July 26, 2024

CARSON CITY, Nev. – The Nevada Department of Education’s Office for a Safe and Respectful Learning Environment is partnering with the City of Las Vegas to host two free regional conferences.

The Building Futures: Safer Schools, Healthier Students, and Stronger Communities conferences are July 29-31 at Northwest Career and Technical Academy in Las Vegas, and Aug. 5-7 at the Peppermill Resort Spa Casino in Reno.

The two-and-a-half-day conferences will focus on creating safer learning environments.

Participants will have access to informative 60-minute sessions, topic-specific workshops, and networking opportunities.

“We are thankful for the partnership with the City of Las Vegas that allows us to offer these two regional conferences that cover crucial topics,” said Jhone Ebert, Superintendent of Public Instruction. “We must ensure that students across Nevada are equipped with the supports they need in order to succeed.”

Registration is currently open for the Reno conference. Teachers, administrators, school-based mental health professionals, paraprofessionals, bus drivers, police officers, and school safety officers are encouraged to attend.

“I want to thank the Nevada Department of Education for bringing stakeholders together to improve our schools,” Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn G. Goodman said. “Safety is the city’s top priority, and we must ensure that students are part of the solution and learning individual responsibility.”

The Nevada Department of Education is also holding educator and employee recognition events on July 29 in Las Vegas and Aug. 5 in Reno that will coincide with the regional conferences.

Educators who received awards facilitated by the Nevada Department of Education during the 2023-24 school year will be recognized.

Those awards include the Early Childhood Educator of the Year, History Teacher of the Year, Recognizing Inspiring School Employees Award, Nevada State Teacher of the Year, Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, Milken Educator Awards, and career and technical education awards.

Nevada Department of Education employees will also be honored for reaching years of service milestones.

**About the Building Futures conferences **

Conference sessions will cover topics such as cultivating a culture of community collaboration, multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS), opioid prevention strategies, promoting wellness and prevention in schools, restorative justice/practices, school safety measures, social/emotional learning, student transportation, and compliance with Nevada Revised Statutes.

Speakers include Superintendent Ebert and the Nevada Department of Education’s Office for a Safe and Respectful Learning Environment team, including Director Dr. Kevin M. Higley.

Other speakers include representatives from the City of Las Vegas’ Department of Youth Development and Social Initiatives, including Director Dr. Tammy Malich; and the MTSS team from the University of Nevada, Reno.

Dr. Desirae King, a motivational speaker, will be the conference’s emcee.

The lineup of speakers also includes two Nevada Department of Education consultants.

Dr. Steve Goodman is a partner at the Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, and co-investigator for the Integrated Multi-Tiered Systems of Support Research Network.

Michelle Trujillo is the cofounder and CEO of the Center for Learning and Well-Being, and a contractor for the Nevada Department of Education.

Those interested in attending can register online.

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About the Nevada Department of Education

The Nevada Department of Education (NDE) leads and collaborates with Nevada’s 17 school districts and the State Public Charter School Authority to advance educational equity Statewide. With offices in Carson City and Las Vegas, NDE oversees all pre-K-12 education in the State, working to achieve its mission to improve student achievement and educator effectiveness by ensuring opportunities, facilitating learning, and promoting excellence. Under the leadership of the State Board of Education and the Superintendent of Public Instruction, NDE impacts the achievement of nearly half a million children and 30,000 educators. Learn more at https://doe.nv.gov/ and join us on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook and Instagram.