Education Notebook, April 16-22, 2015

NEVADA NATURALIST SERIES TO PRESENT ‘HIDDEN JEWELS OF THE DESERT’

The University of Nevada Cooperative Extension’s Nevada Naturalist program plans to present Desert National Wildlife Refuge Complex: Hidden Jewels of the Desert from 7 to 8 p.m. April 23 at the Lifelong Learning Center, 8050 Paradise Road, as part of the free 2015 lecture series.

Dr. Laurie Simons, Desert Complex biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, plans to introduce the four national wildlife refuges in Southern Nevada that make up the Desert National Wildlife Refuge Complex. She will explain what makes each refuge unique.

For more information, contact Denise Parsons at 702-948-5906 or parsonsd@unce.unr.edu.

CITY OF LAS VEGAS HONORED FOR EARLY READING WORK

The city of Las Vegas recently was one of 30 communities across the U.S. to receive a 2014 Pacesetter Award from the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading. The city was cited for making “measurable progress” on student readiness outcomes after launching several literacy campaigns, including the AppleCore reading incentive program, which is in 69 Safekey sites.

The city also launched an attendance campaign with the Clark County School District and is looking to expand the campaign to reduce chronic absenteeism in 16 schools representing the Downtown Achieves and My Brother’s Keeper collective impact model. The city also completed the 2014 GLR Community Self-Assessment and Community Solutions Action Plan related to grade level literacy and attendance.

For more information on GLR, visit gradelevelreading.net.

SCIENCE & TECH FESTIVAL RETURNING FOR FIFTH YEAR

The Las Vegas Science & Technology Festival is set to return for its fifth year, with free events planned April 24-May 2.

More than 40 events are planned across Southern Nevada, including: April 24, College of Southern Nevada’s Science and Technology Expo at the Cheyenne campus, 3200 E. Cheyenne Ave., 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; April 25, Enter the Cosmos, a film event at the Telecom Auditorium at CSN’s Cheyenne campus, 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.; April 25, Lake Mead’s Junior Ranger Day at Boulder Beach Picnic Area in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; April 26, Science is Everywhere Day, featuring dozens of free behind-the-scenes programs and VIP tours at locations throughout the valley; April 27 through May 1, Science in the Community, weeknight programs exploring hot science and technology topics, from drones to astronomy to magic; and May 2, Giant Science & Technology Expo at Cashman Center, 850 Las Vegas Blvd. North, with interactive activities, demonstrations and entertainment from more than 80 organizations, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The festival is presented by the Las Vegas Natural History Museum, with help from more than 80 other organizations, including the Clark County School District, CSN, Desert Research Institute, the National Park Service and the Red Rock Canyon Interpretive Association.

For more information, visit lvscifest.com.

ARBOR VIEW HIGH SCHOOL EVENT TO HONOR PAT HAYDEN

The Aggies baseball program at Arbor View High School, 7500 Whispering Sands Drive, plans to sell commemorative T-shirts to honor Pat Hayden, the school’s first principal, who died in 2013. Proceeds from the sales will be donated to the Pat Hayden Memorial Scholarship Fund and Project 150, a local nonprofit benefiting homeless students in the Las Vegas Valley.

The team plans to host its second annual Pat Hayden Day on April 25, with festivities planned at the school’s baseball field — named in Hayden’s honor — just before the varsity game at 12:30 p.m. The team plans to present the Hayden family with a check for all donations received from the T-shirt sales and a GoFundMe campaign, and the family will throw out the first pitch.

The public is invited to attend. For more information, call Susie Quintana at 702-419-4728.

UNLV LAW STUDENTS TO TEACH FREE INCOME TAX CLASS

UNLV law students are set to teach free income tax education classes during a Low Income Taxpayer Clinic scheduled from 2 to 4 p.m. April 16 at the West Charleston Library, 6301 W. Charleston Blvd. Under the supervision of a Boyd School of Law professor and a Nevada Legal Services attorney, UNLV law students will discuss filing status, earned income tax credit, child tax credit, premium tax credit and penalties for not having health coverage under the Affordable Care Act. An open question-and-answer session will follow.

For more information, visit tinyurl.com/nqkejqm.

