OMAHA, Neb. -- Early childhood education is getting a big boost in Omaha thanks to a $1.7 million endowment fund.

"This is all about giving our children an opportunity for a great start in life," Jessie Rasmussen, with Sixpence group, said.

Sixpence is a public-private partnership that focuses on helping Nebraska’s at-risk children.

"We know from research if we can get kids started right in the first five years, they'll have a solid foundation in school and later in life," Rasmussen said.

Omaha is one of 11 communities in Nebraska to receive the grant.

"The impact on increased opportunity, increase in exposure to reading and literature means a great deal in the life of every child who has that opportunity," Omaha Public Schools Superintendent Dr. John Mackiel said.

Park of the money will focus on teen mothers by providing full-day year-round care, to help them stay in school and graduate, Mackiel said.

"There's no reason 95 to 97 percent of them should be graduating from high school,” Mackiel said.

Educare project director Gladys Haynes said that to help more kids become high school graduates -- a strong foundation needs to be built early on.

"Hopefully we're building a model through the community and the state to help support similar programming," Haynes said.

The grant is funded through a mix of public and private money that supports educational programs all across Nebraska.