Hello! My name is Will Milliken, and I am a 5th grade student at Paddock Road Elementary in Omaha, Nebraska. I was a finalist in the 2026 Nebraska Kid Governor race, and now I am a member of the Kid Governor Cabinet with Nebraska’s 2026 Kid Governor, Charlie Couch. I feel excited and proud to be part of this program and to help make a difference.
My platform is about keeping parks and playgrounds clean and free from vandalism. I chose this issue because kids could hurt themselves on broken items in the park or see inappropriate words in the form of graffiti. Parks should be safe and fun places for everyone.
My three-point plan includes:
- Organizing volunteers to help clean parks every week.
- Asking kids, their families, and community members to donate cleaning supplies.
- Putting up warning signs at playgrounds about littering and vandalism.
I chose this community issue because kids and animals can be injured by litter like glass or sharp objects. Young kids could also see inappropriate drawings or words, which is not okay. My friends and I like to play outside at parks and playgrounds, but it is not fun when we have to be careful because of trash or broken things.
To reach my goal of cleaning up parks and playgrounds, I plan to have “clean-up days” with students and families at my school. I also want to put up signs in neighborhood parks so people remember to clean up after themselves and take care of the places we all share.