Nelson Mandela (1918-2013) spent 95 years fighting for justice. From a young age, he was raised hearing stories of resistance from his elders, and he vowed to fight for freedom for his people. Nelson Mandela is best known for leading South Africa from apartheid to a multiracial democracy. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993. Soon after, he became the first black president of South Africa in 1994, shortly after voting for the first time in his life.
On the path of resistance, he said, “I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve” (“Speech from the Dock”, 1964).
Nelson Mandela Elementary strives to honor his legacy by relying on its community and partnerships to reduce the achievement gap in North Omaha.
Nelson Mandela Elementary is thankful to these organizations for their support, and the many others that are not listed here: Creighton Dental school for providing toothbrushes, toothpaste, and sealant and fluoride checks twice per year; the students from the College of St. Mary Occupational Therapy and Nursing Programs for providing social/emotional and health/wellness lessons; the University of Nebraska-Omaha Department of Social Work for sending practicum students; Creighton Prep, which provides daily tutoring; Ignatian Volunteer Corps, which offers a variety of volunteer services in the library, the office, and the kitchen; the Lutheran Volunteer Corps, which provides a volunteer for a year in a full-time position; Big Garden, which teaches scholars about plants in the summer term and provides those plants for a community garden; the Omaha Conservatory of Music for providing violins and instructors to teach K-5; the Charles Drew Health Center for providing flu shots/physicals; the Arts in Motion’s program, Dancing Classrooms, which provided ballroom dance lessons to 5th graders this fall; the Omaha Public Library Summer Reading Program for story time and reading club in the summer; American Midwest Ballet for providing free admission and buses to performances; and the College for Kids program at Metro Community College which provides enrichment in science, social studies, art/drama, and technology throughout the year.
It definitely takes a village to raise successful young people, and as modeled by Nelson Mandela, the school uses all aspects of the community—business, higher education, arts, and health. This village is strong, and grateful for the partnerships that make it so.