The GOALS Center

The GOALS Center provides support and intervention to families and students struggling with consistent school attendance through two unique, voluntary services including the Family Advocate Program and AmeriCorps Program. 

The Family Advocate Program is centered on engaging families in wraparound, case management services that assess family needs, implement straggles and goals related to attendance and learning, and develop connections to a variety of community resources. 

Last year, the Family Advocate program served 173 students and their families. On average, students spent 7.3 months in the program, and at the end over 70% had experienced an improvement in attendance! The program was also successful in preventing court involvement, as 85% of students were not court involved for attendance related concerns. Since the start of this school year, over 240 students have been referred to the program, making this the busiest year yet! 

The AmeriCorps Program is brand new to the GOALS Center and will officially start in the summer of 2019. Through this program, AmeriCorps members will work directly in Omaha metro area schools as they support students who are at risk of attendance issues. Collaborating with school staff, the service is an effort to prevent at-risk students from becoming chronically absent. The GOALS Center is excited to launch this new service and see the impact it can have on students, families and schools. 

What else is important to know about the GOALS Center?

• We value student and family input! We offer students and families a variety of ways to give us feedback throughout their time in our program. 

• Our agency conducts ongoing evaluation of our work. This means gathering data and information about what we are doing, and how we are doing it. We then use the results to inform program decisions. 

• Collaboration is KEY! We regularly find ourselves connecting with, supporting, and working alongside community groups and stakeholders who are invested in the education and success of our students. 

• Families and students have consistently given positive feedback as to their experience working with the GOALS Center. 96% of families indicated they would encourage other students and families who are struggling with attendance to participate in the GOALS program.