PENDER, Neb. - Twenty-two Pender High School students have been selected as the first members of the Youth Community Improvement Group, a new hands-on community development program launched in partnership with the Pender Thurston Education and Community Foundation Fund (PTECFF).
The program gives students in grades 9-12 a behind-the-scenes look at how community projects come together, and then puts them in charge of one of their own. Participants will receive real funding and decide as a group how to use it to make a lasting impact in Pender. Working alongside local mentors and committee members, students will learn the full process of community improvement: spotting a need, planning a project, building a budget and seeing it through to completion.
The response to the inaugural application window exceeded expectations, with students from every grade level stepping forward. In their applications, students shared a wide range of ideas for improving their hometown.
“We’re grateful to the Pender Thurston Education and Community Foundation Fund and Pender Public Schools for partnering with us to make this program possible,” said Karissa Johnson, Program Lead. “These students stepped forward with real ideas for making Pender better, and we’re excited to support them as they weigh those ideas and choose the project they want to rally around.”
The students selected for the 2026-2027 Youth Community Improvement Group are:
Seniors: Kaddo Schrunk, Lydia Felber
Juniors: Adelyn Kneifl, Max Kinning, Samantha Kinning, Myra Hansen, Brody Nixon, Leah Sturek
Sophomores: Amaryn Bodlak, Carson Conroy, Mayci Dolliver, Will Gutzmann, Kooper Schrunk, Laney Timm, Joy Trimble, Ryann Volk
Freshmen: Ayla Bargholz, Laurel Felber, Collins Ferg, Kyler Reha, Kaden Schroeder, Blake Sturek
The program is led by Karissa Johnson, with committee members Matthew Smith, Ashley Bessmer and Katie Gutzmann, and PTECFF Coordinator Channing Reha.
Community members who have questions about the program or would like to support the students' work are encouraged to contact Karissa Johnson at 402.372.7681 or Channing Reha at 402.615.1082. More information is available at www.ptecff.org/youth-program.
About PTECFF
The Pender Thurston Education and Community Foundation Fund supports education and community development in the Pender and Thurston area through grants, scholarships and youth programming. Learn more or make a gift at www.ptecff.org.