Nebraska

Survey shows Nebraska rural youths like their small-town living • Nebraska Examiner

Published

1 year ago

October 1, 2024

Survey shows Nebraska rural youths like their small-town living • Nebraska Examiner

LINCOLN — Five years of data from a student survey coordinated by the Nebraska Community Foundation is in. The consensus: Rural youths like their small-town living.

The foundation on Monday released cumulative results of an annual youth survey conducted since 2020 in partnership with the Center for Public Affairs Research at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

Respondents are about 4,000 middle and high school students from 43 schools in cities and towns as small as Diller, population less than 250, and as large as Norfolk, which has nearly 26,000 residents.

Future of rural Nebraska

With a network that stretches across 270 Nebraska communities, foundation officials said the survey was designed to better understand priorities and perspectives of young people growing up in rural areas — and their expectations for the future.

An goal is talent retention, said the survey team.

Brain drain, or educated professionals leaving the state, has been a persistent concern, noted Josie Schafer, who heads CPAR at UNO.

But the exodus of Nebraskans overall from the state, those of all ages and education levels combined, has slowed down, according to the most recent U.S. Census data for 2023. That suggests that perhaps younger people may not be fleeing in the same way and speed as in the past, Schafer said. Specific and updated brain drain census data won’t be available until later this year.

Jeff Yost, president and CEO of the foundation, said he is encouraged by the findings of the rural youth survey.

“In our global society, young people have more options than ever, but because of technology, the opportunities our rural communities present are also abundant,” he said. “These five years of data indicate great promise for the future of our rural hometowns and our state.”

Survey highlights

Key five-year findings reported by the foundation:

Nearly three-fourths reported no negative stigma with returning or staying in the place they now lived.
Of the students surveyed, 59% said they were somewhat or extremely likely to live in the area they now live when they are an adult. In 2020, 68% of the students surveyed said they felt connected to the place they lived. The cumulative five-year percentage showed 76% reporting connection to their community.
When asked about ideal community size, students most often answered “small like my hometown.” In 2020, 47% of those surveyed answered as such, and in the following years that percentage rose, averaging 55% over the five years.
When asked to rank qualities of an ideal community, students put safety from violence at the top. Good schools and proximity to family followed, in that order, for five straight years.

Schafer said the multi-year trend of the Greater Nebraska Youth Survey shows that, for the most part, “rural youth really love their communities.”

The middle and high schoolers feel positive about what their hometowns have to offer, she said.

However, respondents cited job opportunities elsewhere as the main reason they would not live in their community as an adult.

According to a more extensive 2023 survey, students said they recognized availability of health care and agriculture jobs in their towns, but do not see as much opportunity in other fields of interest such as the arts, recreation, tourism, business management, information technology and media.

That’s when “we worry they might trail off” and look for bigger places with more growth for economic advancement, Schafer said.

“Can we promise brain drain will turn around? I can’t,” she said. “But the kind of energy and passion we see from these youths (who participated in the survey) is a good sign.”

DEI valued by youth

Schafer said the data offers more clarity to rural communities about what they’re doing well and where opportunity exists to keep young people in their midst.

Since the survey was launched in 2020, for example, only 34% of students have agreed with the statement: “I play a role in this community.”

Foundation representatives said their affiliates are seeking ways to better engage youths with decision-making opportunities that could strengthen ties.

The foundation said in a news release that the survey reinforced the importance of inclusion, equity and diversity — “something students say is of great value to the places they choose to live in the future.”

Can we promise brain drain will turn around? I can’t. But the kind of energy and passion we see from these youths is a good sign.

– Josie Schafer, Center for Public Affairs Research

Headquartered in Lincoln, the foundation said that since 1994 it has reinvested $553 million in Nebraska’s people and places.

Carrie Malek-Madani, foundation spokeswoman, said this year’s youth survey was less widespread than prior years but capped a five-year accumulation of data with just over 4,000 respondents. She said organizers view results as solid and received confirmation of trends they saw early on.

Basic key questions remained consistent over the years, though some questions were added as years went on.

Differences arise by gender, race

The foundation last year surveyed nearly 1,000 students and reported that, overall, the group expressed positive sentiments about their communities. Differences were evident, however, when broken down by gender identity, race and ethnicity. Female students, for instance, reported being less likely to live in their current community as adults.

Students of color reported feeling less connected to their communities and were more likely to report having been bullied and having witnessed someone being treated unfairly in the community due to age, race, gender, sexual orientation, physical illness or mental health, the foundation said.

Three-fourths of all students reported they would act to stop unfair treatment, and 60% said they were likely to advocate for diversity and inclusion.

Malek-Madani said that when the survey began, some were surprised at the degree of positive attachment youths felt to their communities.

Conventional thought was that rural youths want to move on to bigger places as soon as they can, she said. “I think there’s been a real shift.”

Malek-Madani said the youths surveyed consistently ranked safety, good schools and proximity to family as aspects of their ideal community.

“Small towns offer those things,” she said.

GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.

