Education notebook

TECHNOLOGY GRANTS AVAILABLE TO LOCAL TEACHERS

National Security Technologies is offering $50,000 in grants to schoolteachers for innovations in science, technology, engineering and math. These STEM Innovative Instruction grants are available to teachers in all grade levels.

There are no specific restrictions except the money must be used in support of STEM programs and be requested by a teacher. Requests will be accepted through Nov. 30 and can be submitted to nstecsupportseducation@nv.doe.gov. Awards will be announced Dec. 15.

For more information, contact Jennifer Mankins at 295-5247 or Shari Morrison at 295-2843.

UNLV HOMECOMING CELEBRATION SET

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas, is set to host its annual homecoming celebration beginning with a parade at 7 p.m. Friday at Town Square Las Vegas, 6543 Las Vegas Blvd. South. A storefront window-decorating contest and a Rebel Rally also are planned for the celebration. Call 269-5000 or visit mytownsquarelasvegas.com.

NPR's LINDA WERTHEIMER TO LECTURE SUNDAY ON PARTISAN POLITICS

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Boyd School of Law's Saltman Center for Conflict Resolution plans to host a free lecture featuring National Public Radio senior correspondent Linda Wertheimer from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Sunday at the Artemus W. Ham Concert Hall, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway.

Wertheimer will discuss the role of partisanship in politics during the last 40 years. For more information call 895-2428 or visit http://tinyurl.com/3st4kp2.

HERRON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LIBRARY GETS MAKEOVER

The library at Herron Elementary School, 2421 Kenneth Road in North Las Vegas, was remodeled and received 2,000 new books as part of the Target School Library Makeover program. Each student and siblings also received new books to add to their home collections.

Herron is one of 42 elementary schools nationwide to receive a makeover this year from the program.

CAHLAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LIBRARY RECEIVES 850 NEW BOOKS

Cahlan Elementary School, 2801 Fort Sumter Drive in North Las Vegas, received more than 850 new nonfiction books through the Public Education Foundation's Clark County READS Library Enhancement program.

JPMorgan Chase donated $10,000, and the Weyerhaeuser Company Foundation donated $5,000 to the project. Cahlan's average copyright date of nonfiction was 1994 before the donation.

Since the Clark County READS program's inception in 2001, about $1.4 million worth of new nonficition books have been placed in 101 school libraries. For more information, visit thepef.org.

TREE-DECORATING CONTEST COMING TO VALLEY AUTOMALL

Valley Automall, 300 Auto Mall Drive in Henderson, is accepting entries for its 14th annual tree-decorating contest. Entries are due Nov. 11 and will be accepted in the order they are received. The event is scheduled for Dec. 1, and one team per school will be selected at random if there is more than one entry.

Teams of students will be given money to purchase decorations of their choice and asked to decorate trees at participating dealerships. Winning trees, as voted on by judges, will receive $3,000 for first place, $2,000 for second and $1,000 for third.

For more information, call 568-1487 or email manager@valleyautomall.com.

PHOTO CONTEST OPEN TO ALL MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS

The Clark County School District is accepting submissions through Nov. 11 for the Middle School Electronic Photo Contest.

Entries must be original photos taken by a middle school student in JPEG format no smaller than 200 DPI. The student's name, photo title, school, grade and a teacher's name should be emailed to mnelson2@interact.ccsd.net.

Categories include Show Off Your School, It's a Small World, Favorite Places, Pets and Computer Madness. There is a limit of one entry per category per student, and each entry requires a separate email.

Prizes include a framed photo, a gift card and acknowledgement at a December Clark County School Board of Trustees meeting.

For more information, visit ccsd.net.

ESSAY CONTEST, $1,000 UP FOR GRABS FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

The Bill of Rights Institute in Washington, D.C., is hosting a nationwide essay contest for all high school students, with cash prizes of up to $1,000.

The Being an American Essay Contest explores the founding principles outlined in the Constitution, specifically, "How does the Constitution establish and maintain a culture of liberty?"

Three students from each of five geographic regions will win first-, second- and third-place prizes. Essays should be 1,000 or fewer words.

For more information, visit billof rightsinstitute.org/contest. Deadline for submissions is Dec. 15.

COMPUTER CLASSES FOR SENIORS SET TO BEGIN IN NOVEMBER

The Las Vegas SeniorNet Learning Center, 6615 S. Eastern Ave., Suite 104, plans to offer two-hour computer courses once a week for six weeks beginning Monday.

Classes are peer-taught by computer-fluent senior volunteers in subjects such as Computer Fundamentals, Email Basics, Microsoft Windows Basics, Internet, and Scanning and Digital Imaging.

SeniorNet, a nonprofit group started in 1986, is available for adults 50 or older. Membership is $40 for the first year and $30 thereafter. Some classes may require an additional $15 fee.

For more information or to sign up for classes, call Mary Myers at 279-4939.