Nebraska’s Home for the Arts, the Lied Center for Performing Arts, is proud to announce that Nancy Engen-Wedin of Education and Creative Initiatives has been selected by the Nebraska Department of Education, Office of Multicultural and Native American Education as a recipient of the Friend of American Indian Education Award.  Engen-Wedin was recognized on October 7th at the Nebraska Department of Education’s Native American Student Achievement Symposium. She was acknowledged for her many years of service to the Umonhon Nation School through the Lied Center and the Indigenous ROOTS Teacher Education Program through UNL’s College of Education and Human Sciences, which provides American Indian students with opportunities to become certified elementary education and bilingual teachers to work in area reservation schools. Since 2001, the Lied Center, Umonhon Nation School District, and University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Education and Human Sciences have partnered to provide professional development in Pre-K through 12 arts integration for teachers, staff and students enrolled in the Umonhon Nation School District. Since the program began, the Lied Center and Engen-Wedin have worked to enrich the lives of at-risk youth through all art forms including dance, music, theater and visual arts.

For more information about the Lied Center for Performing Arts, visit www.LiedCenter.org.