Omaha MBK leaders preview Obama Presidential Center, tout progress on youth milestones

Omaha leaders joined My Brother’s Keeper communities in Chicago on May 28 to compare progress, tour the Obama Presidential Center before its public opening and showcase work tied to six national milestones. The visit highlighted Omaha’s violence reduction, youth training efforts and plans to expand programs that connect education, jobs and public safety. Why it matters: - Omaha MBK leaders are trying to show measurable progress on youth outcomes, violence prevention and workforce access at a national level. - The Chicago convening also gave Omaha a chance to compare strategies with other model communities and strengthen partnerships tied to the six MBK milestones. - The Obama Presidential Center preview added symbolism and visibility to Omaha’s work with the My Brother’s Keeper Alliance. What happened: - Omaha leaders joined My Brother’s Keeper Alliance communities from across the country on May 28 in Chicago. - The delegation shared Omaha’s progress as a nationally recognized MBK Model Community. - The group previewed the Obama Presidential Center before its public opening later in June. - The Omaha delegation took part in a system leaders convening hosted in connection with the Obama Foundation. - The meeting brought together the four model communities and national partners. - Speakers included Adren O. Wilson, Ph.D., Michael Strautmanis and John B. King. The details: - MBK Omaha was selected as a model community for population-level impact in Milestone 6, which focuses on keeping youth safe from violent crime and providing second chances. - Omaha reduced homicides by more than 50% from 2011 to 2024 through collaboration among multiple stakeholder agencies. - Omaha has also recorded a 70% reduction in gun violence since the start of Omaha 360. - The African-American Empowerment Network leads the Model Communities initiative for MBK Omaha. - MBK Omaha is now working toward population-level impact across all six MBK milestones. - The work spans pre-K, K-12 education, post-secondary education, workforce development, public safety, family support and community empowerment. - Omaha’s presentation used a panel format instead of a slide deck, facilitated by Empowerment Network CEO Willie Barney. - The discussion highlighted Omaha 360, Youth 360, Step Up Omaha, Skill Up Omaha, the Village Readers Program, Omaha Public Schools partnerships and other community strategies. - The panel format was designed to let local leaders describe the relationships and day-to-day work behind the effort. - Jonathan Chapman said the visit was an “incredible opportunity” and described Omaha as one of the first model communities to tour the center. - Willie Barney said the convening and museum tour were a transformational experience and pointed to President Obama’s challenge to keep building a better city and nation. - Participants said Omaha’s whole-family approach helped connect youth development, education, public safety, workforce development and community empowerment. - Step Up Omaha created paid training, employment and career exposure opportunities for young people. - In 2025, Step Up Omaha gave 580 young people paid training and job experience. - Step Up Omaha now offers year-round jobs and coaching tied to career pathways. - The city of Omaha invested $600,000 to help expand the program. - MBK Omaha and partners are working to align Step Up Omaha with Omaha Public Schools College and Career Pathways. - That alignment could reach 10,000 high school students. - Partners are also using Nebraska’s On-the-Job Training program to help employers hire more youth by reducing wage costs. - The delegation included Mayor John Ewing, Douglas County Commissioner Chris Rodgers, Susan Christopherson, Willie Barney, Jonathan Chapman, Vicki Quaites-Ferris, Deputy Police Chief Sherie Thomas, Jennifer Green, Emily Nguyen, Dr. Viv Ewing, Tim Christian, Carmelita Christian, Yolanda Barney and Calvin Jones. - Quaites-Ferris said the convening created useful connections with leaders from Yonkers, Newark and Tulsa. - Quaites-Ferris said other communities were energized by the MBK milestones and wanted to keep pushing toward measurable progress. - The Obama Presidential Center’s grand opening is scheduled for June 18. - The public can begin visiting the campus and museum on June 19. - Public opening weekend runs June 19-21 and will include community-centered programming, according to the Obama Foundation. - Quaites-Ferris described the center as “unbelievable” and said Omaha leaders discussed organizing a future bus trip so more residents, partners and young people could visit. - Chapman said the museum experience felt nostalgic and hopeful and connected that feeling to Omaha’s ongoing work for young people and families. - The My Brother’s Keeper Alliance works with communities nationwide to address opportunity gaps facing boys and young men of color and to support systems that help young people reach key life milestones. Between the lines: - Omaha is positioning violence reduction as part of a broader cradle-to-career strategy, not just a public safety effort. - The model-community framing helps Omaha present local programs as evidence of scalable systems change, which can matter for future funding and replication. - The focus on whole-family supports suggests MBK Omaha is trying to move beyond individual interventions and into coordinated community infrastructure. What’s next: - MBK Omaha will keep working to expand across all six milestones. - Partners will continue aligning Step Up Omaha with school pathways and employer hiring needs. - Omaha leaders may organize a bus trip to Chicago so more community members can experience the Obama Presidential Center. - The Obama Presidential Center will open to the public on June 19 after its June 18 ceremony.