Positive Experiences and Reinforcment!

Our Mission
Yankee Hill Education (YHEC) is a Behavioral High School Focus Program within Lincoln Public Schools. We serve students in grades 9–12 with diverse special education needs, providing a small, highly structured, and predictable environment. Every YHEC student is supported by both a dedicated academic team and an assigned therapist, ensuring we address individual goals alongside social-emotional growth.
At YHEC, we foster a culture of shared community expectations, helping students learn what it means to be positive, contributing members of a school community. Our students join us from every comprehensive high school in the district—some with the goal of transitioning back, others finding their perfect path to graduation with us.
The Opportunity
We are constantly seeking new ways to strengthen student connection to school, as we know this drives attendance and graduation rates. To do this effectively, we rely on additional funding to sustain our engagement initiatives:

1. The CC Store (Community Cash): Our robust positive reinforcement system rewards students for demonstrating our four core skills: Respect, Responsibility, Self-Control, and Transition. Our Student Advocate Technician works to stock the store with items our students truly value—including restaurant gift cards, food, hygiene and beauty products, and gifts they can share with friends and loved ones.
2. Positive Fridays: Every Friday, students who demonstrate our core skills participate in enriching events at YHEC, such as BINGO, collaborative team puzzles, and cooking sessions.
3. Monthly Outings: Students who demonstrate the highest ratings in our core skills are eligible for monthly staff-led outings. For many, these excursions—ranging from kayaking and swimming to college tours, visiting the F Street Recreation Center, and volunteering at Matt Talbot—are life-changing experiences they might not otherwise have the opportunity to enjoy.
   The Need
   Because we are a specialized program rather than a comprehensive high school, our funding sources differ. We rely on the generosity of individuals and local businesses to bring these vital community-building opportunities to life.
   Your Impact
   Your donation ensures that every student at Yankee Hill receives positive reinforcement for their progress and experiences firsthand how school success translates to success in the Lincoln community and beyond.
   By contributing, you help us sustain these cherished traditions, fostering pride in our students and strengthening the connections they build with one another and the community at large.