Las Vegas Academy students who earned scholarships to attend the recent Broadway Boot Camp include Rebecca Stewart, from left, Giovanni Bonaventura, Lisa Smith and Joey Benedetto.

Las Vegas Valley students started the new year by participating in competitions and planning upcoming events. Here are some highlights:

• Ryan Berti, a senior at Green Valley High School, has been chosen as a Horatio Alger National Scholar and will receive a $10,000 college scholarship. In addition to the scholarship, Ryan will attend the 2006 Horatio Alger National Scholars Conference in Washington, D.C., in April. The conference will include briefings by government leaders, a visit to the U.S. Supreme Court and meetings with members of the Horatio Alger Association. Only 107 high school seniors from across the country were chosen for this scholarship.

• The Palo Verde High School forensics team competed in the Arizona State University Southwestern Championship Jan. 12-15. In domestic extemporaneous speaking, senior Kelsey Krieling was a semifinalist, and senior Erik Guiremand was a quarterfinalist. Junior Rachael Gigar was a quarterfinalist in poetry interpretation and junior Jeff Kurr a 20th speaker in open L-D debate.

• Jonathan Daus, a junior at Bishop Gorman High School, won first place in the local American Legion speech competition at the Henderson Masonic Lodge Jan. 14. His speech topic, "A Constitution for the People, Forever," discussed how the U.S. Constitution will protect the future of the United States. He won $100 and advances to the state tournament on Saturday, where the winner receives $500 and advances to the nationals.

• Four juniors from the Las Vegas Academy of International Studies, Performing and Visual Arts attended Broadway Boot Camp Jan. 28 and 29 at the Backstage Dance Studio. Giovanni Bonaventura, Rebecca Stewart, Lisa Smith and Joey Benedetto were granted $595 scholarships to the camp after auditioning for the Broadway Company earlier this month.

The boot camp, presented by the nonprofit organization Broadway Dreams Foundation, included sessions on audition skills, head shots, resumes, vocal coaching and introductions to casting directors and agents. Instructors at the camp included Broadway veterans Adam Hunter, David Barrus and Alice Ripley.

In local youth events:

• The Palo Verde theater department will present the musical "Footloose" at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 15-17 in the school's theater, 333 S. Pavilion Center Drive. Tickets are $8-$15, and are available by calling 799-1450, ext. 4051.

• On Feb. 16, Palo Verde hosts its annual eighth-grade assembly for students from Johnson Junior High School and Rogich Middle School. The assembly is designed to give incoming freshmen a chance to learn about the school's organizations, and to get them involved in school activities. The assembly will feature speeches by club representatives and performances by the choir, band and color guard.

If you know of a worthy candidate for this column, mail information to Youth Spotlight, Las Vegas Review-Journal, P.O. Box 70, Las Vegas, NV 89125-0070, or send faxes to 383-4676.