From excerpts of Czech Days in Wilber, Nebraska to an interview with the former Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees, and Migration in Washington, D.C. to observations in schools in Mexico, our For A Better Life mini-series took us beyond Nebraska to understand the context of newcomer populations to our state and our country.

During our time in outside Cancun, our film crew met many families; each with a story important to share. We met Emma, a hardworking mom of four with a limited education, who shared why she works so hard for her children to receive an education; Samuel, a high school student who spends nearly more time in his commute to and from school than he does in the classroom; and Cristina, a grandmother and primary caretaker of 11 of her 24 grandchildren.

Viewers get a slice-of-life impression of education, work and the everyday happenings for these families. These shorts demonstrate the differences between life in Nebraska and life in remote areas of Mexico – it helps to visualize and start to understand some of the surface differences in education in each place. For newcomer students in Nebraska today, it may be possible for them to relate to some of what’s seen in our Mexico stories.

Watch these three important For A Better life stories now.