CSN TO HOST SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY EXPO APRIL 24

The College of Southern Nevada plans to host the 12th annual CSN Science and Technology Expo from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 24 at the Cheyenne campus, 3200 E. Cheyenne Ave.

Kindergarten through 12th-grade students are set to take part in the free expo, which promotes science, technology, engineering and mathematics programs to help prepare students for related careers.

The public is welcome to attend. For more information, visit csn.edu.

SPLASHDOWN FOR KIDS TO RAISE FUNDS FOR NONPROFIT GROUPS

Communities In Schools of Nevada and After-School All-Stars Las Vegas plan to host the second annual Splashdown For Kids event from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 25 and 26 at Wet‘n’Wild, 7055 S. Fort Apache Road.

Proceeds will benefit both local nonprofits. Presale tickets are $25, and tickets at the door will be $35. Children 2 or younger will be admitted free. For one-day tickets, visit shop.omniticket.com/WWL/index.cfm and use the promo code “CISASASDAY.”

For event sponsorship information, contact Brittany McCoy at brittanym@cisnevada.org or Ranna Daud at ranna@asaslv.org.

LVA TO HOST COLLEGE FAIR APRIL 27

The Western Association for College Admission Counseling plans to bring a Las Vegas College Fair to Las Vegas Academy, 315 S. Seventh St., from 7 to 9 p.m. April 27. Pre-fair workshops are planned from 5:15 to 6:40 p.m. All Clark County high school students and their parents are encouraged to attend to meet with representatives from more than 150 colleges and universities. The fair is open to public and private school students. Admission is free.

For more information or to preregister, visit wacaccollegefair.com or email Joel S. Diamond, college counselor, at jsdiamond@interact.ccsd.net. For more information about WACAC, visit wacac.org.

POLICY RESEARCH INSTITUTE TO OFFER $2,500 SCHOLARSHIP

The Nevada Policy Research Institute plans to offer a $2,500 scholarship to a graduating Clark County high school student who shows the potential to make a significant contribution to the cause of economic liberty.

This is the fifth year that the Professor R.S. Nigam & NPRI Freedom Scholarship is being offered. It is open to all Clark County high school students (public, private, online or home school) who plan to attend college beginning in the fall. Students are asked to write a two-page essay on the topic “Improving education: raise taxes or allow school choice?”

All applicants must have a GPA of at least 3.2 and complete an application, which includes the essay question. To be eligible, a student’s parents must have earned less than $125,000 in income in 2013, and the student must plan to attend a four-year degree program in business, economics, political science, public administration or a related field, at an accredited college or university.

Essays and applications are due by May 1. For the application, visit tinyurl.com/nureqff. For more information, call 702-222-0642 or visit npri.org.

STUDENTS WITH A CAUSE CONTEST TO AWARD SCHOLARSHIPS

The sixth annual Students With A Cause contest invites Clark County high school students to submit a community-focused video on the theme of “What If…” In the video challenge, students will answer the hypothetical question as it relates to improving their lives, those in their family or community, or making a better society. Students can apply by submitting a 30-second video. The winning video will be aired on TV in June and posted on the Internet.

First prize is a $1,500 scholarship and $500 donation to the student’s high school, and second prize is a $1,000 scholarship.

The contest is sponsored by the Richard Harris Law Firm. For more information, including contest rules, visit studentswithacause.org. Submissions are due May 3, and the winners are set to be selected May 22.

LEADERSHIP TRAINING SET FOR PEOPLE WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES

Partners in Policymaking plans to offer leadership training for people with developmental disabilities, parents and family members. The training is designed to teach the power of advocacy and change the way people with disabilities are supported, viewed, taught, live and work. The program will provide information about issues and policies related to disability and develop participant competencies to become more effective in influencing policy development at all levels.

Parents of children with developmental disabilities and adults with developmental disabilities are encouraged to apply. Classes are planned from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. once a month through August at the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension’s Lifelong Learning Center, 8050 Paradise Road. Participants are expected to commit to all classes or complete make-up assignments. Remaining dates are: April 18, May 16, June 20, July 19 (in Reno) and Aug. 15. Participants will receive a stipend to help with child care and transportation costs.

For more information or to apply, visit nced.info/pip.