Facebook messages, email, home visits, and letters.