Blog
D2 Center 2022 Summer Elective Classes
May is here and it's time to start thinking about summer! Every year the D2 Center offers options for students who are in need of elective credits. These courses are designed to complement OPS summer school opportunities and are taught by Nebraska certified teachers....
Accelere College and Career Fair, April 2022
D2 Center staff participated in the OPS Accelere College and Career Fair on April 14, 2022. About 20 local employers, postsecondary education and training organizations, and the military were present to meet with students. Here are a few photos of the event, which had...
Visit to New OPS Schools in South Omaha
D2 Center YANs Abraham Gómez Meza and Evelia Gutiérrez joined Omaha Public Schools (OPS) Superintendent Dr. Cheryl Logan, OPS Board members Tracy Casady and Margo Juarez, and other community members in a tour of new school buildings on April 13, 2022. The tour...
Reconnecting Youth: Putting Out of School, Out of Work Youth on a Path to Self-Sufficiency
The D2 Center is included in a new set of tools produced by MDRC and Child Trends for the project “Reconnecting Youth: Putting Out of School, Out of Work Youth on a Path to Self-Sufficiency.” These tools can be accessed on youth.gov. This project was funded by the...
D2 Center at the Independent Studies Program College & Career Fair, Feb. 2022
The D2 Center participated in the OPS Independent Studies Program (ISP) College and Career Fair on Wednesday, February 16, 2022. Other organizations present included UNO, Metropolitan Community College, Iowa Western Community College, Lozier Corporation, and the U.S....
D2 Center and Blackburn Alternative Program
Career Navigators John Moore and Bette Norton Ball (pictured in the Christmas sweater) assisted Blackburn school staff with planning and distribution of food baskets to Blackburn students and families on December 13, 2021. The holiday meal includes all the fixings and...
D2 Center @ Intern Omaha Expo
D2 Center staff attended the Intern Omaha Expo at the Scott Conference Center on November 19, 2021. Hundreds of students attended from school districts in Douglas and Sarpy County to learn about career options from over 40 Omaha Metro employers in a variety of fields....
College & Career Fair at Accelere & Blackburn, Oct. 2021
D2 Center Career Navigators Bette Norton Ball and John Moore helped plan a College and Career Fair at Accelere and Blackburn held on Thursday, October 14. It was a great success! Below: Career Navigators John Moore (left) and Bette Norton Ball (3rd from left) worked...
D2 Center 2020-21 Annual Report
The D2 Center Annual Report (PDF) for the 2020-2021 fiscal year is now available. Our Annual Report offers information about the students we serve, program outcomes, and our organization overall. After a rough ending to the 2019-20 school year thanks to the pandemic,...
United Way of the Midlands Awards $30,000 Grant to the D2 Center to Fund Youth Academic Navigator (YAN) / Reengagement Specialist Program
Press Release MEDIA CONTACTS: Greg Emmel and Carolyn T. Miller, Executive Directors D2 Center 402-502-8534 info@d2center.org For Immediate Release: August 27, 2021 United Way of the Midlands Awards $30,000 Grant to the D2 Center to Fund Youth Academic Navigator (YAN)...
The D2 Center is Hiring! August 2021
**UPDATE: These postings are closed as of 9/01/2021.** The start of the school year is right around the corner and the D2 Center is looking to hire two individuals to help with our growing program. For more information and to apply, please see our postings on...
D2 Center 2021 Virtual Summer Elective Classes
Summer is right around the corner and we're pleased to share our elective credit plans for Summer 2021! D2 Center summer options are virtual this year; see course descriptions and requirements below. Please contact Director Greg Emmel with questions or to sign up...
Spring 2021 D2 Center Tutoring and Elective Credit Classes
In November 2020, the D2 Center began offering tutoring and elective credit classes virtually to D2 Center students. We have refined these virtual processes a bit - please see details below. We are here to help and would love to see you (virtually, for now)! Tutoring...
