This program brought you in part by the Erika Lewis Endowment Fund.

-Coming up on Student Spotlight, training to become teachers.

How high schoolers are getting hands-on experience.

Plus... Providing dental care to underserved students, why a brighter smile leads to better health.

Then go inside Gilbert Academy of Creative Arts.

Talk about talent!

And meet Mrs. Givens, a school namesake famous for her "Story and Snack."

Those stories and so much more.

Student Spotlight starts right now.

[swiping sound] Welcome to Student Spotlight.

I'm your host, Maria Silva.

Check this out.

I'm learning how to make a delicious hot chai latte here at The Whitney at Southeast Career and Technical Academy, or SECTA.

It's appropriate that we are here in February to celebrate Career in Technical Education Month.

I am so proud to say that I attended this high school way back when it was known as Vo-Tech, the first public vocational school in Southern Nevada.

Go Roadrunners!

Well, preparing students for careers remains top priority, and SECTA's Culinary program is absolutely amazing.

The Whitney is the only student-run, full-service restaurant open to the public, and I got the chance to experience the magic that happens in that state-of-the-art kitchen.

Check it out.

♪♪♪ (Chef Giacona) I'm so impressed, second semester with everyone, that just like the teamwork is natural, the problem solving, and you guys have all been on stations before.

So if you can't, you guys are figuring stuff out.

And it's so good.

-Students Alexis, Joey, Sofia, and their fellow SECTA Culinary students have definitely figured out how to run a successful restaurant.

(Sofia) My position today is a sous chef.

Can I get a large Caesar with chicken?

(a student) Yes, ma'am.

(Joey) Today I'm a front server for the restaurant, which means I'll be bringing out food and, like, serving and making sure everyone's orders are correct and making sure all the customers are happy.

(Alexis) If I'm serving, if I'm the cashier, if I'm a line cook, you're just always surrounded with this great community and just everyone that has the passion.

-Feeling that passion and training these future chefs and restaurant owners... -I started teaching at 23.

I was teaching seniors who were 18, had no idea what I was doing, and then it got better every year.

And then 22 years later, I'm still running this program, which is crazy.

-...Chef Emily Giacona and Chef John Schlothauer.

(Chef Schlothauer) One more piece.

Give that like a little swirl.

-Both of them are very passionate about what they do, which is what makes this program also so much better.

-Chef G and Chef John not only serve as culinary instructors and mentors, they also hold another impressive title.

Your favorite celebrity chefs?

-Chef G and Chef John, duh!

-My juniors right now, I work with Chef Emily and her senior class, and we run the restaurant together.

They do all the cooking techniques, from pastry baking, entree plating, soup preparation, production, and then they work the line.

-The Whitney, with its breathtaking views of the city, excellent customer service, and, of course, the delicious food can rival any restaurant in town.

And what these talented students are learning in SECTA's Culinary program... preparing them for jobs on the Las Vegas Strip.

-The MGM and the Mandalay Bay and the Luxor came to our school, invited all the other career and tech high schools, and they wanted to hire our students.

We were invited on a field trip last week because they wanted these seniors to go see the kitchens.

They want to do the tryout again; they want to grab more kids from this graduating class.

It's humbling to see the executive chef of these big hotels in our school.

-They have a whole chocolate room, which I was really interested, so I might go into that field, go into pastry chef for Mandalay Bay, and that'd be fun.

-Bright features ahead... -I want to, hopefully, like, build my way up to opening up my own restaurants within the casinos.

-...and already paying it forward.

-Start bagging this.

Because it's big, it's probably two bags.

-Alexis is hoping to be a source of inspiration for aspiring culinary students.

-Not only being a deaf individual as myself wearing hearing aids and being in this program, paving ways so that people like me can be involved in this program and showing that anyone can do it, whether you have a disability, whether you're scared, whether you just-- you just gotta take the leap and do things you're afraid to do.

So it's just, I wouldn't ask for a better place to be here and be a student here.

-I am so incredibly proud of all of these talented students.

And check out another way these students are giving back and sharing their skills: These adorable students from The Preschool at Southeast Tech get to hang out here in the kitchen and learn how to make cookies.

So cute.

And those cookies just look so yummy.

And speaking of baking, we're being told that a must-have when you visit here at The Whitney are rolls made from scratch.

But everything's absolutely delicious.

Look, I have the menu right here.

