LPS students pick up civic, fitness skills from walking trips in Lincoln

June 27, 2025

Putting one foot in front of the other has helped Lincoln Public Schools students experience a wide range of civic, fitness and social benefits this summer.

More than three dozen summer school students are gaining a new appreciation for parks, gardens and city landmarks in their Lifetime Sports class. The physical education course takes place at Lincoln High and includes three days of activities such as volleyball, basketball and badminton. The other two days involve walking trips to spots such as Sunken Gardens, Memorial Stadium, Antelope Park, the Nebraska State Capitol and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Jaraye and Dilbar both said they were glad they had enrolled in the class this summer. They felt the course had opened an ocean-sized amount of social and physical fitness opportunities for them.

What have been some of the best parts of the class?

“The experience of getting to walk and spending time with people you’ve never met before,” Jaraye said. “It’s been fun getting to meet new people.”

“I’ve learned new skills, especially with the sports that we’ve done,” Dilbar said. “Knowing that there are activities that we can do in the future is nice.”

Bryan Mack and Erik Reiners are co-teaching the course for students from a variety of high schools. They said incorporating neighborhood walking into the lineup of class activities has been a positive move.

“We wanted to get creative with the class, and walking is something that is fitness for life, so we thought this would be a great chance to promote that skill,” Mack said. “This is building the habit of going out and walking, which is one of the best forms of exercise out there.”

“I’ve lived here for six years and I’ve seen places that I didn’t know existed,” Reiners said. “It’s been a really good opportunity for everyone to learn more about Lincoln and everything that’s here in the city. I think it’s teaching the kids a lot.”

Students spent one morning studying flowers and plants at Sunken Gardens and Hamann Rose Garden. They took off from Lincoln High’s cafeteria and traveled to Hamann Rose Garden on the eastern side of 27th St. and Capitol Parkway. They viewed boxwood hedges and hybrid tea roses, walked on brick-lined pathways and took photos in a pavilion area. Several students even received freshly-pruned flowers that were being removed by city workers as part of regular garden maintenance.

The group then walked across the street to Sunken Gardens, where they viewed thousands of annuals arranged in an “Enchanted Ocean” theme. They watched fish swimming in a lily pond, climbed steps past a waterfall feature and learned how Lincoln Parks and Recreation staff had created the ocean-inspired displays.

Demario said the trips to places like the two gardens have given him a chance to practice his photography skills. He and other students have admired the Nebraska State Capitol’s architecture, strolled past historic buildings and explored multiple city parks.

“I’ve liked taking pictures everywhere we go,” Demario said. “It’s been pretty neat.”

Students spent another morning walking several miles to UNL’s campus. They first toured the new Osborne Legacy Complex and listened to UNL offensive lineman Tyler Knaak, who spoke about the importance of setting goals and following dreams. They then walked on Memorial Stadium’s football field before returning to Lincoln High with happy memories.

Elizabeth and Paola said they were grateful for the chance to get exercise and see many civic landmarks at the same time.

“It’s really cool,” Elizabeth said. “I think it’s an amazing experience to be able to do this. When I signed up for this class, I would have never imagined that I would have come to Memorial Stadium and gotten a private tour.”

“Many people think Lifetime Sports is just walking around and all that, but for us, we’ve been to Sunken Gardens, we’ve been to Woods Park, we’ve been to the Capitol and now here at Memorial Stadium, so it’s been kind of like a privilege to go all these places,” Paola said.

Jaraye said he liked learning new facts about Lincoln at the same time as walking. Many students had never visited the Nebraska State Capitol or taken in-depth tours of UNL’s campus before the course.

“You can see new things,” Jaraye said. “At Antelope Park, we could shoot hoops and run around, and here, you can look at the flowers and see nature. It’s really good exercise too. You can get some extra steps in by going to all of the places.”

Mack and Reiners said the long-distance walks have also helped students increase their social skills. Several girls from different high schools had not known each other prior to meeting on the first day of the course. Instead of staying in their own social circles, they decided to talk with each other on the trips to and from Lincoln High. They are now friends and have learned how to make valuable connections with other people.

“There’s been a lot of great relationship building that has come from the course,” Reiners said. “It’s been really good to see the kids talking with each other and learning from each other.”

Demario said those lessons have made an impression on him.

“Don’t be scared to talk to people,” Demario said. “Be yourself and be friendly around everyone.”

Mack said he believes the Lifetime Sports excursions will make long-lasting impacts on everyone who is taking part this summer.

“It’s been a great class to be a part of,” Mack said. “I’m glad the kids are getting to have these types of experiences and getting to learn from them.”

Learn more about the many summer learning opportunities available for LPS students at home.lps.org/summer.

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