Education Notebook, Jan. 29-Feb. 4, 2015

FREE SPORTS PHYSICALS OFFERED

The LV Sportz Foundation plans to offer free sports physicals and heart screenings for youths 10 to 18 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Jan. 31 at the First Person Care Clinic, 1200 S. Fourth St. Comprehensive pre-participation physical evaluations and youth athlete heart screenings utilizing EKGs and Echocardiograms will be offered through the support of the Glen Lerner Gives Back program, First Person Care Clinics, the American Institute of Medical Sonography, HealthCare Partners Cardiology and Phase 1 Sports.

Space is limited. To pre-register, visit lvsportz.com/screening.

A $25 CPR/AED certification class for youth sports coaches and team parents is planned from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. To register, visit lvsportz.com/schedule.

STORY PIRATES TO VISIT THE SMITH CENTER JAN. 27-29

The Story Pirates, a nationally recognized education and media organization that celebrates the words and ideas of young people, was scheduled to host sessions in Reynolds Hall at The Smith Center for the Performing Arts, 361 Symphony Park Ave., Jan. 27-29.

The group is comprised of actors and comedians, and the live show is a sketch comedy musical based on stories written by elementary school kids. In November, teaching artists from Story Pirates visited The Smith Center to lead creative story writing workshops for Clark County School District teachers. The workshops focused on vocabulary development, story structure, revision and confident self-expression to empower students to create and write their own stories. Participating teachers took the Story Pirates strategies back to their classrooms to engage students in grades three through five in writing imaginative and creative stories.

During student matinee performances Jan. 27-29, the company was set to perform a selection of original stories written by local students in addition to other featured stories from students across the country.

NEW NONPROFIT TO TRANSFORM STUDENTS’ LIVES THROUGH ARTS, EDUCATION

Beverly Rogers has announced the launch of The Rogers Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to transforming lives through arts and education. The foundation will support the artistic and academic achievements of Southern Nevada students through scholarships, grants and other programs.

The foundation was established through a gift from the estate of Beverly’s late husband, James E. Rogers. The official launch and reveal of the inaugural gift were set for Jan. 21 at Martinez Elementary School, 350 E. Judson Ave.

PUBLIC EDUCATION FOUNDATION KICKS OFF FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN

The Public Education Foundation recently kicked off its 2015 fundraising campaign, Learning Matters, in support of educational strategies to foster innovation, promote excellence and produce results.

For more information, visit thepef.org or call 702-799-1042.

YOOBI DONATES CLASSROOM SUPPLIES

Yoobi, a school supply brand, in partnership with The Public Education Foundation’s Teacher Exchange and the Kids In Need Foundation, donated classroom supplies to more than 66,000 kindergarten through third-graders in the Clark County School District. Yoobi Classroom Packs were set to be delivered to all school district kindergarten through third-grade classrooms with a 70 percent or higher participation rate in the national free and reduced lunch program.

SUMMER BUSINESS INSTITUTE TAKING APPLICATIONS

The Summer Business Institute is accepting online applications from high school sophomores, juniors and seniors Feb. 2-27. The program is a collaborative effort between the Clark County Human Resources Department, the Clark County School District, UNLV and the local business community. The focus of the program is to give youths opportunities to experience a corporate environment. Internships are eight weeks and include business mentoring, life skills training, financial management and a civic engagement project.

A high school transcript, high school statement and two letters of recommendation are required to apply. Qualifying students are scheduled to be interviewed over spring break in March.

To apply, visit tinyurl.com/7ukno22.

MAGNET SCHOOLS APPLICATION DEADLINE EXTENDED

The Magnet Schools & Career and Technical Academies Department has extended its application deadline until 3 p.m. Feb. 3.

For more information or to apply online, visit magnet.ccsd.net.

BLACK HISTORY ESSAY CONTEST PLANNED

The 36th annual Black History Month Essay Contest is planned through Feb. 6 for fourth-grade through high school students. In honor of Black History Month, youths are encouraged to submit an original essay, and the top three winners from each division will recite their essays at a banquet planned for Feb. 18 at the East Las Vegas Community Center, 250 N. Eastern Ave.

Essays due no later than 5 p.m. Feb. 6 at the community center. The elementary school division topic is Historical African-American Inventors in the 1800s (minimum 150 words, hand-printed or typed); the middle school division topic is Historical African-American Politicians (minimum 250 words, typed); and the high school division topic is Compare The Civil Rights Issues That People Face Today To Civil Rights Issues The 1900-1970s (minimum 400 words, typed).

