Books and Buddies is a reading mentor program sponsored by Spread the Word Nevada, a children's literacy non-profit group, that matches elementary school students from a list of 26 adopted schools with adult mentors from the community. The organization has been serving low-income children and families from the adopted schools within the Clark County School District since it was founded in 2001.

Volunteers interested in helping kindergarten through fifth-grade students improve their reading proficiency, comprehension, and verbal recitation skills are encouraged to make a minimum 12-week commitment for one hour a week. Training will be provided and fingerprinting for background checks will be required.

Volunteer Contact

Libbi Erickson

Office: (702) 564-7809

Libbi@spreadthewordnevada.org

Students from around southern Nevada gathered Friday for a lesson in citizenship and the importance of voting.

The annual KidsVention was held at the Henderson Pavilion. More than 2,000 kids from 25 elementary and middle schools were at the event. Local leaders and high schools students debated issues like doing away with the penny and allowing advertisements on school buses. The students then voted on the issues.

"They are learning about the importance of voting right now. That's probably the primary reason this is supported by Kids Voting USA,” Jackie Ayala, Glen Taylor Elementary said.

The idea behind Kidsvention and Kids Voting is to get children interested in the political process. Once they are interested, they often push their parents to vote and become voters when they are old enough.

The Green Valley High School band left Wednesday for a trip to China.

The band will be playing at the International Tourism Expo in Shanghai. Students held several fundraisers to pay for the airfare but the organizers paid for the rest of the expenses.

"Our school really believes in the arts and makes it a priority. Obviously, parents of these students did a great job supporting us,” said Green Valley High School band director Diane Koutsulas.

Koutsulas says supportive parents and school administrators are helpful to make a successful band but she also has hard-working kids.

Ninety students and 10 adults will be making the trip. The band made a national appearance last year when they played in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.