What We Do

Garden 5
art IV

Brighter Futures operates at the Lincoln Enrichment Center every Monday as a free Enrichment Program for the Wagoner community. The program is open to all school-aged children. With Wagoner Public Schools on a four-day school week Tuesday through Friday, there was a great need for an all-day program on Monday.  In addition to our Monday program, the gym is also being used by other community groups and organizations that serve children.  The classrooms are being used for community meetings, for training purposes, and in the future after the needed repairs are made, we envision The Lincoln Enrichment Center being a fully functioning community center offering services and classes for the betterment of the entire community.

The Youth Empowered to Succeed (YES) Program is a collaborative effort between Brighter Futures, the Lincoln Enrichment Center, two nonprofit public mental health providers (Creoks Behavioral Health Services and Grand Lake Mental Health), and a self-governed Native American tribe (Muscogee (Creek) Nation). The collaboration is focused on all school-aged children with a special focus on 3rd to 9th graders. YES is an example of a public-private partnership that is educating, equipping and empowering youth to succeed through education, information, exercise, nutrition, and other services. Other organizations and agencies that have participated in this collaboration including Wagoner County Cooperative Extension Service, Wagoner 4H Club, Wagoner Fire Department, Wagoner Health Department, Wagoner Police Department, Wagoner Public Library, Wagoner Arts Alliance, the Elks Lodge, various local churches, private citizens, and others. In August 2019, Brighter Futures received the Oklahoma Turning Point Council Award (INSERT LINK TO VIDEO). 

In conjunction with various community partners including the Health Department, Cooperative Extension, The Garden Center, The Rose Club, Wagoner 4-H, and several private citizens, we began The Lincoln Learning Garden in June 2018. The Lincoln Learning School Garden’s Mission is to improve the health and well-being of students, families, and the larger community. The garden provides opportunities for hands-on learning, inquiry, observation and experimentation across the curriculum; motivates kids to eat and love fruits and vegetables; and promotes physical activity and quality outdoor experiences.

The Lincoln Enrichment Center has coordinated and hosted a variety of free workshops and trainings for the community. All of our programs are led by dynamic instructors who are making a difference in the community we serve. To date, we have offered over eight workshops including Health and Nutrition, Kids in Crisis, Saying No To Bullying, and Suicide Prevention (QPR). Please contact us to plan your workshop or partner with us.  

Community beautification is a key aspect of community development and important to make lasting changes and improve quality of life. A visually appealing community increases property values, attracts businesses, and improves the neighborhood’s image. To date, adult volunteers from the Lincoln Enrichment Center have mowed yards, cut trees, and removed debris. On a regular basis, our older students have picked up trash and litter in the surrounding neighborhood and community.