It changes every two weeks or so, and this week they have everything from Lemon Herb Mediterranean Chicken Salad to Rainbow Veggie Wraps.

Now, their prices range anywhere from $1 for coffee and soft drinks to $3 for appetizers and about $6 to $8 for entrees.

You definitely cannot beat those prices.

And again, The Whitney, by the way, is open Tuesday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to noon.

You must make a reservation.

You can also order your food to go.

For more information, head to secta.us, and click the Student tab, then click "The Whitney."

There you can fill out your reservation and order online.

Well, from a career in culinary to a career in the classroom, high schools around the school district offer a CTE program called Teaching and Training.

At Rancho High School, more than 300 students are enrolled in that great program.

And here's what makes it unique: Rancho also offers real-world experience as part of Rancho's Future Educators Academy.

(Rachel Ruttan) The purpose is to inspire students at the early age of 14 to become teachers.

-Inside Rancho High School's Future Educators Academy... -This is an internship classroom where students come and they prepare for their student teaching internship.

-...high school students are hard at work, students like senior Elvin Jimenez... (Elvin) The Future Educators Academy at Rancho High School is, in my opinion, the biggest kept secret in CCSD.

-...and senior Aaliyah Lopez.

(Aaliyah) In my culture, it's more like, you finish high school and then that's it.

Like, congrats.

Like, that's the most you can get.

But I feel like just being given the opportunity to go to college, it's like, pretty amazing.

-The Academy offers high school students a chance to earn college credit and learn firsthand what it's like to be a teacher in the Clark County School District.

-I think growing our own teachers is important because we're growing loyal teachers.

These are students who are from our communities, and they understand the backgrounds and the values of CCSD students.

So we are putting them out into the workforce, ready to work with students that they're already familiar with.

-Twice a week, Rancho students leave the high school campus and travel just down the road to C. C. Ronnow Elementary School... (Daniel Rivera) Every time she walks in, it's, "Miss Lopez!

Miss Lopez!"

-At Ronnow, the high school students are paired with a teacher.

-They already understand that she's here to teach them, and she's also learning from them, which is a great opportunity I wish I had when I was in high school too.

-...and then help teach in the classroom.

-When I started my internship over there, just like seeing all the children as you walk into the room, "Miss Lopez," all the hugs, like, it's really what pushes me and, like, I just know I'm meant for it.

(Shelly Cruz-Crawford) I have actually been investigating for over a decade on how to recruit and retain teachers.

-Shelly Cruz-Crawford is a principal at C. C. Ronnow Elementary School.

-Yeah, we know apprenticeship models work, and when our students get to see what this job looks like, it does two things: It inspires them to become educators, and it also tells them like, hey, maybe this isn't for me, and they get to shift their career path in a timely manner before they-- before they go to college.

-For Aaliyah, the experience has not only inspired her to teach... (Saii) Miss Lopez, she helps us.

-...but to teach in Las Vegas.

-Yes, I want to stay in CCSD.

I can relate to a lot of the students at Ronnow.

My dad went there to school.

I grew up with the CCSD, so I feel like it's truly mind changing, like I want to be their role model.

I want to be someone they can look up to.

-The Academy provides valuable, real world experience... -As a teacher, you're always learning.

Every day you learn something new, and I think that's the beauty in it.

-...and exposes high school students to what could become a lifelong and rewarding career.

-They're going to be fabulous teachers.

They're going to be better than me one day.

They are.

They're just fabulous.

-What an amazing program.

There are currently 21 Rancho High School students that intern at C. C. Ronnow Elementary School.

Because of the dual enrollment college credits earned while in the Teaching and Training program, these wonderful students have collectively saved $141,000 in tuition.

But here is the best part: Nevada Assembly Bill 428 created a tuition reimbursement program for students who graduate from a teaching and training program, attend college in Nevada, and then teach two years as a licensed teacher in the Clark County School District.

That is pretty incredible.

All right, now let's head to Southwest Career and Technical Academy, where members of the school's Black Student Union have our first "News Break."

-Hi.

My name is Bethel, and I'm from Southwest CTA's Black Student Union.

-I'm Merena, and we're here with your first "News Break."

-The Clark County School District welcomed four new members to the Board of Trustees.

During a special meeting in January, the four new trustees were sworn into office as a result of November's election.

