Story 12 - NHRI & LPS: Thriving Students, Thriving Schools, Thriving Community
Communities are strengthened by the active involvement of individuals and organizations. This intentional level of involvement, particularly when focused on guiding the next generation, is referred to as generativity. As the home of NHRI Leadership Mentoring, we are committed to fostering a healthy and thriving Lincoln, Nebraska community by harnessing the generative talents of our mentors and mentees.
NHRI’s mission from day one was to identify and cultivate high-ability leaders capable of impacting those around them. Today, that mission focuses on 6th-12th graders across local schools, the majority of which are within the Lincoln Public Schools system. By developing leaders who can then reinvest in others, we are creating a ripple effect across our community. Inside and outside schools, NHRI mentees are influencing those around them and sparking positive change.
Over the years, NHRI has had a long and prosperous connection to Lincoln Public Schools (LPS). One of the very first interactions was done in 1947 when Dr. Hall and his students conducted a study with a kindergarten class exploring positive psychology. This study had so much success that it was able to get funding which then ultimately expanded to the Lincoln Citizenship Project. The influence of NHRI may not always make it to the front page of the newspaper, but the ripples can be seen at all levels of the school.
Snapshot #1: A Student’s Perspective
Wyatt Vivier, previous LDP Lincoln High mentee and current mentor in East Project, named the mentee experience:
“As a high schooler, my mentor humanized the idea that you don’t have to perfect or have everything figured out. In high school, I believed winning was everything. He reshaped my thinking around competition, and instead of focusing most on the outcome of the game, he taught me how it is perhaps more important to enjoy the simple act of playing the game. It put a face to being a college student and made the path ahead clear. I’m grateful for how my mentor showed me how I can be myself and still make an impact on those around me.”
Through the years, NHRI continued its investment in Lincoln Public Schools. Projects were added, concluded, reshaped, and combined to best meet the needs of the community.
Today, three middle school projects and four high school projects continue to invest in more than 165 emerging leaders. While the project names have changed, the topics encompass similar themes of every school experience - leading through social dynamics, dealing with failure, celebrating academic and athletic success, and more–unique to each mentoring relationship.
Snapshot #2: A Teacher’s Perspective
Seth Barnes, former Lincoln High math teacher, shared about serving as the NHRI Club Sponsor at Lincoln High:
“The beauty of LDP Lincoln High is that the interview process brought together all these students from different pockets of the school. They may not be friends at first, but seeing the different styles of leadership built a subculture of Lincoln High leaders who were committed to keeping it a great place to be. The impact of NHRI usually flies under the radar because it is about influencing through interpersonal relationships. NHRI mentees are simply students in a class, yet they can look to their right, see a student who may not be engaged in the class, and by building a relationship with them, create the chance for that student to be more engaged in not only the class but also the school as a whole.”
Snapshot #3: A Principal’s Perspective
Mike Wortman, longtime Lincoln High principal, noted the power in selecting a handful of leaders out of a school of close to 2000 students:
“When I arrived at Lincoln High in 1995, Jan Kauffman was one of the first people to meet with me. She wanted to make sure I knew about LDP Lincoln High, and I was on board from the start. The experience for both students and parents was incredible. The school became the one sending the message, ‘You’ve got talent. You’ve got potential. You’ve got skills to influence and make things better. What can we do to help develop that?’ Mentoring, especially with a college-student leader, is life-changing for a high school student.”
NHRI has a long history of LPS administrators and educators serving on the Board of Directors over the years. Additionally, many former mentors/mentees (counselees/counselors) currently serve throughout LPS. The strong partnership with Lincoln Public Schools allows the mission to live on for the next 75 years and beyond.
Check out Story 65 to learn more about NHRI’s Preteen Leadership Institute for incoming 6th grade students.