For more information, call 702-229-1515.

CSN TO OPEN RENOVATED HEALTH SCIENCES CENTER

The College of Southern Nevada plans to reopen its renovated Claude I. Howard Health Science Center during a dedication ceremony set for 4 p.m. Feb. 11. The building is the oldest on the school’s Charleston campus, 6375 W. Charleston Blvd., and was renovated to include three new classrooms and six labs. Nearly 5,000 square feet of new space is set to house ophthalmic dispensing, radiation therapy and physical therapy. The project cost $10 million and included modern, new equipment for physical therapy, radiation therapy and ophthalmic assistant programs, along with smaller renovations to the veterinary tech area in an adjacent building.

College officials and members of the health care industry are set to attend the celebration.

For more information, visit csn.edu.

VEGAS PBS ANNOUNCES LEARNINGMEDIA DIGITAL INNOVATORS PROGRAM

Vegas PBS announced the third annual PBS LearningMedia Digital Innovators Program for tech-savvy kindergarten through 12th-grade educators. PBS LearningMedia is a free media on-demand service of Vegas PBS that offers more than 87,000 digital resources for educators. The program recognizes the nation’s top 100 applicants who are incorporating digital media in classrooms and serving as leaders in educational technology.

Through Feb. 11, educators can apply to the program by submitting a 60- to 120-second video showcasing how they are creatively using digital technology and tools in the classroom to spur student achievement and by completing a profile and two essay questions. To apply online, visit pbslearningmedia.org/digitalinnovators.

The selected teachers will be rewarded with yearlong career-enhancement opportunities, including virtual trainings with a focus on creative instructional strategies and digital best practices, access to premium and exclusive resources from PBS LearningMedia Custom and a free PBS TeacherLine professional development course, invitations to special events, membership in a professional learning community and networking with other innovative educators and thought leaders. They also will receive ongoing support from their local PBS member stations.

The top 30 applicants will be designated as Lead PBS LearningMedia Digital Innovators and will also receive a three-day, all-expenses-paid trip to Philadelphia to participate in the 2015 PBS LearningMedia Digital Summit and the International Society for Technology in Education conference, along with a Samsung Galaxy tablet.

The winners are to be announced in March. For more information, visit pbslearningmedia.org.

HENDERSON LIBRARIES SPONSORS TEEN WRITING CONTEST

Henderson Libraries is accepting entries for its sixth annual Teen Writing Contest through Feb. 28. Students in grades six through 12 are invited to compete. One work per student will be accepted (no school assignments). The entry can be in one of the following categories: poetry; one-act play; short story; or essay (up to 2,000 words). All work must be original and unpublished.

Winners will be chosen by a panel of Henderson District Public Libraries librarians and collected and published as a digital literary magazine, which will become part of the library district’s Digital Collections. Winners will be notified by the end of March if their work has been selected for publication.

A reception and unveiling of the magazine is planned for April.

For more information or to enter, visit tinyurl.com/oxqy4js.

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: Feb. 28, March 21, April 18, May 16, June 20, July 19 (in Reno) and Aug. 15. Participants will receive a stipend to help with childcare and transportation costs.

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

MINI-INTERNSHIPS AVAILABLE FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN MARCH

The Clark County Medical Society is offering a spring break mini-internship program March 9-26 for high school students.

For more information, visit 702-739-9989.

COASTER OFFERS DEAL FOR STRAIGHT-A STUDENTS

The Big Apple Coaster at New York-New York, 3790 Las Vegas Blvd. South, plans to offer two-for-one ride passes to Clark County School District students who bring in their most recent report cards showing straight A’s. The offer is valid for one-time use through August. Guests must be at least 54 inches tall to ride.

For more information, visit nynyhotelcasino.com.

SPLASHDOWN FOR KIDS TO RAISE FUNDS FOR NONPROFIT GROUPS

Communities In Schools of Nevada and After-School All-Stars Las Vegas announce that tickets for the second annual Splashdown For Kids are on sale. The event is planned for April 25 and 26 at Wet‘n’Wild water park and offers a preview to summer with proceeds benefiting both local nonprofits.

Tickets are $25 and include entry to Wet‘n’Wild. For tickets, visit shop.omniticket.com/WWL/index.cfm and use the promo code “CISASASDAY.” Select general admission tickets, enter the code, and ticket options will become available.

For more information about Communities In Schools, visit cisnevada.org.

For more information about After-School All-Stars, visit asaslv.org.