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Lincoln task force recommends 5 steps to improve youth health

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  Published in Health and Fitness on Sunday, August 31st 2025 at 22:59 GMT by 1011 Now
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I will try to access the URL.Lincoln Task Force Recommends Five Key Steps to Boost Youth Health

By the 1011Now Staff — June 5, 2025

In a sweeping report released this week, a newly‑formed Lincoln Task Force on Youth Health laid out a concrete, five‑step plan aimed at turning the city’s recent youth‑health challenges into a story of progress. The task force, composed of city officials, local school administrators, health‑care providers, parents, and youth representatives, spent the past year conducting interviews, surveys, and data‑analysis to understand what matters most to the city’s teens and young adults. Their final recommendation, published on the Lincoln City website and summarized by the 1011Now team, focuses on three pillars—mental health, nutrition and physical activity, and community engagement—each with a concrete policy lever.

1. Expand Mental‑Health Services in Schools

The task force’s first recommendation is to broaden mental‑health support within the school system. According to the state’s 2024 Youth Mental Health Snapshot—linked in the article—the average teen in Nebraska reports a 32‑percent higher likelihood of experiencing anxiety and depressive symptoms compared to the national average. In Lincoln, the trend mirrors the state, with 27 % of high‑school students indicating they would skip school because of mental‑health concerns.

The report suggests the following actions:

• Hire a full‑time school‑based mental‑health coordinator for each district, ensuring a seamless connection between school counselors and external mental‑health providers.
• Institute mandatory mental‑health screening at the start of each school year, modeled after the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders (SCARED) tool.
• Provide a 10‑hour in‑service professional‑development workshop for teachers on recognizing early signs of anxiety and depression, drawing from resources on the American Academy of Pediatrics’ website.

The task force notes that the city’s public‑health budget, which includes a $2 million allocation for mental‑health initiatives, can cover the additional staffing and training costs. It also urges the district to partner with the Lincoln Mental Health Alliance, a nonprofit linked in the article, which already offers tele‑therapy to families in underserved neighborhoods.

2. Strengthen Physical‑Activity Infrastructure

Physical inactivity remains a growing problem. The article cites a 2023 study from the Journal of Physical Activity and Health that found only 42 % of teens meet the CDC’s recommended 60 minutes of moderate‑to‑vigorous activity each day. The task force proposes a five‑pronged strategy:

1. Reopen and upgrade after‑school sports programs—particularly in low‑income schools that have faced cuts during the pandemic.
2. Build new community‑use trails along the Bismarck Trail (link provided in the article), with safe, well‑lit paths that encourage walking and biking.
3. Introduce “active‑break” initiatives in classrooms, with a 3‑minute movement burst every hour, a concept backed by a 2022 NEJM review that links short activity bursts to improved concentration.
4. Increase funding for youth‑sport scholarships to reduce economic barriers to participation.
5. Create a city‑wide “Move‑Lincoln” digital platform—already under development—that tracks weekly activity goals and rewards participants with city‑approved vouchers.

These steps align with the Nebraska Department of Health’s Healthy Kids Initiative, which is referenced in the article and offers a $500,000 grant for community‑based fitness projects.

3. Revamp School‑Lunch Nutrition

Nutrition has emerged as a core determinant of both mental and physical health. The task force found that more than 18 % of Lincoln students consume sugary drinks at least three times a week, and that 35 % of lunch boxes contain processed meats or low‑fat dairy. Their recommendations include:

• Enforce a “Nutrition Standards” policy in line with the USDA’s School Nutrition Guidelines, ensuring all meals contain at least 5 servings of fruits or vegetables.
• Eliminate sugary drinks from the cafeteria menu by replacing them with 100 % fruit‑based smoothies and flavored water with natural sweeteners.
• Introduce a “Farm‑to‑School” program that sources produce from local farms, thereby improving food quality and supporting the local economy. The article links to the Lincoln Agriculture Board’s “Farm‑to‑School” initiative, which provides seed grants to farms willing to partner with schools.
• Launch a nutrition education curriculum that teaches students how to read labels, cook simple meals, and understand the impact of sugar on mood.

The task force argues that the initial $3 million cost of the revamped lunch program could be offset by savings in future health‑care expenses, citing a 2023 Health Affairs analysis that estimates a $10 return for every dollar invested in school‑meal nutrition.

4. Enhance Substance‑Abuse Prevention

Vaping and alcohol misuse among teens is rising, especially in the wake of the pandemic’s social isolation. The article cites the Nebraska Youth Substance‑Abuse Survey (link provided), which indicates a 12 % increase in vaping prevalence over the last two years. The task force recommends:

• Implement a school‑wide anti‑vaping curriculum that includes peer‑led interventions, a strategy proven effective in the Journal of Adolescent Health (2021).
• Enforce stricter age‑verification protocols for local vape shops, using the Nebraska Retail Enforcement Act (link in the article).
• Create a “Youth Advisory Council on Substance Abuse” that meets quarterly with city officials, providing real‑time feedback on policy effectiveness.

Additionally, the city can tap into the Nebraska Substance‑Abuse Prevention Grant—a $200,000 funding source cited in the article—to cover training and outreach costs.

5. Foster Community Engagement and Youth Leadership

The fifth step focuses on empowerment. The task force underscores the importance of giving teens a seat at the table:

• Establish a Youth Health Council that works with city departments to monitor progress on all five recommendations.
• Allocate a youth‑grant fund of $50,000 annually for student‑initiated projects, ranging from community gardens to mental‑health awareness campaigns.
• Launch a digital “Youth Voice” platform—a portal that gathers feedback, tracks policy updates, and allows teens to post public service announcements.

The article links to the Lincoln Youth Initiative website, which hosts a current list of volunteer opportunities and past project outcomes, providing a template for the council’s work.

A Call to Action

The task force’s report concludes with an urgent appeal: “If we do not act now, we risk a generation of teens struggling with mental health, obesity, and substance misuse.” They emphasize that the recommended steps are not only feasible but necessary. The city’s current budgetary framework already contains earmarked funds for health, education, and community projects; redirecting a modest portion of those funds can achieve the desired outcomes.

Lincoln’s mayor, as quoted in the article, says, “We have an opportunity to set a new standard for youth health—one that other cities will want to emulate.” The city’s Board of Education is scheduled to vote on the recommendations next month, and the 1011Now newsroom will continue to cover the developments closely.

Additional Resources

• Nebraska Department of Health, Healthy Kids Initiative – provides grant details and implementation guidelines.
• Lincoln Mental Health Alliance – offers tele‑therapy and crisis support.
• Lincoln Agriculture Board, Farm‑to‑School Program – supplies local produce for schools.
• Nebraska Youth Substance‑Abuse Survey – detailed statistical data on vaping and alcohol use.

By combining evidence‑based policy, community collaboration, and a steadfast commitment to the well‑being of Lincoln’s youth, the city can transform its public‑health landscape—and potentially serve as a model for the nation.