-Trustee Emily Stevens represents District A, Trustee Lydia Dominguez represents District B, Trustee Tameka Henry represents District C, and Trustee Lorena Biassotti represents District E. You can learn more about the trustees by going to this website.

-Forty-one CCSD magnet programs recently earned national honors.

The recognition is from Magnet Schools of America.

In fact, five CCSD schools earned the prestigious Top Magnet School of Excellence Award.

Those schools are Del Sol Academy of the Performing Arts, Hyde Park Academy of Science and Mathematics, K.O.

Knudson Academy of the Arts, Mike O'Callaghan i3 Learn Academy, and Roger D. Gehring Academy of Science and Technology.

Congratulations to all the students and staff.

-When we come back, we'll tell you more about our Black Student Union and the upcoming African American History Challenge.

-That's right.

February is Black History Month, but for now, we'll send it back to Maria.

-Thank you so much.

You both did a great job.

Well, CCSD Interim Superintendent Brenda Larsen-Mitchell recently delivered the annual State of the Schools Address at Del Sol Academy of the Performing Arts.

This year's theme was "Working Hard With Kindness."

The interim superintendent highlighted student and employee achievements, district systems and structures, and community support.

The address included information about the classroom fill rate, 96%, and also progress being made on issues like chronic absenteeism.

She emphasized the district's commitment to moving forward with confidence.

(Brenda Larsen-Mitchell) We have a very, very solid foundation.

We have built systems and structures within Teaching and Learning.

We are building structures in Budget and Finance.

We are better off today than we were four months ago, so the Clark County School District has a strong foundation.

There's still work that needs to be done, but we are definitely headed in the right direction.

And based on the foundations that we've built, we are seeing progress.

-Attendees left with a fact card highlighting CCSD's achievements.

One of the schools that performed at this year's State of the schools Address was Gilbert Academy of Creative Arts.

We had the chance to visit this North Las Vegas elementary school, and we met some very talented students and staff.

(Jennifer Prestridge) Let's go from the top.

♪♪♪ Today we worked with Chromatics, which was our instrument group, and some of our members of Collage, which is our choir, and they were creating movements to go along with an instrument piece that Chromatics has been practicing.

(Sophia) One of my dream jobs is to be a singer or a songwriter and maybe even actor.

I like when, like, the audience kind of sees me, like, doing it, especially when my mom's in there, because she's always, like, proud of me and stuff.

(Drama Teacher) Okay, 3rd grade, so what we're gonna do is we're gonna start on page 3 with Agent Holly and Agent Niquel.

Can you guys go set up over there?

And then we'll continue on to the computer nerds.

(Charles) And I want to be an actor when I grow up, so I moved to this school so I can act and show people my talent and just let people know what I want to do when I am older.

You get different prompts, and you have to express different emotions at different times in the show.

It's really hard to memorize your script without a script paper to see and know your roles.

(Doborah Faltinosky) As I was growing up, the arts were a big part of my life.

I really just want to be able to influence students to understand how art is really a part of our everyday lives and how that can really infiltrate our academics and, as we integrate them, how much of a deeper understanding our students can have for the curriculum itself.

-You can move through the space.

I want you to-- Metallophones, get ready to play your improvisation.

And then you guys do something with your prop and see how many different ways you can move it.

Elementary kids learn how to communicate confidently when they participate in the arts.

They learn how to collaborate and work together, as part of an ensemble, when they play or sing or act together.

-Like, how is that going to help them when they're adults?

-Every person at some point will have to stand up in front of a group of people and lead a meeting or give a speech, and this is a great way for kids to learn how to do that, even if they're nervous, to learn how to be confident when they perform.

We believe that every child is capable of creating beautiful music and movement.

And it doesn't matter what the level of talent is, they're going to grow from where they are.

-Bravo!

Phenomenal job!

Thank you to Gilbert Academy for inviting us to learn more about your wonderful school.

Now let's head back to Southwest Career and Technical Academy for our second "News Break."

-Hi.

I'm Hana from Southwest Tech's Black Student Union.

-And I'm Bri from Southwest Tech's Black Student Union, and we're here with your second "News Break."

-February is Black History Month, and here at Southwest Tech, we aim to educate our members on black history.

One of the ways we celebrate is by competing in the African American History Challenge.

-Schools from across the Clark County School District compete in this competitive academic quiz-style challenge with questions about art, history, and current events.

