Help us read 2,025 books in 2025!

HOW DO YOU JOIN THE CHALLENGE?
1) Read (or listen to) a book.
2)Submit it online or tell our barista's about it (and they will help submit it)!
3) Get your special bookmark if you are in the Aurora area!
****If you aren't from around here, don't worry, you'll learn how to at least get a really cool sticker when you log your first book!

Learn more about this awesome challenge, check out all the links below, stop in at Espressions: Coffee & Community or email us!

The Nebraska Vocational Agricultural Foundation (NVAF) Board invites all current and past Nebraska Ag teachers as well as those working to earn their Ag Education degree and their families to a our annual weekend get together. This is a time to get together, chat about the old days or prospect the future, enjoy some good food and just connect as colleagues. The grounds will be available for all to enjoy. We will offer tours as well.

Saturday Lunch: 1 p.m.
Tours of 2 or 3 local ag industry sites & Espressions visit
Adult SAE
Dinner @ 6
Sunday Breakfast 8-9

Tours & Conversations:
•The NVAF Board will be working to set up tours of 2 to 3 local ag industry sites. Tours will be finalized closer to the date. We'll also take a quick stop for ice cream at The Leadership Center's coffee shop, Espressions: Coffee & Community. We are working on having a bus to make this easy. If we aren't able to get a bus, we can carpool.

•Grown-Up SAE's: Bring something with that shows us your "grown up" SAE. It could be really good or really silly, but we'd love to see it. Bring your best ideas, as last year's winner, Dan Stehlik is chomping at the bit for a repeat.. There will be NO emails on the ListServ reminding you to load your info into AET or to ensure your applications are accurate. This will be done on a mix of the honors system and the luck of the draw!

We know you all want an example. So here is one: Maile raises quail. She will bring some quail eggs and be prepared to tell you about her SAE. She will then draw to see how she will share her SAE with the "judges". It could potentially be an extemp speech on the importance of quail poop to gardening or a potentially an interview on her "books" on her quail.

This is meant for us all to share some of the things we are up to, but also to have a good laugh and see who wins a trophy. We really do look forward to seeing what comes for show!

•telling stories of the days of old and "solving" today's problems over brews, soda pops, good food & a bonfire w/ friends!

•The Annual Noah Miller Corn Hole Tournament in the dinning room will also take place.

Your event package covers a burger feed and ice cream social for lunch and a BBQ with fresh baked pies for supper as well as beverage station and amenities. For those of you who stay overnight, the Boeder's are hosting a continental brunch in the dining room from 8:00-9:30 a.m. on Sunday. Maybe they'll even serve up some quail eggs.

The pool is open as is fishing, horse shoes, cornhole, and all the recreational opportunities. So pack your swim suit, fishing pole and tackle box and of course your cooler filled with the good stuff as this weekend is also BYOB. Maile & John promise to have ice on hand to keep your beverages cold!

We're offering lodging:
Lodge rooms: $119.35
You can also pitch a tent or bring your camper for no charge. Please note we do not have camper hookups.

All reservations can be done here or do over the phone.

We look forward to seeing you all!

Soups go on at 11 a.m. until they are gone. If you miss one, check to see if we have it in our "Soups Out the Door"!

Cup is $3.00++
Bowl is $5.00++

Soups are homemade and fresh each day! Come in and enjoy.

Calling all Senior Citizens! We would love to serve you, especially this Monday and Friday for our Senior Citizen's Discount!

Welding Camp: A Hands-On Experience in Metalwork
Grades: 6th – 12th
Duration: 1 Week
Capacity: Limited to 20 students
Skill Level: All levels welcome – from first-timers to experienced welders

Get ready to spark your creativity and fire up new skills at Welding Camp! This immersive, week-long camp is designed for students in grades 7–12 who are excited to explore the world of welding through hands-on experience, expert instruction, and real-world industry exposure.

Campers will receive guided instruction in four major welding processes:
•MIG (Metal Inert Gas)
•TIG (Tungsten Inert Gas)
•Stick (Shielded Metal Arc Welding)
•OA (Oxy-Acetylene)

Welding classes will be held in Central City, NE, at the Central City High School Welding Shop, led by Alex Stocker, Central City’s Agricultural Education Instructor. Campers will gain confidence and practical skills while working on individual and group welding projects in a safe, professional environment.
Campers will stay at The Leadership Center in Aurora, NE, where they’ll enjoy comfortable lodging, delicious meals, and fun recreational activities. Daily transportation between The Leadership Center, the welding shop, and industry tours will be provided.

What’s Included in the Camp Fee:
•Daily welding instruction (MIG, TIG, Stick, OA)
•Lodging and meals at The Leadership Center in Aurora, NE
•Recreation and evening activities
•Transportation to welding shop and industry tours
•Exclusive industry tours and guest speakers
•Personal welding gear to keep – each camper receives a helmet, gloves, and welding coat

Camp Highlights:
•Hands-on welding in a real shop environment
•All experience levels welcome – beginners encouraged!
•Small group size (limited to 20 campers) for personal instruction
•Skill-building, creativity, and career exploration in one exciting week

Whether you’re exploring welding for the first time or sharpening your technique, Welding Camp is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to build skills, make friends, and discover what’s possible with a spark and a little imagination.

Join us for a week of fire, fun, and fabrication—space is limited, so register early!

*Should this camp fill, we can add you to the waiting list by emailing Abby@tlcaurora.org
**Please note all attendees are expected to stay at The Leadership Center for the duration of Camp.
***No refunds will be offered for this camp. If you are not able to attend, we can try to get you into the other camp week or reserve a spot for you in next year's camp. Tuition can be transferred to another camper for this year's camp. It can only be carried over one year. Deferral or transfer must take place by 6/19/2025.

