Daycare Students Get a Glimpse Inside Nebraska’s Appellate Courts

A group of youngsters from Knowledge Beginnings daycare visited the Nebraska Court of Appeals courtroom on July 29, 2025, to get a firsthand look at how the state’s judicial system works.

The tour was arranged and led by Judge Riko E. Bishop of the Nebraska Court of Appeals, who welcomed children ages 6 to 11 years into the courtroom for an introduction to the Judicial Branch. Accompanied by their teacher, Levi Blacketer, the students spent their time together learning how courts help resolve disputes. Blacketer, who encourages early civics education, said the outing was designed to spark interest in civic responsibility and public service.

Bishop guided the students through both the Court of Appeals and Supreme Court courtrooms, answering questions and helping them connect the role of the courts to their everyday lives. To illustrate the concept of resolving conflicts, she asked how they typically handle disagreements with friends or siblings. The children’s responses — including “We just try to talk it through” and “We’ll go find mom or dad or a grandparent to help us work it out” — naturally led to a discussion about how judges help people settle problems fairly.