Source link

Click to comment

Nebraska

Apex Receives Exploration Permit for Rift REE Project, Nebraska; Drill Program Preparation Underway

Published

9 hours ago

January 5, 2026

Press Room

Apex Receives Exploration Permit for Rift REE Project, Nebraska; Drill Program Preparation Underway

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESS Newswire / January 5, 2026 /Apex Critical Metals Corp. (CSE:APXC)(OTCQX:APXCF)(FWB:KL9) (“Apex” or the “Company”), a Canadian mineral exploration company focused on the identification and development of critical and strategic …

Source link

Nebraska

Challenging Week Ahead in Nebraska Men’s Basketball

Published

21 hours ago

January 4, 2026

Press Room

Challenging Week Ahead in Nebraska Men’s Basketball

If this were a football road trip for Nebraska, yikes. The Huskers this week visit Ohio State and Indiana.

But maybe, given Nebraska’s 14-0 basketball start, it’s the Buckeyes and Hoosiers who should be concerned.

The basketball version of the Buckeyes and Hoosiers is difficult enough, as both Nebraska opponents are formidable, both are capable of making the NCAA Tournament and both are capable of pinning that first loss on the Huskers.

Nebraska has played one true road game, a victory at Illinois. The Huskers play Ohio State on Monday and Indiana on Saturday, Jan. 10. The No. 13 Huskers are flying, coming off a 58-56 victory over No. 9 Michigan State on Friday night at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

Defeating the Spartans was the kind of tense victory over a legitimate basketball powerhouse that could define the Huskers’ season.

Back to reality for Huskers

“Everybody that played, I think, made a big contribution,” Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg said at a postgame news conference about the victory over Michigan State.

The victory led to a wild, court-filled celebration at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

But, now, back to the harsh reality of life in the difficult Big Ten. There’s not much turnaround time for Nebraska before the Ohio State game.

“We’ve got to bounce back [Saturday, Jan. 3] with a good mental day [of] prep and get one more day,” Hoiberg said.

Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg has led his team to a 14-0 record with road games this week at Ohio State and Indiana. | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

“We’ll practice a little bit, and travel day, but it was a hell of a tough turnaround to play back-to-back 8 o’clock games with two days’ prep, and now you go on the road for two.

“So, it’s a great win for us. I’m not going to discount that. Huge win for our program but we got to get past it and move on to Ohio State.”

The Huskers are tied for first place in the Big Ten with Michigan and Purdue at 3-0. One of these teams is not the like the others, at least based on preseason projections and historical precedent. Purdue and Michigan were expected to be Big Ten contenders. Nebraska was not, but has become one of the best national college basketball success stories so far this season.

‘It’s been a fun ride’

“We’ve done something that hasn’t been done in this program ever … running the table in the non-conference hasn’t been done in almost 100 years,” Hoiberg said. “So, there’s a lot of things these guys can be proud of, but at the same time, the most impressive thing to me about this group is how they’ve handled it. They haven’t gotten big-headed.

“You know, a lot of things have been written and listen, if it flips, it’s going to go the other way and they got to handle that well.

“Hopefully, it doesn’t, but it’s been a fun ride with this team and they’ve seen how much effort and time you’re putting into it to go out and execute game plans, get chewed out at halftime and handle it and respond.

“Again, I’ve talked a lot about this group. They’ve been a joy to be around and they’ve been fun because of their daily approach …

“When you go on the road, you got to be fresh physically and mentally as much as possible. Had guys play a lot. Rienk [Mast] hadn’t played this amount of minutes in awhile. So, it’s going to be important to get him back fresh and go out and hopefully play well on the road.”

Nebraska at Ohio State

When: Monday, 5:30 p.m. CT
Where: Schottenstein Center, Columbus
Records: Nebraska 14-0, 3-0 in Big Ten; Ohio State, 10-3, 2-1 in Big Ten. The Buckeyes are 7-1 at home.
TV: FS1

Rankings updated based on games through Saturday.

Ohio State rankings

* Associated Press Top 25: Not ranked
* NCAA Net Ratings: 46 (dropped two places)
* USA Today Coaches Poll: Not ranked
* Kenpom.com: 39
* ESPN Power Rankings: 36
* Top 25 and 1: Not ranked
* Team Rankings.com: 62

In Joe Lunardi’s latest Bracketology projections, Ohio State is an 11-seed as one of the “last four in” for the 68-team NCAA Tournament.

Nebraska rankings

* Associated Press Top 25: 13 (new poll is released Monday)
* NCAA Net Ratings: 11 (improved four places)
* USA Today Coaches Poll: 13
* Kenpom.com: 22
* ESPN Power Rankings: 26 (dropped one place)
* Top 25 and 1: 9 (improved four places)
* Team Rankings.com: 7 (improved one place)

In Joe Lunardi’s latest Bracketology projections, Nebraska is a 4-seed for the 68-team NCAA Tournament.

Nebraska-Ohio State analysis

Something to watch: How Nebraska bounces back from a highly emotional win over Michigan State. The Ohio State crowd will be revved up at the sight of the 14-0 Huskers. The Buckeyes can enhance their NCAA resume with a win over the Huskers. If Hoiberg has his team focused and the players are “business-like” as the coach says they are, Nebraska could be in good position to keep the winning streak going. Last season, the Huskers lost in Columbus, 116-114, in double overtime on March 4, a defeat that likely hurt their NCAA chances.

