Cardinal Community Learning Centers - CCLC

Cardinal Community Learning Centers - CCLC Cardinal Community Learning Centers is the Out of School Time program in Crete, NE.

🌎 CCLC students took a musical journey through South America during a residency with musician Oscar Rios Pohirieth.🥁 Dur...
05/29/2026

🌎 CCLC students took a musical journey through South America during a residency with musician Oscar Rios Pohirieth.

🥁 During 30-minute sessions, Oscar shared the history and cultural significance of traditional instruments from Ecuador, Bolivia, Peru, and Chile, including the panpipes, Quena, and Charango.

🌟 Students learned and practiced musical techniques and rhythms while exploring the rich traditions of Andean folk music through storytelling, songs, and hands-on experiences with percussion instruments.

🎤 The residency concluded with students showcasing their new skills and talents during a Family Engagement Event alongside Oscar. Thank you, Oscar, for bringing music, culture, and global learning to our students!

✨ CCLC students explored the creative world of screen printing through a residency with artist Liz Shea-McCoy.👀👂👃👅✋ Duri...
05/29/2026

✨ CCLC students explored the creative world of screen printing through a residency with artist Liz Shea-McCoy.

👀👂👃👅✋ During 30-minute sessions, Liz introduced students to screen printing, shared examples of her artwork, and guided them in creating original designs inspired by their five senses.

🖼️ Students had the opportunity to showcase their finished artwork alongside Liz during a Family Engagement Event, celebrating their creativity and artistic growth.

🌟 With more than 30 years of experience as a teaching artist, educator, and community arts leader, Liz brought inspiration, expertise, and hands-on learning to our students. Thank you, Liz, for helping our young artists bring their ideas to life!

🎨 During Semester 2, CCLC students explored self-expression and creativity through a residency with artist Nancy Konrard...
05/29/2026

🎨 During Semester 2, CCLC students explored self-expression and creativity through a residency with artist Nancy Konrardy.

😊 During 30-minute sessions, Nancy guided students in self-reflection activities and discussions about how they see themselves, helping them translate their thoughts and feelings into self-portraits.

🖼️ Students proudly showcased their artwork during a Family Engagement Event, giving families the opportunity to celebrate their creativity and personal growth.

🌟 Nancy has decades of experience as an artist, educator, and award-winning costume designer, including two Daytime Emmy Awards and an NAACP Image Award. We are grateful for the inspiration, creativity, and confidence she helped cultivate in our students!

✍️This spring, CCLC students had the opportunity to learn from former Nebraska State Poet Matt Mason during visits to ou...
05/29/2026

✍️This spring, CCLC students had the opportunity to learn from former Nebraska State Poet Matt Mason during visits to our afterschool sites.

🎤 During the 45-minute workshops, Matt shared his poetry, discussed the art of writing, and introduced students to different poetic forms, including sonnets.

🌟 Afterschool students explored how poems are created and developed their own writing skills under the guidance of an award-winning poet whose work has appeared in The New York Times, NPR, and more.

👏 Thank you to Matt Mason for inspiring creativity, self-expression, and a love of writing in our students!

🌟 The positive impact of CCLC extends beyond K–5 students and their working families.🎓 CCLC also offers high school and ...
05/26/2026

🌟 The positive impact of CCLC extends beyond K–5 students and their working families.

🎓 CCLC also offers high school and college scholars professional work experience, real responsibility, and true mentorship as they explore careers interests.

🏫 At Crete Public Schools, the afterschool program supports students today while developing the educators and leaders of tomorrow.

Click link to read article: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FhEXEseCcPouGA6kiMzyoc6wxlZ1HMpJ/view

🌱 MENTORSHIP is the often the key to unlocking growth. Programs do not grow people by accident. People grow people throu...
05/21/2026

🌱 MENTORSHIP is the often the key to unlocking growth. Programs do not grow people by accident. People grow people through intentional action and care.

🤝 One of CCLC’s greatest strengths is the MENTORSHIP built into the program. Young staff members are supported by team leaders, principals, directors, colleagues, and family members who encourage them, guide them, and help them see their potential.

🍎 For several current Crete Public Schools educators, CCLC provided more than a job. It offered a community of adults who believed in them.

✨ That support helped them build confidence, develop skills, and take the next step toward a career in education.

❤️ Afterschool works because relationships work.

See Comments for video clips describing mentorship in CCLC!

🎉 On May 19, 2026, CCLC hosted an Awards Dinner, an evening dedicated to celebrating students, staff, mentors, partners,...
05/20/2026

🎉 On May 19, 2026, CCLC hosted an Awards Dinner, an evening dedicated to celebrating students, staff, mentors, partners, and the power of opportunity through afterschool learning. Guests enjoyed a wonderful dinner catered by a local restaurant before the recognitions began.

🌟 While CCLC provides a wide range of enriching learning initiatives for students each year, this special evening highlighted Exploring Career Connections (EC2) — a STEM workforce readiness initiative designed to help high school and university-aged staff members explore career pathways, strengthen leadership skills, and deliver hands-on STEM instruction to younger students.