The preliminary rounds took place at Las Vegas City Hall, and all the finals will happen at Vegas PBS.

-We invite you to tune in on Tuesday, February 25, at 7:30 p.m., right here on Vegas PBS to see which school wins.

Big thanks to the Clark County Black Caucus for all their work on this competition.

-As Black Student Union members, we've had many great opportunities.

-We have traveled up to Carson City to talk to our state legislators.

-We've gotten the great chance to not only meet with the Clark County Commissioners, but also be able to converse with them about how we feel upon black history and them to educate us about how they feel about black history.

It's been a great experience.

-Thanks for learning more about our Black Student Union.

-For now, let's send it back to Maria.

-Thank you, Hana and Bri.

Love hearing about all that you are doing.

Great job.

As you can see, we have moved from the Whitney to SECTA's amazing Advanced Manufacturing lab.

Advanced Manufacturing is one of the school's 12 majors, and joining me now is Mr. Bechtler.

Let's talk about the magic that's happening here.

I'm geeking out; I want to play with everything that's in here.

What's going on here?

(Alex Bechtler) Absolutely.

So myself and Mr. Vierra, we teach a program called Advanced Manufacturing.

We just became a brand new program this year.

We've been doing this for the last eight years, and over those eight years we've been acquiring a bunch of new machines and equipment.

And just this last year, they made us a major, and now we're teaching manufacturing to students to get them into the industry.

-And that's really exciting.

We'll talk about that in a bit.

But let's talk about what is in here.

I'm seeing some robots over there, some big machines and robotic arms.

-Yes.

So we, I mean, we teach everything from electricity to programming to industry design, all the way to CNC machining and FANUC robots.

So I mean, if you can think about a robot building a part inside of a manufacturing warehouse or how it happens, that's what we're doing in here.

-And this really is the future.

I mean, you guys are preparing these students for a career straight out of SECTA into the real world.

What are some companies you work with here locally and throughout the state?

-So locally, we've had job fairs where we bring companies in, and what they do is they do interviews right on the spot with our students.

Some of the ones that have came to these job fairs and we get students into their companies is like Wells Enterprise, Ocean Spray, [indistinct], and some ones that are a little bit farther away.

-And these kids are, again, coming out of here certified.

Let's talk about that as well.

-Yes.

What we do is we do up to 25 industry-recognized certifications.

So we do anything from OSHA certifications to CAD design-- CAD certifications, to CNC certification, all the way to electricity pneumatics.

You name it, they're getting those certifications.

-Okay, this is really exciting.

Before I leave, shout out to Mr. Vierra over there.

You guys are doing an amazing job.

Let's talk about you have a competition coming up that's really important.

-Yes.

One of the big grabbers for our room, the showstoppers for our room is the robot that we build from scratch.

So we learn about all this stuff in the room, and then we go ahead and we design from scratch and build a robot from scratch, and we compete in these competitions.

There's a competition locally in Las Vegas at the UNLV center, Thomas & Mack Center, and we play there at the end of March, last weekend of March.

-Well, good luck.

That's not the one.

The other one's hiding over there, right?

It's top secret right now.

Thank you both so much for what you do for our students.

Really appreciate you.

Thank you.

You can learn much more about SECTA on the school's website, secta.us.

Tens of thousands of children across the country don't have access to dental care, including right here in Southern Nevada.

Future Smiles is a local nonprofit that serves the dental needs of underserved students in the Clark County School District.

We stopped by the Women's Philanthropy Dental Wellness Center on the campus of Elaine Wynn Elementary School to learn more about Future Smiles and the services they provide.

♪♪♪ (Terri Chandler) Future Smiles was founded in 2009 by three dental hygienists, myself and two of my dental hygiene colleagues.

We had a dream of increasing access to dental care here in Southern Nevada.

The facility is available for any Clark County School District child.

(Ruby Arroyo) They said that he needed help.

So then I said, okay, and that's how I found out.

They gave me some paperwork, and then they told me to come over here, then I made an appointment.

He had some caps on his teeth that he had because he had two cavities.

And so they fixed his cavities and then put in the caps.

And right now they're going to put the mouth gear, because he's missing some teeth.

So they want it to come out straight.

-The dental care that is provided here at the Dental Wellness Center is very much like what you experience at a dental office.

You will get digital x-rays.

