Thrive 18 — Life Skills for the Next Chapter
Omaha, Nebraska · Summer 2026

18 skills.
5 Sundays.
Ready for anything.

Think of it like driver's ed — but for the rest of life. Thrive 18 gives high schoolers the practical skills school never teaches, before they need them.

Why Thrive 18? You signed them up for driver's ed so they'd be ready behind the wheel. This is the same idea — hands-on preparation for independence, finances, relationships, and work. 18 skills before 18 hits.
July 12 – August 9
Sundays, Noon – 4pm
Ages 15–18 · 20 spots
18
practical skills — from investing to adaptability to self-advocacy — taught before 18 hits.
Investing
Budgeting
Adaptability
Time mgmt
Negotiation
Networking
Critical thinking
Self-advocacy
Goal setting
Communication
Conflict res.
Digital literacy
The idea behind it
"You didn't teach your teen to drive. You found someone qualified to do it right."

At some point, you signed your kid up for driver's ed. Not because you thought they'd be a perfect driver on day one — but because you knew they needed structured, intentional practice before they were out there on their own. You trusted someone else to teach it properly.

Thrive 18 is the same idea. Managing money, handling conflict, advocating for yourself, bouncing back when things don't go as planned — these are skills your teenager needs before they leave home. And like driving, they're a lot easier to learn in a room with a good instructor and a group of peers than to figure out alone after the fact.

We're not promising your kid will have it all figured out. We're promising they'll leave with a real foundation — 18 practical skills they can actually use.

What parents tell us

"I can teach my kid to do laundry. I can't teach them how to invest, negotiate a salary, or handle a hard conversation — at least not the way they'd actually listen."

What students get

Five Sunday sessions. A small group of peers. Real conversations about real situations. And 18 skills they'll actually use — starting sooner than you think.

The curriculum

18 skills before 18

School teaches you what to think. Thrive 18 teaches you how to live. Each skill was chosen because no one else is teaching it.

Money
Investing basics
Money
Budgeting & cash flow
Money
Credit & debt
Time
Time management
Time
Prioritization
Mindset
Adaptability
Mindset
Resilience & failure
Mindset
Goal setting
People
Communication
People
Conflict resolution
People
Networking
People
Self-advocacy
Work
Negotiation
Work
Personal branding
Work
Critical thinking
Life
Digital literacy
Life
Decision making
Life
Emotional intelligence
The schedule

Five Sundays. One summer.

01
Week 1
Money fundamentals
  • Investing basics
  • Budgeting & cash flow
  • Credit & debt
July 12
02
Week 2
Owning your time
  • Time management
  • Prioritization
  • Goal setting
July 19
03
Week 3
Mindset & resilience
  • Adaptability
  • Resilience & failure
  • Decision making
July 26
04
Week 4
People skills
  • Communication
  • Conflict resolution
  • Self-advocacy
August 2
05
Week 5
Launch ready
  • Networking
  • Negotiation
  • Personal branding
August 9
Who's behind this

Thrive 18 is led by Kellee Mikuls — a Marquette University Real Estate graduate who spent over a decade as a successful commercial real estate broker before pivoting to entrepreneurship and eventually nonprofit leadership.

Kellee founded Swishboom, a tech startup, before becoming Executive Director of Ignite Nebraska, an Omaha-based workforce development nonprofit. Across every chapter of her career, she's worked with people navigating high-stakes decisions, career transitions, and the kind of real-world challenges that no classroom prepared them for. Thrive 18 is her answer to that gap — starting earlier.

Executive Director, Ignite Nebraska — workforce development nonprofit
Founder, Swishboom — tech startup
10+ years as a commercial real estate broker
B.S. Real Estate, Marquette University
Omaha parent of three — she sees this gap up close
View LinkedIn profile
20
spots available
20h
of instruction
$380
per student
Ages
15–18
high schoolers

Sessions held Sundays, Noon–4pm at a convenient Omaha location shared upon enrollment.

Also planned
❄️ Winter Break session — December 2026

Be the first to know

Spots are limited. Add your name below and we'll notify you the moment enrollment opens — no commitment required.