Learning Community of Douglas and Sarpy Counties

What Learning Community of Douglas and Sarpy Counties does

The Learning Community of Douglas and Sarpy Counties is a political subdivision of the State of Nebraska, established to reduce the achievement gap and improve educational outcomes for children and families in poverty. It operates two physical Learning Community Centers — one in North Omaha (1612 N. 24th Street) and one in South Omaha (2302 M Street) — that deliver a unified platform of early childhood education and family engagement services using a two-generation (2-Gen) approach grounded in the Perry Preschool Study, Chicago Longitudinal Study, and Aspen Institute methodology. Core programs include Parent University, Family Learning, Jump Start to Kindergarten, Instructional Coaching, Extended Learning, Intensive Early Childhood Education, GED preparation, ESL classes, and digital literacy classes, supported by home-based services and 10 school hub sites across six districts. Program portfolio is validated through independent evaluation by the UNMC Munroe-Meyer Institute, which has documented outcomes such as up to two years of learning gains for Jump Start participants and 100% parent satisfaction.

The organization's business model is a publicly funded, levy-driven model: it is financed by the Learning Community Elementary Levy at 1.2451 cents per $100 of valuation (approximately $22.50 per year for a $150,000 home), with a disclosed Program Budget of $21,071,595 in the current fiscal year. All programs are free to participants, and 94 cents of every levy dollar flows directly to programs. Revenue mechanics are therefore government funding, not commercial pricing. Go-to-market is community-led: services are delivered directly through the two centers, through partnerships with 11 school districts (Bellevue, Bennington, DC West, Elkhorn, Gretna, Millard, Omaha Public, Papillion-La Vista, Ralston, Springfield Platteview, and Westside), and via a network of higher education, research, healthcare, library, and philanthropic partners (Buffett Early Childhood Institute, OneWorld Community Health Centers, Omaha Public Library, UNMC Munroe-Meyer Institute, Bellevue University, Creighton University, UNO, Metropolitan Community College, Aspen Institute Ascend, and United Way of the Midlands). The organization serves more than 16,000 children and adults annually across Douglas and Sarpy Counties.

Name

Learning Community of Douglas and Sarpy Counties

Legal name

Learning Community of Douglas and Sarpy Counties

Website

https://learningcommunityds.org

Company type

Public

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Learning Community of Douglas and Sarpy Counties is a Nebraska political subdivision that delivers free early childhood education and family engagement through two community centers and partnerships with 11 school districts, serving more than 16,000 children and adults annually via a two-generation approach funded by the Learning Community Elementary Levy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Early Childhood Education Services

NAICS

Educational Services (61), Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Child Day Care Services (8351), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

General Preschools (Play-Based) (EDACABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Early Childhood Education & Childcare Nonprofits (BPAGADAA), Family Literacy & Early Language Development Programs (EDACALAE), Public Elementary Schools (EDAJAAAB)

Keywords

• Early childhood education
• Family engagement programs
• Two-generation learning
• Kindergarten readiness programs
• Adult education services

Headquarters

HQ city

Omaha, Nebraska

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Elementary Levy Funding: Annual investments funded through the Learning Community Elementary Levy (1.2451 cents). Taxpayer cost is approximately $22.50 per year for a home valuation of $150,000. 94 cents of every dollar goes directly to programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Learning Community of Douglas and Sarpy Counties delivers free early childhood education (birth through Grade 3), family engagement, and adult education programs through two community centers in North Omaha and South Omaha. Using a two-generation (2-Gen) approach, it partners with 11 school districts, health providers, libraries, and higher education institutions to serve more than 16,000 children and adults annually. Programs include Parent University, Family Learning, Jump Start to Kindergarten, Extended Learning, GED and ESL classes, digital literacy, and instructional coaching for teachers.

Product overview

The Learning Community of Douglas and Sarpy Counties operates as a unified platform of educational programs addressing the opportunity gap through early childhood education and family engagement. The core offerings center on two community centers (North Omaha and South Omaha) that deliver integrated programs including Parent University, Family Learning, Intensive Early Childhood Education, and GED/Computer Literacy classes. Supporting programs include the Superintendents' Early Childhood Plan, Instructional Coaching, Jump Start to Kindergarten, and Extended Learning. All programs employ a 2-Gen (two-generation) approach, working simultaneously with children and parents to create lasting impact. The organization partners with eleven school districts, the Buffett Early Childhood Institute, Omaha Public Library, OneWorld Community Health Centers, and Metropolitan Community College to deliver services to more than 16,000 children and adults annually.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Learning Community Center of North Omaha
• Learning Community Center of South Omaha
• Parent University
• Family Learning
• Intensive Early Childhood Education
• Superintendents' Early Childhood Plan
• Instructional Coaching
• Jump Start to Kindergarten
• Extended Learning
• GED for Parents
• Computer Literacy / Digital Literacy Classes
• Future Teacher Preparation

Quantifiable outcome

• Independent evaluators consistently find that Jump Start to Kindergarten students can make up to two years worth of learning gains
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

23 partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and minor.