Looking for Booklovers!

We would love to fill our shop with friends discussing the written word over coffee!

We are beginning the Harry Potter series! Along with this club, we will also be hosting a Saturday morning club to. Please note that you can go between the clubs as it suits your schedule. If you can only make it from time to time, THAT’S OK! If you’ve already read the books and seen the movies and love talking about them….and want to come to club, please do. Audiobook listeners welcome too. Whether you join us for every week of this journey or come and go, we get it. Life is busy, there are commitments and time gets away from you! With this guide you’ll have an idea of where we’ll be each week.

Come when you can and come as you are. This is a welcoming community looking forward to taking this book journey with you!

MAPS stands for Management + Assessment + Planning = Success! It is all about team.

It is all about team. During MAPS: Youth Team Experience, we focus on communication, planning /calendars, getting to know each other, setting your intentions for the year, assessing the past year and planning for the future they want to build and their responsibility to make that happen, etc.

This event is limited to no more than 3 teams. Each team will get individual time with a Facilitator as well as team work time.

MAPS: Youth Team Experience check-in will begin at 9 a.m. with the conference kicking off at 10:15 a.m. on Day 1. The conference will conclude at 4:00 p.m. on Day 2.

Registration closes 10 days before event. $45.00 of your registration is non-refundable. No refunds will be issued 10 or less days before conference begins.

Conference Fee: $165.00 per participant

*Advisors/Coaches will be housed in hotel rooms.

🌞 Get ready for a summer full of giggles, crafts, and creativity at Espressions: Coffee & Community! 🌞
Join us every Tuesday afternoon for our brand-new, totally fun summer series: Silly Stories with Sofia!

Each week, kids will dive into a silly, surprising, or heartwarming story with Sofia, followed by a hands-on craft, a fun song to sing (or dance to!), and a tasty snack to wrap it all up. It’s the perfect mix of imagination, learning, and good vibes—right here in your favorite coffee shop!

🎉 Meet Sofia!
Sofia is one of our amazing TLC team members and a bright light in our community. A 2024 AHS grad and current music education major at Wayne State, she’s spending her summer interning at The Leadership Center, where she’s helping lead awesome educational programs—including this one!

Whether your child loves stories, crafts, music, or just a good snack, Silly Stories with Sofia is the place to be this summer.

📅 Who: Kids ages 6–11 (but everyone is welcome!)
💸 Cost: FREE
📝 Sign-up: Not required, but super helpful so we can plan for supplies and snacks.

We can't wait to see your smiling faces and share some silly summer fun. See you Tuesday!

Bring Your Own Project! It could be anything: knitting, painting, scrapbooking, sketching...anything!
Take some time to work on one of your crafting projects.
Order a drink and make some new friends as we create.
We'll see you the second and fourth Thursday of the month!

Calling all Senior Citizens! We would love to serve you, especially this Monday and Friday for our Senior Citizen's Discount!

"Cain's Jawbone" is a murder mystery puzzle written by "Torquemada"-Edward Powys Mathers. The puzzle was first published in 1934 as part of The Torquemada Puzzle Book. In 2019, crowdfunding publisher Unbound published a new stand-alone edition of the puzzle in collaboration with the charity The Laurence Sterne Trust.

Cain's Jawbone has been described as "one of the hardest and most beguiling word puzzles ever published. This club started this summer and has continuted on! So each Friday evening, we're hosting "Friday Night Murder Club" at Espressions. You'll find our 'crime board' as a part of the Potter Common Rooms in the back! Join us for a cup of coffee and a bite to eat as we move the pages around in this great mystery looking for the solution. Come when you can or come each Friday! We'll see you there.

It is not nessary, but if you'd like to get a copy of "Cain's Jawbone", we have a link below.

We are going on a board game adventure! Come and play a new game or bring an old favorite! Bring your friends and family too!

This event allows us to provide a space for our community to gather, connect, and enjoy some fun over coffee.

We hope you'll join us!

Join us for our Bullet Journal Studio! Wether you've been doing a bullet/dot style journal for years or are curious and new to it, we invite you to come to studio! You will find people working on monthly spreads, thier book or project journals, scrapbooks and more. Its a fun time to be creative!

You are welcome to bring your own supplies to get ready for the month ahead. Or for $10 you can use the supplies we have on hand! New bullet journals cost between $12-$20. Let's get prepped amd creative together!

Supplies on hand to use under that $10 fee include:
•1,000's of washi stickers, planner stickers, etc
•Over a 100 rolls of washi tape
•Scissors & paper cutters
•Glue & Glue Tape
•Wide variety of scrap book paper
•Over 100 stencils for A5 & B5 journals
•Alcohol markers, brush tip markers, dot markers
•FIne liners
•White out tape, white out pens
•Stamps and ink
•Stones/jewels
•Gel pens
•...and more

Looking for Booklovers!

We would love to fill our shop with friends discussing the written word over coffee!

We are beginning the Harry Potter series! Along with this club, we will also be hosting a Saturday morning club to. Please note that you can go between the clubs as it suits your schedule. If you can only make it from time to time, THAT’S OK! If you’ve already read the books and seen the movies and love talking about them….and want to come to club, please do. Audiobook listeners welcome too. Whether you join us for every week of this journey or come and go, we get it. Life is busy, there are commitments and time gets away from you! With this guide you’ll have an idea of where we’ll be each week.

Come when you can and come as you are. This is a welcoming community looking forward to taking this book journey with you!

Join us for Scribbles with Ella at 10:30! Each week you get to learn a new doodle. Stop by to enjoy a free guided drawing lesson.