Becoming a Kingdom Kid

By Bethany Larson



What does a Kingdom Kid look and sound like? This is the question that City Impact students have been exploring in their Bible Club classes. We have learned that Kingdom Kids say encouraging words to one another like “Please” and “Thank you” and they forgive one another. They also listen when someone else is talking, perform random acts of kindness for one another and participate in all the activities we do.

Being a part of both Bible Club and the ILC programming, I get to observe a few students in two different atmospheres. Although the expectations for the students are the same for both Bible Club and ILC reading program, I am seeing the biblical, Christ-like behavior we are teaching in Bible Club carry over into the ILC. I am getting the chance, when talking about a student’s behavior, to ask the question, “Are you acting like a Kingdom Kid?”

A Kingdom Kid is a part of God’s heavenly family, and these students who understand that are not only worried about following the rules that are in place at Bible Club or ILC, but they are also concerned about acting in a way that would please their heavenly father. I find it much easier to explain the purpose of rules when that purpose is to represent Christ. I am glad to see the students are not only choosing to represent Christ at Bible Club, but the ILC and hopefully school and home as well. That helps motivate me to continue my purpose of glorifying God by teaching and encouraging these kids.

Confidence and passion for learning

by Bethany Larson

On any normal day I am the Reroute Coordinator, but the past couple of weeks, I will be honest, I have not been working too hard during programming. Very few students have entered my room due to conflict. Believe me, I am not complaining!

When I enter the Read rooms taught by Miss Jami and Miss Ashley, I begin to understand why the students would not want to leave. Both teachers have done a wonderful job of engaging their students in reading activities and instruction. I have enjoyed stopping in and observing their classrooms.

This past Friday was the last day of the first quarter, which both classes took time to celebrate their accomplishments. I snuck into the 4th and 5th grade classroom, where they were reading Halloween poems. Each student picked a poem, practiced it, and read it aloud to the rest of the class. Student after student proudly read their poem with excitement in their voice. Though part of the excitement was due to the fun poems, another part was the students’ growing love and improvement in reading. Students, who a month ago were apprehensive about reading, stood confident in front of their peers. This made me realize that this reading program was much more than literacy. Here reading is a life skill that evokes confidence and a passion for learning. That’s exciting!

Working through it

By Bethany Larson

Working in the Reroute room may not always be the most popular job, but I have found it rewarding and encouraging in my own life. For a few days in the past week, I have dealt with a couple students who seem to have a reoccurring issue. When they get upset or flustered about something, they tend to get angry. Many times we talk through their anger and brainstorm ways that they can deal with their anger in a way that doesn’t disrespect or distract others.

I enjoy working in Reroute because you can track the progress of a child and their growth. I am daily praying for these students because I know that their anger may not always be rooted from what happens at the ILC. Their anger may stem from other sources that they may have not let go of. Recently, I was discussing anger with one student. I asked her, “Does being angry help the situation? Does it make you feel better?” She knew that it didn’t.

More and more I am aware of the spiritual warfare we are in. Our human nature and the human nature of these students is to be angry and hold grudges. But because God forgave us and has accepted us for who we are, we can let go of our anger and learn to forgive others. I continue to pray and ask you to join me, that God will continue to soften the hearts of these students. Pray that they will learn how to give their fears, worries and anger over to God, and that they will learn how to love and forgive others the same way God did for them.

Questions, Questions and More Questions...

by Bethany Larson


“Where can you find the long centipedes?” “What kind of grasshoppers are in Nebraska?” “Does this one bite?” These are all questions that sixth grader TJ queried Miss Leslie about one day during Read Room time. Knowing of his interest in bugs and a desire for learning in general, Miss Leslie had found a bug identification book that TJ was engulfed in that day.

One of TJ’s top strengths is Discoverer and it is apparent to anyone that knows him. Some key phrases in the definition of Discover, according to Gallup’s StrengthsExplorer, and the ones that TJ most identified with are: Questions are in your mind a lot. You collect and connect information and ideas. You might be bored doing things the same way everyone else does because you like to find new ways.

When defining a Discoverer in his own words, TJ stated, “A person who asks questions and makes new ideas for the future.”

Questions are on TJ’s mind, and it is obvious in the classroom. Whether he is learning about people of the past who made an impact, or learning how to play a new game during Rec time, he is always asking questions. Even as I was at the computer typing this story, he approached me and asked, “What do tarantulas eat?”

Almost daily, TJ will ask if there will be time to read independently, as he knows that there is so much information to learn from the books in the Read Room.

“Sometimes I get bored in class and want to find a new way to do it so others are not always asking me questions on how to do it,” TJ said when asked how he sees himself as a Discover. “I like to learn things by myself.”

Who? What? Where? How? All questions constantly going through TJ’s mind. But I also had a question for TJ that we seek to challenge students with at the ILC. “Using your strength of Discoverer, how can you make an impact in your world?’

TJ referred to all the Discovers we had identified in the past that had made an impact, among them being Thomas Jefferson and Grace Hooper, who invented the computer.

“All the Discoverers in the past made and invented things that we use today,” TJ said. “They all had an impact.”

