Hundreds of students from across Nebraska packed into Omaha's CHI Health Center on Thursday for the United Way of the Midlands' JAG Nebraska Leadership Development Conference, trading classroom routines for a day of voting and planning out their post-graduation futures. The gathering brought together student leaders from Jobs for America's Graduates chapters across the state, many of whom hold titles like president, vice president or secretary within their local programs.
According to the Omaha World-Herald, the conference drew students from across the state to the downtown Omaha arena. Attendees cast votes, and the event recognized newly elected JAG officers: Fremont's Alissa Schell, Omaha South's Julian Gonzalez, Omaha Benson's Moo Dah and South Sioux's Farhan Jawin. Outgoing leaders included Holdrege's Lily Janssen, state president; Tekamah-Herman's Brock Paul, vice president; Omaha South's Miley Miranda, secretary; and Bancroft-Rosalie's Tabby Punke, alternate.
What JAG Nebraska Actually Does
JAG Nebraska describes itself as a for-credit classroom elective for middle and high school students built around career development and leadership instruction, according to jagnebraska.org. The elective is offered by school districts. The program emphasizes career development and project-based learning and builds relationships with local employers.
Rapid Growth, With Some Differing Counts
JAG Nebraska has expanded considerably since launching in January 2019 through a collaboration among United Way of the Midlands, state agencies, school districts and community partners, according to jagnebraska.org. Just how big the program has grown depends on which account you read. Jobs for America's Graduates' national site states JAG Nebraska has grown from three programs in 2019 to 90 programs serving 5,500 young people this school year, while jagnebraska.org's own expansion announcement put the figure at 1,500 students across 34 middle and high schools for the 2023-24 school year, with plans to add 51 more programs the following year for a statewide total of 85 and capacity for 4,000 students. A separate 2023 report from KETV said the program was looking to expand into 72 programs in 2024. The figures reflect different points in time and different sources rather than a single current total.
Graduation outcomes reported by the program have also varied slightly by source. One jagnebraska.org page states that 99% of JAG Nebraska students graduated in 2021-2022, while another page from the same organization lists the figure as 98% for the identical period. Either way, the program's community partners page notes that its 2021-22 graduation rate outpaced the 88.6% U.S. graduation rate for 2019-20, and that 86% of JAG Nebraska graduates were employed or working while attending postsecondary education or training.
A National Model With Nebraska Roots
JAG Nebraska's growth plugs into a broader national push. The organization is connecting its workforce-readiness model to state workforce priorities and employer needs, according to jag.org.
Thursday's event in Omaha was the latest in a string of statewide gatherings that have grown alongside the program itself. An earlier JAG Career Conference drew more than 100 students, according to KETV, a fraction of the hundreds who filled the CHI Health Center this week. For the students now holding new state officer titles, the conference marked both a recognition of their work and a reminder that the skills they practice in JAG classrooms are meant to carry them well beyond their school hallways.
