What a great summer! We welcomed nearly 1,200 students in June and July to celebrate our 40th summer of providing hands-on, enriching camps. This milestone was celebrated throughout 2026: First with a video that captured stories from founders, donors and long-time teachers; Then with a celebration this past spring that brought together new and old friends who have made supporting Bright Lights a part of their lives; And finally culminated with students singing happy birthday to Bright Lights on the first day of camps.
We love hearing about the positive experiences families (over 900 of them!) had over the summer:
“Bright Lights is by far my child’s first choice for summer fun! They were engaged, inspired and made big gains in confidence. Bright Lights is a win-win-win for the student, parents and the community that will see these kids in the future workforce.”
“This was an amazing camp, so thankful it was added this year. The kids learned so much about playing guitar in such a short amount of time. My child had never touched a guitar and was able to play a song that you could recognize on Friday!”
Our camps wouldn’t shine nearly as bright without our enthusiastic teachers and community partners from places like CK Dance, Swanson’s Martial Arts, Woods Tennis, UNL College of Engineering, Southeast Community College and Turpin Outdoor Education Center (plus many more). They bring expertise and energy to make each camp educational and unforgettable.
And thanks to the generosity of donors, we were able to award nearly $33,000 in scholarships, ensuring that students who might not have been able to attend otherwise had the chance to join in the fun. We are deeply grateful to those who believe in our mission and help make Bright Lights accessible to all.
After 40 summers, we know that Bright Lights is more than a summer camp. It’s a place where students discover what excites them, find their people, build confidence and realize that learning can be fun. We can’t wait to plan for next summer and the next 40 years!
Keep an eye on BrightLights.org for updates, and don’t forget to subscribe to our eNewsletter so you don’t miss a single announcement.