Nebraska at Indiana

When: Saturday, 11 a.m. CT
Where: Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, Bloomington
Records: Nebraska 14-0, 3-0 in Big Ten; Indiana, 10-3, 1-1 in Big Ten. The Hoosiers are 9-0 at home.
TV: BTN

Indiana rankings

* Associated Press Top 25: Not ranked
* NCAA Net Ratings: 33
* USA Today Coaches Poll: 39
* Kenpom.com: 28
* ESPN Power Rankings: 17 (improved by two places)
* Top 25 and 1: Not ranked
* Team Rankings.com: 68 (dropped three places)

In Joe Lunardi’s latest Bracketology projections, Indiana is an 11-seed as one of the “last four byes” for the 68-team NCAA Tournament.

Nebraska rankings

In Joe Lunardi’s latest Bracketology projections, Nebraska is a 4-seed for the 68-team NCAA Tournament.

Indiana guard Lamar Wilkerson is averaging 20.2 points in home games. Nebraska is at Indiana on Saturday. | Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

Nebraska-Indiana analysis

Indiana is 9-0 at home and has two games before Nebraska comes to Bloomington — Sunday vs. Washington (the Hoosiers’ first game since Dec. 22), and Wednesday at Maryland.

If the Hoosiers can stay focused and not be distracted by the football team’s run to the College Football Playoff semifinals, IU won’t be easy for Nebraska.

Indiana features balanced scoring. Indiana guard Lamar Wilkerson — no relation to the legendary Hoosier Bobby Wilkerson of the 1976 NCAA championship team — should be the focus of the Huskers’ defense. Wilkerson, a 6-foot-6 senior, can light it up, averaging 20.2 points in home games and 19.0 points overall.

Nebraska

So Far, so Good for Huskers in the Transfer Portal

Published

1 day ago

January 4, 2026

Press Room

So Far, so Good for Huskers in the Transfer Portal

Getty

College Football’s 2026 transfer portal process is in its very early stages. Right now, we’re in the period where teams are losing players into the portal, while hosting visitors they hope to sign and bring in sometime in the next couple of weeks. So pretty much everyone is a net negative at this moment.

With that being the case, the negative impact of the portal for Nebraska so far has been minimal…if you consider losing your former five-star, two-year starting quarterback minimal.

Dylan Raiola is the only Husker of real note to enter the portal thus far. Former starting kicker Tristan Alvano and legacy defensive lineman Maverick Noonan announced early, along with several others. The small number (13 so far) is a win. Several starters and reserve contributors have also confirmed they are staying put, while the reserve players who are leaving are presumably looking for a chance at more playing time and/or a slightly bigger payday.

Next season will be the second year of college football under the NCAA mandated roster limit of 105. Teams will still be allowed to go slightly over that limit to accommodate returning players being “grandfather in.” This exception is for players who have been in their program prior to last season when the rule took effect. It allows them to exhaust their eligibility. Right now, Nebraska still has over 100 players on the roster, so depending on how many players stay and how many more they sign out of the portal, some level of roster reduction will still likely need to take place.

As for who head coach Matt Rhule and his staff are targeting, that list starts with now-former Notre Dame quarterback Kenny Minchey. Minchey lost out on the starting job for the Fighting Irish last preseason and played only sparingly 2025. He’s set to visit Lincoln soon.

With only TJ Lateef returning as a scholarship QB, Rhule will likely need to also bring in a second transfer portal signal caller for depth purposes. Nebraska has not signed a quarterback in it’s 2026 high school recruiting class.

Also targeted and set to visit are several of the defensive players transferring from San Diego State, where new Husker Defensive Coordinator Rob Aurich coached last season. At the top of that list is All-Mountain West Linebacker Owen Chambliss. Chambliss racked up 110 tackles during his Aztec career, plus 9.5 tackles for loss that includes four sacks. He’ll have two years of eligibility remaining. Chambliss was one of six Aztecs to garner All-MW honors last season, and at least two of these former SDSU standouts are set to visit Aurich at his new job site.

Right now, the visitor list is extensive, which is a good thing for Rhule considering the players he’s chasing will all have multiple other offers. When his contract extension was announced back on October 30^th, Rhule pointed out that he expected Nebraska to have a good deal more financial resources available to help lure transfers to Lincoln starting this off season. That time has arrived.

Mark Knudson Mark is a former MLB pitcher for the Houston Astros, Milwaukee Brewers and Colorado Rockies. He’s the only person ever to play high school, college and professional baseball in Colorado. Mark earned a BA in Technical Journalism from Colorado State University and has worked in radio, television and print sports media since 1994. He’s the co-author of “Pitching to the Corners” with former teammate Don August and the author of “Just Imagine,” a historical fiction novel about The Beatles.
Mark is currently a feature writer and columnist for Mile High Sports in Denver and recently joined the team at Heavy.com. Mark is also a high school baseball coach in the Denver area. More about Mark Knudson

Source link