Featured News & Stories

The latest news about our grantmaking, collaborations, internal initiatives, and grantees

IN THE PRESS MAR 12, 2026

Nebraska winner of youth short film contest explores kids’ relationship with AI chatbots

hen the Clarkson Institute decided to expand its work on mental health to teens, the organization opted to let young people do some of the talking. Last fall, the organization, which has a larger goal of making Nebraska the healthiest state, sought submissions from middle and high school students across the state for ideas for a short film about how smartphones shape the lives of young people today.

NEWS DEC 19, 2025

Behind the Scenes at “Disconnected”

Go behind the scenes of our first-ever short film focused on the intersection of youth mental health and technology over-reliance. In partnership with The Glowmedia Project, “Disconnected” (written by Nebraska high school junior Beau Thomas) tells the story of a high school student who turns to AI for emotional support–stressing his real relationships with family and friends in the process

View the sneak peek

IN THE PRESS DEC 2024

Boldly Going: From “Little Hospital” to Statewide Advocate for Outcome-driven Innovation

Bill Lydiatt provides an overview of Clarkson Regional Health Services’ impact and introduces Clarkson Institute, which will carry out the modern mission of this 150-year-old nonprofit

ORIGINAL RESEARCH DEC 3, 2024

Bridging the Gap: An Educational Intervention to Enhance Mental Health Competency Among Primary and Specialty Care Providers

An educational seminar hosted by psychiatrists is an effective intervention for increasing provider confidence in treating mental health conditions and could serve as a valuable method for expanding the mental health workforce