You will see a licensed dentist here in the state of Nevada, Dr. Erika Nieto, and she provides wonderful, comprehensive dental care.

So the children will have fillings, they'll have cleanings, they'll have any minor extraction that they may need so that we can get them on a pathway.

-It's so important, ages zero to 100.

It's connected to your entire body.

I feel like in the past, maybe it's been overlooked as not as important, but it really disconnects to, from your head to your toes.

-Future Smiles is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

We balance out our care with Medicaid children, as well as private philanthropy, foundations like Elaine P. Wynn and Family Foundation and the Engelstad Foundation.

We have many, many foundations and funders that help support our mission.

What we see is that 50% of our children have a Medicaid resource.

However, the other 50% are low income and uninsured.

I have a couple points to make: First and foremost, parents need to sign their children up for Medicaid.

If they're eligible, they should sign up for Medicaid because it opens the door to all healthcare products, whether it's medical, dental, vision, mental health, and all the things that a child needs to be healthy and well to do well in school.

The second thing I'd like to say is oral healthcare matters throughout the lifespan.

So kids need to, you know, brush and floss twice a day, eat healthy foods, have good nutrition.

-It's really rewarding.

The population that we see, it's really rewarding.

The families are very appreciative.

-Oh, it means a lot, because I know how it is to have bad teeth.

As you know, a smile is that makes us smile on every day to everybody.

-Thank you for all that you do for our students.

And listen to this: Future Smiles also serves schools through a mobile unit that can provide on-site care for students in need.

You can learn more at futuresmiles.net.

While Nevada Reading Week is just around the corner, I know I'm really excited to visit several schools.

At one local elementary school, it's reading week every week, all thanks to the school's wonderful namesake.

Check it out.

-Hi, boys and girls.

-Hello, Mrs. Givens.

-Every Friday, without fail, and with her lollipops and special cards in hand... -"I am special.

I was chosen to go to Story and Snack with Mrs.

Givens."

-...Mrs. Givens... -Remember, nice straight line.

-...visits her school for Story and Snack, a tradition dating back to 2004 when Linda Rankin Givens Elementary School, home of the Grizzlies, first opened its doors.

-I run into students that went to school here 10 years ago or 15 years ago, whatever, and they always ask me, Are you still reading on Fridays for Story and Snack?

I'm so happy that I can say, yes, I'm still there.

-One of those former students... (Isabella Welch) And they all get so excited, how they hold them up and show Mom and Dad.

-...Isabella Welch, who's now a campus security monitor and cheer coach at Givens Elementary.

-Ms. Givens, when I went here, was like a celebrity.

Going to Story and a Snack, I always remember that it was a huge treat.

Everybody was so excited.

(Lyanna) She's really nice.

I like to read books with her in kindergarten and 1st grade, and she's my favorite teacher.

-There's no doubt Mrs. Givens was the favorite teacher of many of her students throughout her teaching career with CCSD.

-Boys and girls, when I taught school-- which Mrs. Givens taught here in Las Vegas for 30 years.

I taught kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grades.

When I taught, I always gave my boys and girls hugs, because I think it made them feel like I really cared for them, which I did.

(Greyson) I like that she's kind and she reads stories.

-That kind and caring nature... - "Don't worry.

Doug, likes you!"

-...has made a positive impact on the lives of so many students, and she's even inspired some of these students to follow in her footsteps.

-And I hope a lot of them would become teachers.

I think that would be exciting.

-My eventual goal of working here now is to eventually move into teaching here.

That's something that I would love to do, and I'm currently getting my degree to do that.

-I love to get hugs!

So when you leave today, I want you to give me a hug or a high five.

Okay?

-I like hugs.

-I like to hug her.

I did hug.

-And we read somebody doesn't like hugs.

We like hugs.

Okay.

High five.

-I'm so happy to say I'm a hugger too.

Big thank-you to Mrs. Givens.

It was truly wonderful to witness firsthand just how much your students love and admire you.

You are definitely a celebrity.

Well, that does it for this episode of Student Spotlight.

We're back here at the Whitney.

Big thanks to our wonderful friends here at SECTA for hosting us.

So proud to be back on this amazing campus.

And don't forget to make your reservation.

The food here is delicious.

All right, a quick reminder that you can find this episode and past episodes of Student Spotlight on the Vegas PBS website and Youtube page.

Thanks so much for watching us, and we will see you next month.

♪♪♪