We're so excited to have kicked off our second year of hosting the Worldwide Reading Challenge. Will you join us in meeting our goal of reading 2,026 books in 2026? It's pretty simple!

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!

PS: If you are far away and you email your info (info@tlcaurora.org) and your Good Reads list to us, we are happy to enter your books for you! We just want celebrate reading as a community!

Management + Assessment + Planning = Success

Great teams don’t just happen—they’re built with intention.

MAPS: Youth Team Experience is a high-impact, hands-on conference designed to help youth teams strengthen communication, clarify goals, and create a plan for meaningful success. Whether you’re a student council, athletic team, club, or any youth organization ready to grow, this experience is for you.

During MAPS, your team will:
•Build stronger communication and trust
•Reflect on the past year and identify key lessons
•Set clear intentions and goals for the year ahead
•Develop practical planning tools, including calendars and action steps
•Take ownership of your team’s future—and the role each member plays in it

This experience is all about your team. With a limited capacity of just four teams per session, each group receives dedicated time with a skilled Facilitator, along with focused team work sessions to apply what you’re learning in real time.

Event Schedule
Day 1:
• Check-in begins at 9:00 a.m.
• Conference kicks off at 10:15 a.m.
Day 2:
• Conference concludes at 4:00 p.m.

Leadership Investment:
•Team Registration: $800 (includes up to 10 participants, advisor included)
•••Additional Participants: $75 per person

Lodging & Meals Options:
Student Options:
•Student Food/Dorm Lodging/Amenities: $121 per person
•Student Food/Shared Hotel Lodging/Amenities: $151 per person
•Advisor Hotel Room (Single Occupancy)/Amenities: $206 per person

We look forward to an awesome time building your successful year!

Important Notes:
•$250 of the registration fee is non-refundable
•No refunds will be issued within 10 days of your selected session
•For “Pay Later” registrations, a W-9 is available upon request. Payment should be made to The Leadership Center and mailed to:
2211 Q Street, Aurora, NE 68818
•Registration is confirmed once payment is received

Looking for a customized experience? We have Private MAPS trainings are also available. Contact Abby Miller at 402-694-3934 or abbymiller@tlcaurora.org.

✍️ Writers’ Coffee Hour at Espressions ☕

Love words? So do we. The first and third Thursday of the month, we host open writing!

Join fellow writers from the community for a relaxed, come-as-you-are writing session at Espressions: Coffee & Community. Whether you're working on a novel, a blog post, a school paper, or just journaling for fun — you're welcome here.

This is a casual time to write in good company. Bring your current project or start something new. No pressure, no readings, just a supportive space to write alongside others who get it.

📝 All writers welcome — any age, any genre, any experience level.

Come grab a coffee, find a cozy seat, and let’s get some words on the page together.
We can’t wait to see you there!

Calling all book lovers! Join us this June for a cozy, joy-filled Women's Book Reading Retreat at The Leadership Center (2211 Q Street, Aurora, NE) — a weekend designed for readers who love to slow down, sink into a good book, and connect with fellow bookish souls.

Throughout the retreat you'll enjoy:

📖 Cozy reading spaces perfect for getting lost in a great story
🛍️ A Book Fair featuring some of our favorite independent bookstores
🎨 Creative, book-inspired crafting sessions
🍽️ Delicious meals shared with lively conversation and new friends
☕ Quiet reading times to fully immerse yourself in your current read
🏊 Swimming and sauna access for relaxation
🌿 Time to read outdoors on our beautiful grounds
🛒 A little shopping for bookish treasures

Each attendee will also receive an amazing gift bag valued at over $125, filled with some of our favorite bookish items and special treats to make your weekend even more enjoyable.

We’ll offer multiple pricing options, including rates for those who would like to share a room or enjoy a private room. A commuter rate will also be available for those who prefer to travel back and forth. That said, we hope you'll choose to stay with us, make wonderful new friends, and fully enjoy a relaxing weekend immersed in reading.

Meet Your Hosts: Maile Ilac Boeder, Devin Johansen, and Lisa Montoya — lifelong readers who love taking trips together that include good coffee, great food, and all kinds of bookstores. We’re excited to bring that same bookish joy to this special weekend retreat.

✨ Space is limited, so be sure to register early to reserve your spot before the retreat fills up!

Come unwind, read, craft, laugh, and recharge in a lovely book-filled haven. We can't wait to read with you!

"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!