Ask TJ what he wants to be when he grows up and he answers with five more questions on different occupations. Eager to learn and eager to develop new things, TJ daily exhibits his God-given strength of Discoverer. At the ILC, TJ is consistently seen living out of this strength to gain more knowledge by asking questions, even when there is not an answer.

Catching Others Using Strengths

by Bethany Larson

Trust is important to you, and you care about being seen as responsible and trustworthy. People count on you to do what you say you will do.

This is part of the description of Dependability, one of the ten strengths from Gallup’s StrengthExplorer. Over the past few weeks, the students have been learning what their top three strengths are by taking the StrengthsExplorer test. During their team time, students have also been learning about all ten strengths: Achiever, Caring, Competing, Confidence, Dependability, Discoverer, Future Thinker, Organizer, Presence and Relating. Reading about famous people with these strengths, making up skits that portray a particular strength, or discussing people we know that display the strength are all activities that have been used by teachers to help students to understand their strengths and others’.

When talking about dependability, third through fifth graders got to test out just how dependable they are with each other. With their backs to their classmates, each student would free-fall into their classmate’s arms, trusting that their classmates would catch their fall.

It has been great to see the students, now knowing their strengths, make connections with other students and staff. I have Dependability as one on my strengths. When the students were showing off their free-fall activity during snack time, I was volunteered by a student because, “Miss Bethany can catch us, she is dependable.” I’m glad the students are starting to learn how to identify strengths in themselves and others and make connections about how they can use them to make an impact.

One-on-One Lesson

by Bethany Larson

A few days ago, I was startled by pounding in one of the activity rooms where the elementary school students can be found during relax time. I walked in to find our very own Miss Anna and a couple of students pounding on a toy drum. Even in the midst of pandemonium, one specific student’s interest in drumming was obvious. Pounding away, third grader Quincy was focused and kept a beat in spite of the chaos of other students drumming around him.

Miss Anna also noticed Quincy’s interest and drumming ability. The next day her husband, the drummer from the Christian rock band Remedy Drive, came during relax time to give Quincy a one-on-one drumming lesson. For about half an hour, Quincy got to pound on the snare drum and learn a few cadences. He even got to keep some drum sticks that were used by the drummer!

Quincy prized those drumsticks and his face gleamed the rest of the day. This was a great example of how something which most people would identify as noise, was not only music but an opportunity for one student to explore a talent.

Who doesn't want to be cool?

by Bethany Larson

During team time this week in the Splats room (grades 6-8), students got a chance to read the stamps that had been sent to them in the past week. Each student smiled as they read their notes from their friends, staff members and other students in the ILC.

“How did you feel reading your Stamps?” I asked the students.

“Good. I liked reading my Stamps, but I liked writing them more,” said one sixth grade girl.

We talked a little about how receiving and giving out compliments feels good. So why don’t we do it more? The students talked about how there friends don’t normally say encouraging things. It is not normal to give complements, so it is scary not knowing how the other person is going to react. Especially in middle school students are struggling to be perceived as “cool.” And the “cool” thing to do is usually not to give out complements.

Daily kids engage in playful banter with one another. They laugh with and at each other, ignoring the hurt it might cause. Both kids and adults are guilty of poking “fun” at peers, but truly it hurts.

The goal of the Impact Learning Center is to help empower students to be impacters in their world. Encouraging words is an impact that can be made daily. Each day student’s mailboxes and minds are being filled with notes of encouragement, not only from staff, but their peers, the students sitting next to them.

It’s moving to see the students excited about writing and receiving Stamps encouraging notes. It is cool to receive a compliment. It is cool to give one away as well. And who doesn’t want to be cool?

Welcome!

Welcome to Impact Learning Center’s official blog! In this technology day of age, we wanted to find the best possible ways for us to communicate what will be going on daily basis in the Impact Learning Center. As student’s lives are changed to make an impact, we want to capture those moments in stories and pictures to relay on to all of you.

Whether you are a volunteer of City Impact, supporter of City Impact and/or the Impact Learning Center, or just interested in what is going on I want to personally welcome you. My name is Bethany Larson and I will being the majority of the organizing of this blog. I am the Media Coordinator with Impact Learning Center. I have been working with City Impact since March 2006 in the development of the Impact Learning Center.

I am a student at UNL majoring in Middle Level Education. I grew up in Holdrege, Nebraska, but graduated from Papillion South High School. Through experiences with being a camp counselor, missions trips, and volunteering with the Hope Center in Omaha, my passion for kids has increased. I have enjoyed working for City Impact and the people of the community through the Impact Learning Center and Bible Club. Along with my job, I enjoy spending time with friends and family, running, reading and watching movies.

I am one of the nine staff members for the Impact Learning Center. Over the next week or so you will get a chance to meet the rest of the staff.

This blog is designed so the impact that is happening inside the walls of the Impact Learning Center is not kept there. If you are interested in what the Impact Learning Center is or want to learn more about City Impact, or would like to volunteer with us please visit their website www.cityimpact.org. I hope you enjoy coming along with us on this journey as we try to impact Lincoln youth to make an impact.