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Buffett Early Childhood Institute

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Buffett Early Childhood Institute

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The Buffett Early Childhood Institute at the University of Nebraska believes all children deserve the opportunity to develop, learn, and succeed in life.

Welcome to the page for the Buffett Early Childhood Institute at the University of Nebraska! The Buffett Institute is an innovative research, practice, policy, and outreach institute that draws on the resources of the four University of Nebraska campuses. The Institute is dedicated to promoting the development and learning of children from birth through age 8. On this page, we share updates of our work at the Institute and the latest early childhood education news and research. We welcome respectful and relevant questions, comments, fresh and differing perspectives, story ideas we should pursue, and more. We want this to be a safe, inviting space where people can learn about and connect over the importance of early childhood care and education. To support that goal, we will not allow:
• Comments that attack, discriminate, or are otherwise offensive
• Harassment or defamation
• Profanity and obscenity
• Comments that derail the conversation or are off-topic
• Comments that are overly promotional or contain spam

We reserve the right to delete comments or block users who repeatedly violate these rules. Please message us or contact [email protected] if you have any questions about these community guidelines.

10/31/2026

Buffett Institute staff spent several days this past week learning from other educators and sharing our own work at the Division for Early Childhood (DEC) conference in Omaha.

Sessions led by the Institute's Amy Schmidtke, Tonya Jolley, Mary Beth Pistillo, Kathy Hubbard, Kimberlee Telford, and Molly Colling focused on family engagement, intentional teaching, and experiencing learning through the lens of the child. Thanks to everyone who attended our sessions and stopped by our table to learn more about how we partner with families, educators, and children.

10/30/2026

👏 Join us in congratulating Buffett Institute Founding Executive Director Sam Meisels, who was honored Thursday with a Lifetime Achivement Award from ZERO TO THREE at the LEARN Conference in Portland, Ore.

Sam is a titan in the early childhood field, having spent more than 50 years dedicated to children's learning and development. He helped launch the Buffett Institute in 2013 and retired in 2023.

“Sam Meisels helped change how our field sees young children—by looking closely at what they can do and using that understanding to support their growth,” said Matthew Melmed, executive director of ZERO TO THREE. “He brought research into everyday practice, giving professionals better ways to recognize children’s strengths and respond to their needs."

The Institute's Walter Gilliam and Michelle Sarche, who serve on the ZERO TO THREE board, were at the LEARN Conference to celebrate with Sam, too.

🔗 Read more about the award and Sam's contributions to the field: https://buff.ly/0zya7st

10/29/2026

Browse our professional learning catalog, which offers more than 20 workshops on early math skills, guided play, technology in the early years, and more:
https://buff.ly/lHk8DUT

10/28/2026

💡 Dalhia Lloyd, the Institute's director of digital education, attended the recent Nebraska VR Network for Education & Research (NeVRNER) annual meeting and shared what she learned about how emerging technologies—like AI, virtual reality, and simulations—are changing education.

Read now:

This year's NeVRNER Annual Meeting was held on Oct. 8, and I had the opportunity to listen and learn from others but also share more about our work. Here are my five takeaways.

10/27/2026

Are you headed to the Division for Early Childhood (DEC) conference in Omaha this week? Stop by the Buffett Institute's table and check out sessions led by the Institute's Amy Schmidtke, Tonya Jolley, Mary Beth Pistillo, Kathy Hubbard, Kimberlee Telford, and Molly Colling.

DEC2026 is here! 🎉 Welcome all who are joining us here in Omaha to learn and connect!
We’re looking forward to a wonderful week together.

Say hello, meet someone new, and share your conference moments with !

10/26/2026

Our fall Superintendents' Early Childhood Plan newsletter is out! We send quarterly updates detailing our collaborative early childhood work with Omaha-area schools.

Read about our latest Lens of the Child cohort open to early educators, the recent AASA, The School Superintendents Association visit to Omaha, expanding our School as Hub efforts with the Nebraska Department of Education, and more: https://buff.ly/kFUXV6B

Want to be added to the list? Sign up for our newsletters: https://buff.ly/OPcm823

10/24/2026

On Oct. 28, join former Native Children's Research Exchange (NCRE) Scholar Evan White (2019-22) and Harvard University Native American Program for a webinar on clinical cultural neuroscience and Indigenous resilience. Register here: https://buff.ly/alQ6J4D

White is a principal investigator and director of Native American research and the electroencephalography core at the Laureate Institute for Brain Research. His research blends neuroscience with community-engaged mental health research and outreach. His lab uses electroencephalograms (EEGs) and other biological measurements to study brain activity that can provide insight into mental health disorders like anxiety and depression, and how protective factors like spirituality and close-knit social networks can support well-being.

10/23/2026

🌳The University of Nebraska-Lincoln's LEAF initiative is working to bring more nature-based learning to Nebraska's child care programs. Buffett Institute Community Chair Julia Torquati is a co-investigator and former Graduate Scholar Matthew Brooks is a project manager on this important initiative.

A University of Nebraska-Lincoln initiative is helping child care providers across the state incorporate nature into education through training, coaching and fu

10/22/2026

📰 New blog: Omaha-area schools are garnering national attention for their collaborative approach to early childhood education.

Principals and education leaders from across the country recently visited Omaha to learn how 11 local school districts are working together to strengthen early learning opportunities for children and families.

As part of the AASA, The School Superintendents Association Early Learning Cohort, visitors heard from local superintendents, Buffett Institute leaders, and educators—and visited DC West Community Schools to see our School as Hub approach in action.

Read more about the visit and see more photos in our blog recap: https://buff.ly/IV7Qx4x

Learning Community of Douglas and Sarpy Counties

10/21/2026

There are still a few spots left in our Early Learning Through the Lens of the Child series! This professional learning cohort will begin in January and is open to early educators who work in Douglas and Sarpy Counties in Nebraska.

▶️ Watch an overview video: https://buff.ly/KGBefA9
✅️ Register now: https://buff.ly/zWT0lqP

Address

2111 S. 67th Street , Suite 350
Omaha, NE
68106

Opening Hours

Monday	8am - 5pm
Tuesday	8am - 5pm
Wednesday	8am - 5pm
Thursday	8am - 5pm
Friday	8am - 5pm

Telephone

(402) 554-2924

Website

http://buffettinstitute.nebraska.edu/

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