2020-21 Tutoring and Elective Credit Classes at the D2 Center
In November 2020, the D2 Center began offering tutoring and elective credit classes virtually to D2 Center students. Staff Specialist Jodie Martinez coordinates the curriculum and student participation for the elective credit classes—"Navigating Your Future" and an...
D2 Center 2019-20 Annual Report
The D2 Center Annual Report (PDF) for the 2019-20 fiscal year is now available. Our Annual Report offers information about the students we serve, program outcomes, and our organization overall. The current pandemic created unique challenges in the final quarter of...
YAN Spotlight: Olga Yaneth Mares
Our YAN Spotlight series is an extension of our "Meet the Staff" series of posts where we follow up with our Youth Academic Navigators since the last time they were featured on the blog. Our fourth post features Olga Yaneth Mares, who goes by Yaneth, and who started...
D2 Center / OPS Virtual Summer Pandemic Partnership
The D2 Center partnered with the Omaha Public Schools in the summer of 2020 to offer three classes to supplement OPS virtual summer classes. For the past nine years, D2 Center teachers have offered two elective credit classes to D2 Center students in the summer. This...
United Way of the Midlands Awards $15,000 Grant to the D2 Center to Fund Youth Academic Navigator (YAN) / Reengagement Specialist Program
Press Release MEDIA CONTACTS: Greg Emmel and Carolyn T. Miller, Executive Directors D2 Center 402-502-8534 info@d2center.org For Immediate Release: August 6, 2020 United Way of the Midlands Awards $15,000 Grant to the D2 Center to Fund Youth Academic Navigator (YAN) /...
D2 Center Virtual Summer Elective Classes
The D2 Center partnered with the Omaha Public Schools (OPS) this summer in June and July and is offering three classes to D2 Center students and a few other OPS students who are trying to graduate. All the classes are taught remotely utilizing Zoom meetings, cell...
Congrats D2 Center Scholarship Winners!
Congratulations to these D2 Center students who earned scholarships for college this spring! We are so proud of you, your hard work and perseverance.
Congratulations D2 Center Spring 2020 Graduates!
Huge congratulations are in order! These graduates earned their diplomas this past spring -- despite all the complications and difficulties brought by COVID-19. Even before the pandemic, these D2 Center students overcame various — often multiple — barriers, then were...
Standing Together Against Injustice
The heart of the D2 Center mission is to re-engage struggling high school students and provide support as they make progress towards their high school diploma. Our philosophy is that helping to increase student access to educational opportunities and academic success...
D2 Center and Omaha Gives! May 20, 2020
Please join us in this local day of giving. We're still serving our students, who struggle in the best of times, and have even celebrated a few graduations! But these students need us now more than ever. We are staying true to our mission and are supporting our...
D2 Center Operational Changes in Response to COVID-19
In order to do our part to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and protect our staff and students, as of the end of Friday, March 13, the D2 Center has closed our physical office and moved to a remote work model. Youth Academic Navigator (YAN) support of students will...
YAN Spotlight: Curtis Morgan
Our new YAN Spotlight series is an extension of our "Meet the Staff" series of posts where we follow up with our Youth Academic Navigators since the last time they were featured on the blog. Our third post features Curtis Morgan, who started at the D2 Center in...
Shayla’s Story: I Couldn’t Have Done This Without You
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...
Omaha World-Herald Sponsored Feature: Opportunity Youth Alliance
Thanks to the United Way of the Midlands, a new Sponsored Feature in the Omaha World-Herald shines a spotlight on the Opportunity Youth Alliance, a group of more than 5o local nonprofits working with youth ages 16-24. The D2 Center has been active with the OYA since...
Juan’s Story: You Never Gave Up on Me
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...
Samantha’s Story: Giving Me a Second Chance
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...
D2 Center 2018-19 Annual Report
The D2 Center Annual Report (PDF) for the 2018-2019 fiscal year is now available. Our Annual Report offers information about the students we serve, program outcomes, and our organization overall. High-level results for the year include: — 368 total students served in...