• Bellevue Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchool district partner within the Learning Community of Douglas and Sarpy Counties. Partnership for Elementary Learning Center Program under Subcouncil 5.
• Bennington Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchool district partner within the Learning Community of Douglas and Sarpy Counties.
• DC West Community SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchool district partner within the Learning Community, part of Subcouncil 1. Partnership includes Extended Learning program.
• Elkhorn Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchool district partner within the Learning Community, part of Subcouncil 1. Partnership includes Extended Learning program.
• Gretna Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchool district partner within the Learning Community, part of Subcouncil 4. Partnership includes Instructional Coaching.
• Millard Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchool district partner within the Learning Community, part of Subcouncil 6. Partnership includes Instructional Coaching.
• Omaha Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor school district partner. Partnership includes Instructional Coaching (Subcouncil 1) and Intensive Early Childhood Partnership Agreement for North Omaha.
• Papillion-La Vista Community SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchool district partner within the Learning Community, part of Subcouncil 6.
• Ralston Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchool district partner within the Learning Community, part of Subcouncil 3. Partnership includes Instructional Coaching.
• Springfield Platteview Community SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchool district partner within the Learning Community, part of Subcouncil 6. Partnership includes Instructional Coaching.
• Westside Community SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchool district partner within the Learning Community, part of Subcouncil 3. Partnership includes Instructional Coaching.
• Buffett Early Childhood InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey strategic partner in the Superintendents' Early Childhood Plan. Partnership agreement effective September 1, 2022 – August 31, 2025 with Nebraska Regents.
• OneWorld Community Health CenterscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSouth Center Managing Partnership Agreement. Partnership takes 2-Gen approach for family learning in South Omaha. Contract effective September 1, 2021 – August 31, 2024.
• Omaha Public LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMOU + Lease Agreement partnership. Connects families to summer reading resources and library services. Contract effective until October 2025.
• UNMC Munroe-Meyer InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndependent program evaluation partner. Contract effective September 1, 2023 – August 31, 2024 (with extension to Oct 31, 2024). Also evaluates Community Achievement Plan (CAP).
• Aspen Institute Ascend NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLearning Community is a member of Aspen Ascend network promoting 2-Gen approach nationwide. First organization in Nebraska to join.
• Bellevue UniversitysupportingOthersHigher education partner contributing expertise to the Learning Community network.
• Creighton UniversitysupportingOthersHigher education partner contributing expertise to the Learning Community network.
• Metropolitan Community CollegesupportingOthersWorkforce partnership providing training opportunities for Parent University families. Partnership includes Raise Me to Read program.
• University of Nebraska OmahasupportingOthersHigher education partner contributing expertise to the Learning Community network.
• Project HarmonysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting Parent University expansion in northeast Omaha through home visit programming.
• Jensen Rogert AssociatesminorOthersLobbyist Services Agreement. Contract effective November 1, 2022 – October 31, 2024.
• Metropolitan Omaha Educational Consortium (MOEC)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Raise Me to Read program and Services Agreement. Contract effective September 2022 – August 2025.

Scale indicators7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Parents as Teachers: National early childhood parent education and family support organization offering home visiting and parent education. Directly comparable in delivering parent education, home-based services, and early childhood programming through center and home-based models.
• ParentChild+: National early childhood home visiting organization serving families with young children from low-income backgrounds. Directly comparable in delivering home-based early learning and parent engagement for families with children from birth to age 5.
• Harlem Children's Zone: Place-based nonprofit delivering cradle-to-career education, social services, and community programming in a defined geographic footprint. Comparable in running an integrated pipeline of early childhood, family, and community services for children in poverty.
• Promise Neighborhoods Institute: Federally funded cradle-to-career place-based initiative supporting educational and family outcomes in distressed communities. Directly comparable in combining early childhood education with family wraparound services in a defined geographic area.
• StriveTogether: A national network supporting cradle-to-career collective impact partnerships across U.S. communities. Directly comparable in operating as a backbone organization coordinating cross-sector partners to improve educational outcomes for children and families.
• Buffett Early Childhood Institute: Nebraska-based institute advancing early childhood research, practice, and policy across the state. Directly comparable as a core strategic partner delivering Birth-to-Grade-3 programming through the Superintendents' Early Childhood Plan.
• The Ounce of Prevention Fund: Chicago-based early childhood organization operating Birth-to-Grade-3 programming, parent education, and policy advocacy. Directly comparable in combining intensive early childhood services with two-generation family support.

Broad incumbents

• Save the Children US: Large national nonprofit operating early childhood education, literacy, and family support programs across the United States. Comparable in scope of early childhood and family engagement work, though operating across many geographies with a broader portfolio.
• National Head Start Association: National membership organization supporting Head Start programs delivering early childhood education to low-income families. Comparable as a federal-program counterpart providing preschool, family engagement, and early childhood services.

Regional players

• United Way of the Midlands: Regional United Way affiliate serving the Omaha metro including Douglas and Sarpy Counties. Comparable as a community-level funding and partner organization supporting education and family services in the same geographic footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/learningcommunityds
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/learning-community-of-douglas-and-sarpy-counties

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Learning Community of Douglas and Sarpy Counties