Our Legacy Nebraska builds on Conservation Nebraska's Common Ground Program by supporting community members in communities across our state. Participants receive leadership development, one-on-one coaching, mini-grants, and training. Current communities include Lexington, Grand Island, Omaha, Lincoln, and South Sioux City.
This is a three-year program. Year 1 is focused on training to develop members' skills in community organizing. Year 2 involves members organizing community events. Year 3 is continued community organizing and leaving behind a legacy of environmental advocacy.
Participants are paid $20 per hour during training sessions. Training sessions are in-person or virtual depending on weather and scheduling. Sessions last about 2-3 hours and are held once per month. Meals are provided. We try to accommodate and work with participants' schedules.
Benefits of Our Legacy Nebraska Include:
- Community organizing training and development
- $20 per hour during training
- Mini-grant funds for organizing efforts
- Meals provided during training
- Increase knowledge of environmental issues in Nebraska
Communities Impacted
Residents living in these communities are disproportionately impacted by many issues which can include: air and water pollution, lead poisoning, safe and affordable housing, infrastructure issues, and more.
Current Work
Already our cohorts are hard at work developing strategies and campaigns to address these issues. In Omaha, our cohort is working on creating a centralized portal for all things related to lead. Omaha is home to the largest Lead EPA Superfund site in the United States and our team is making sure we decrease the levels of lead poisoning. Our second Omaha cohort is starting to examine green spaces and urban heat islands.
In Lexington, our team is working on creating a Welcoming Kit for incoming and current residents. Many services and important information are only available in English, so our team is working to create a Welcoming Kit that includes information like how to set up and pay utilities, how to dispose of waste properly, tenant rights, getting connected with your community, and more in different languages.
In Grand Island and surrounding communities, our group is examining water quality and various ways to help address the impact of water contaminants in our drinking water.
Interested applicants should complete the form below. We are always accepting applications for next cohort. For questions about the program or application process, contact Favian Mendez at fmendez@necv.org.
