EDUCATION NOTEBOOK

Photos By Larry Cruikshank/ViewShadow Ridge High School, 5050 Brent Lane, held its homecoming on Oct. 17. Left, king Johnny Andow, left, and queen Kristina Corey catch a ride during the ceremonies. Right, Andow?s mother, Pamela Arnold, hugs her son. Photos By Larry Cruikshank/ViewShadow Ridge High School, 5050 Brent Lane, held its homecoming on Oct. 17. Left, king Johnny Andow, left, and queen Kristina Corey catch a ride during the ceremonies. Right, Andow?s mother, Pamela Arnold, hugs her son. Advertisement

UNLV PROFESSORS RECEIVE EDUCATION GRANT

Three College of Education professors at UNLV were awarded grant funding from the U.S. Department of Education to improve the quality of special education programs and increase the number of special education teachers.

Special education professors Tom Pierce and Kyle Higgins received a four-year grant worth nearly $800,000 to start an accredited training program for new special education teachers. Two-thirds of the funding will be used for tuition assistance. The program will be open to people with a bachelor's degree who want to become full-time special education instructors specifically trained to help people with autism or intellectual disabilities. The grant is expected to result in 60 new teachers.

Kristin Sayeski, also a special education professor, received a five-year, $500,000 grant to enhance the special education emphasis of the Master of Education program.

CSN HOSTS EL DORADO AWARDS

The College of Southern Nevada hosted the El Dorado Awards earlier this month to recognize the accomplishments of those who have made a difference in the Latino community. Merlinda Gallegos, vice president of corporate philanthropy of MGM-Mirage; Aracelica Paredes, chief executive officer of Super Mercado Del Pueblo; and Cipriano Chavez, dean of CSN student affairs, received awards.

SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITY OFFERED FOR YOUNG WOMEN

The Miss Greater Las Vegas and Miss Clark County Dual Scholarship Program will host its second annual pageant at 2 p.m. on Feb. 1 at the Clark County Library theater, 1401 E. Flamingo Road.

Contestants will compete for scholarship assistance to support college or graduate school education. Other scholarships will be granted to runner-ups and special award winners. For more information about competing, volunteering or sponsoring the Miss Greater Las Vegas and Miss Clark County Dual Scholarship Program, visit missgreaterlasvegas.com.

PRIVATE SCHOOLS PARTNER, FAMILIES HAVE MORE OPTIONS

The Alexander Dawson School at Rainbow Mountain, 10845 W. Desert Inn Road, partnered with The Solomon Schechter Day School of Las Vegas, 10700 Havenwood Lane, to add Hebrew to its middle school language program beginning with the 2009-10 school year.

This partnership also will allow Solomon Schechter graduates to enter Dawson beginning in sixth grade. These students will receive their secular education at Dawson, while continuing to take Hebrew and Jewish studies at Schechter.

CSN'S DESERT GARDEN CENTER CLOSING TO PUBLIC

The College of Southern Nevada's Desert Garden Center, 6375 W. Charleston Blvd., will close its doors to the public on Thursday.

A clearance sale will take place at the center from now until Thursday. Hours of operation are from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The Desert Garden Center will continue to host educational events in the spring and fall to teach Southern Nevadans about desert-adapted plants and ornamental horticulture.

VEGAS PBS PROVIDES CAPTIONED EDUCATIONAL MEDIA

Vegas PBS Educational Media Services provides described and captioned educational media for teachers, parents and caregivers of students who are blind, visually impaired, deaf or hard of hearing. For more information, call 799-1010.

NEW WEB SITE AVAILABLE FOR COLLEGE INFORMATION

The U.S. Department of Education launched a Web site, www.college.gov, to provide information about college and other postsecondary programs.