LINCOLN, NE - Schools across Nebraska are closed in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, but students will still have an opportunity to learn thanks to a new partnership.

The Nebraska State Education Association, News Channel Nebraska and Lincoln Public Schools will offer free educational programming for elementary and secondary students starting on Monday.

NSEA Executive Director Maddie Fennell says the partnership comes at a critical time.

“We know that parents are struggling to not only offer quality instruction to their kids, but to just keep their kiddos busy," Fennell said. "We’re very excited to be able to offer this to parents as a way to keep instruction going at this difficult time.”

Four hours of daily live programming will be available through News Channel Nebraska’s TV, online, and mobile platforms. Educational programming for elementary students will air from 9:00-11:00 a.m. (CST) and for secondary students from 1:00-3:00 p.m. (CST), Monday through Friday. The content will also be available on-demand from the NCN website.

Flood Communications and News Channel Nebraska CEO Andy Ruback says this partnership fits with the company’s mission.

“The mission of News Channel Nebraska is to serve the people of Nebraska," Ruback said. "There’s no better way to do that, we think, than to have the best teachers in the state available to our families right directly into their home.”

Fennell says News Channel Nebraska’s distribution fits with the program’s goal of reaching as many students as possible.

“Yes it is on TV, yes it is online, yes you can get it with an app on your phone," Fennell said. "So there’s lots of different ways kids can get to this information and we can get education out to them.”

And she says hopefully, the new programming will let parents take a breath.

“Don’t stress about getting all the education set up right away, don’t stress about what’s going to happen with grades, what’s going to happen next year," Fennell said. "Don’t worry about any of that. Right now, just make sure your kids know that they are safe at home with you, that you are going to continue to keep them safe, and that there are lots of teachers out there that are getting ready to make sure education continues.”

Teachers can volunteer for the Nebraska Strong Learning Lab by going to nsea.org.