🚀 Through partnership with Beyond School Bells — a division of the Nebraska Children and Families Foundation — and with support from the United States Department of Labor and STEM Next Opportunity Fund, EC2 transformed the 2025-2026 school year into one filled with mentorship, training, instruction, career exploration, and achievement.

📈 This year, CCLC finished with more participants than any other afterschool program in Nebraska — by nearly double. CCLC also became the only afterschool program in Nebraska with participants who fully completed all EC2 requirements.

🔬 CCLC additionally hosted all three statewide Click2Science workshops, welcoming afterschool professionals from across Nebraska to Crete for professional development focused on STEM engagement and youth leadership.

👏 Most importantly, the evening celebrated the young people behind these accomplishments — students and emerging professionals who discovered confidence, leadership, communication skills, and new career interests while positively impacting younger students through STEM learning experiences.

💙 Thank you to Beyond School Bells, Nebraska Children and Families Foundation, mentors, families, staff, partners, and everyone who continues to believe in the mission of CCLC. Together, we are helping students rise higher than they ever imagined.

Notes:
Each caption provides details on the award and the recipients.
Each photo of dinner and the ceremony has details in the caption.
Watch the Awards Dinner video in the Comments!

05/18/2026

🏫 For Ciera Wilkinson, CCLC helped confirm that she was on the right career path.

Now third-grade teacher at Crete Intermediate School and next year will be a School Counselor at Crete Elementary School, Ciera first joined the afterschool program staff as a university scholar. Like many future educators, she had wondered whether teaching was truly the right fit.

Then Ciera began working with students in CCLC.

“I had second guesses about if I was in the correct degree and if I was going to be a good teacher,” she said. “And then this CCLC job solidified that I was in the right direction.”

Real experience matters. CCLC gives future educators a place to build confidence before they enter the classroom full time.

🏟️ HISTORY WAS MADE at Cardinal Stadium with the first-ever concert held at the venue as Daniel Martinez Music and Jaran...
05/15/2026

🏟️ HISTORY WAS MADE at Cardinal Stadium with the first-ever concert held at the venue as Daniel Martinez Music and Jarana presented the incredible “Strings of Many Colors” performance for our community!

🏫 Nearly 400 individuals — students, families, community members, and staff — enjoyed a wonderful evening together with FREE admission, FREE pizza, FREE popcorn, and FREE face-painting.

🎸 A HUGE thank you to the Lied Center for Performing Arts and the Nebraska Arts Council for making this experience possible.

🌎 Throughout the week leading up to the concert, Daniel Martinez Darmont visited each CCLC site to teach students about music, instruments, and cultures from around the world. Our students were engaged, inspired, and energized by the experiences.

🍕 A special thank you to Beyond School Bells of the Nebraska Children and Families Foundation for helping provide the pizza for the event.

🍧 Kona Ice was scheduled to join us, but unfortunately experienced a flat tire just a few miles from the venue and was unable to make it. We appreciate their effort and hope to invite them to our next event.

🎥 We also want to recognize the Striv team, led by Mr. Travis Coe, along with Crete High School students — including Santiago who operated the new scoreboard that brought the concert to life through audio and visuals.

👏 A very special thank you to Ms. Stacy Shepherd, CCLC Team Leader at Crete Intermediate School. Because of Stacy's imagination, determination, and dedication to students, her dream of holding the first-ever concert at Cardinal Stadium became a reality.

❤️ Thank you as well to our incredible CCLC staff, along with the students, parents, and families for supporting afterschool programs and public engagement opportunities like this throughout the year.

🙌 Thank you again to everyone who attended and helped make this a special night!

Please add your photos and videos to the comments!

TODAY is the concert at Cardinal Stadium!🍕 FREE admission, FREE pizza, FREE popcorn, and FREE face-painting.🍧 Kona Ice w...
05/14/2026

TODAY is the concert at Cardinal Stadium!

🍕 FREE admission, FREE pizza, FREE popcorn, and FREE face-painting.

🍧 Kona Ice will be available for purchase.

🚗 Park in stadium lot (enter from Iris Ave).

🪑 Bring a lawn chair.

🎸 Daniel Martinez is a Peruvian-born Flamenco guitarist, composer, educator, and performer.

🌎 Martinez has performed across South America, Canada, Mexico, and the United States, earning recognition for his mastery of classical guitar and Latin styles including Flamenco, Rumba, Bossa Nova, Jazz, Bolero, and Bachata.

🎓 He is a guitar professor at Nebraska Wesleyan University and Union Adventist University, owner of Daniel Martinez Music, and a touring and teaching artist. He has also served as a guest artist for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.

🏆 Martinez has released four solo instrumental recordings and received the 2023 Lincoln Mayor's Choice Award, the 2023 Here's to the Heroes Award, and the 2025 Nebraska State Arts Outstanding Artist Award.

Address

930 Main Avenue
Crete, NE
68333

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