The Arc of Buffalo County 4511 6th Ave. Ste. 204
Kearney, NE 68845
308-237-4343
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The Arc provides many opportunities for youth and family activities. Please also check out our calendar to see what is planned for each month, week, or day!
The Arc of Nebraska
The Arc of Buffalo County's Brochure
The Arc of Buffalo County's Youth Activities Brochure
The Arc of Buffalo County's Newsletter
| The Arc of Buffalo County is an agency of the Kearney Area United Way. |
The Arc of Buffalo County established the Teens in Action Program in 2007 with opportunity grant funding from the Nebraska Planning Council on Developmental Disabilities. The mission of the Teens in Action program is to allow middle school and high school aged youth with special needs to interact with their peers through sports, recreation and other activities. Programming focuses on teaching participants the benefits of inclusion in group settings or/and by one on one activities.
Teens in Action is made possible with volunteers recruited from Kearney and the surrounding area which include the University
of Nebraska at Kearney, area high schools, church youth groups, Scouts, and additional peers who have a desire to make a difference in the lives of special needs youth. Working with the Teens in Action program provides an opportunity for volunteers to earn hand-on service learning community service hours in a unique setting. Our aim is to help groups grow in understanding and acceptance of each other.
The Arc of Buffalo County has secured funding from other grant sources such as the Nebraska Respite Network to continue the sustainability of this wonderful program. Teens in Action continues to provide age-appropriate, year-round, recreation/respite activities for youth in grades 6-12.
The Arc’s Teens in Action programming as well as opportunities through our KIRP partnerships (Kearney Inclusive Recreation Program) extend recreational/leisure opportunities to youth of all ages with developmental disabilities. We appreciate our partnerships with local organizations such as The Kearney Family YMCA, Kearney Parks and Recreation Department, The Buffalo County 4-H Extension Office, Boy & Girl Scouts, Press-On Community Youth Center, and the KidZone Kearney Area Children’s Museum. Furthermore, partnerships with the University of Nebraska at Kearney Service Learning Department, Teacher/ Special Education and Social Work Departments, and Greek & Student Organizations make it possible to bring a variety of activities for youth with developmental disabilities. Our focus is to encourage inclusion opportunities into the Kearney community.
Please contact The Arc of Buffalo County at 308-237-4343 or at arcofbuffalocounty@frontiernet.net if you are interested in signing your youth up for the program or if you would like to apply as a program volunteer.
Respite at the Kidzone offers free respite for children with disabilities, ages 2-12, and their siblings on the first Thursday of every month from 6-8PM.
Sibshops offers siblings of children with disabilities a change to get together four times a year to have fun, enjoy a snack, and talk about some of the experiences they share.
Arc at the Y is a cooperative program with the Kearney YMCA. Every Friday night from 6:30-8PM the Y offers its facilities at no charge to people with developmental disabilities and their helper. The Arc often will furnish supervised activities on Friday evenings during the school year. (Call the Arc office for further information).
