Taeng was born on the other side of the world in Thailand. He never knew his father. Soon after his mother brought his older sister and him to Texas, she put them up for adoption. However, he and his sister ended up in several foster homes in different states. By 10...
During the intake process at the D2 Center, one of the questions Staff Specialist Jodie Martinez asks is, "What are the reasons you disengaged or are struggling in school?" When Jodie asked Shannon this question early in the second semester of her 9th grade year in...
In the spring of 2022, Youth Academic Navigator Jesi DeWitt met Katherine, and Jesi knew she was strong academically and was a talented writer. However, during the pandemic years she had begun experiencing anxiety, and it became worse as the pandemic receded. She was...
The school social worker in the Omaha Public Schools Accelere Program was concerned that after a good start to the 2022-23 school year, Geovany’s attendance was slipping, and he was failing his classes. She believed a D2 Center Youth Academic Navigator (YAN) could...
Every D2 Center student is different, but one common thread we see is their need for individualized help navigating barriers blocking their engagement in school. Sometimes, these barriers seem to multiply as time goes on. Here on the blog, we'll be sharing student...
Each D2 Center student brings a unique set of circumstances that have led to their disengagement from school. There are some commonalities across their situations, but on a one-on-one basis, it's the D2 Center Youth Academic Navigator (YAN's) job to help the student...
Every day at the D2 Center, we assist students who are working hard to re-engage in school and get back on track toward graduation and a positive future. Who are these students? What barriers are they facing, and overcoming? Over the next few months on the blog, we'll...