Myrtle Tate kids receive school supplies and the school received new listening stations.

Myrtle Tate staffer Jean Ranzie holds Myrtle Tate Kate in the tortoise habitat that employees helped build.

Employees read to Myrtle Tate students.

 

The children of the Future Dance program..

Focus School
Myrtle Tate Elementary is a proud participant in the Clark County School District's Partnership Program Focus School Project that matches Clark County schools with businesses, organizations, agencies and individuals to bring needed resources to students. In 1999, NV Energy was partnered with Myrtle Tate Elementary and since then, some great things have happened.

• Listening Center Presentation
  In October 2003, NV Energy presented 20 listening centers to Myrtle Tate Elementary to help boost students' reading skills, improve language acquisition, and offer a fun, alternative way to help students enjoy literature. The presentation was in celebration of our four-year partnership with the school. Following the presentation, employees delivered plastic pouches filled with school supplies to every student in the school.
• Myrtle Tate Kate
  In July of 2001, volunteers from Native Resources Nevada, the Tortoise Group and the Clark County School District completed nine months of work building a desert tortoise habitat. A tortoise, "Myrtle Tate Kate," was adopted from the Tortoise Group, and introduced into the habitat, and is living there now. The habitat gives Myrtle Tate students the opportunity to study the desert tortoise for years to come.
  
• Leaders in Literacy
  NV Energy launched Leaders in Literacy at Myrtle Tate in December of 2001. The program was designed to put books into the hands of children, promote literacy and strengthen the school's relationship with employees.
  
  Employees meet with students at Myrtle Tate during school hours to work on reading skills. The company mentor and student are paired throughout the entire school year, allowing the two to set goals and monitor improvements. When goals are reached, employees reward the student with a book.
  
• BoxTops For Education
  In late 2003, NV Energy and the Natural History Museum teamed up to support education in our community. Families were encouraged to visit the museum and bring in a box top from a General Mills food product to receive a discount on admission price. The hundreds of box tops collected helped Myrtle Tate Elementary earn the cash they need to support literacy through the BoxTops for Education Program.
• Nevada Reading Week
  Every year, employees celebrate Nevada Reading Week with Myrtle Tate Elementary by having employee volunteers read to classrooms. In 2003, NV Energy also contributed to the celebration by sponsoring ice cream parties for classes winning reading week competitions.
• Cow Parade 2002
  As a Channel 8 Community Pride Partner, NV Energy received an unpainted cow from KLAS-TV and the children from Myrtle Tate helped design and paint the cow. After hours of fun the children unveiled "Connie Conservation," which displays energy conservation themes. Connie graced 's main lobby until early 2003.
• Nevada Ballet Theatre Future Dance Program
  For three years, NV Energy has sponsored Nevada Ballet Theatre's Future Dance program for Myrtle Tate's students. The 25-week program begins in October and ends in May when Myrtle Tate students join other participating schools in performing a recital in UNLV's Artemus Ham Hall.
  
  During the weekly in-school classes, Myrtle Tate's performers learn a wide variety of dances, including ballet and African hip-hop. Students who excel can receive full scholarships to the Nevada Ballet Theatre. At Christmas, all the program's students get to see free special performance of the Nutcracker.

Libby Booth Community Garden
Libby Booth Elementary School in Reno, NV has created a community garden that is providing a hands-on learning experience for students at Libby Booth.  The community garden is helping students and their families learn more about nutrition, health and the environment and provide a source of healthy vegetables.  NV Energy is a sponsor of the community garden and has held a garden supply drive to collect gardening tools for students to use in the garden.  Employees have donated plants, gloves and small gardening tools to help this little garden grow.

Read and Succeed
Washoe County School District's (WCSD) Read & Succeed Program trains and places volunteers in local schools to help children improve their reading level. NV Energy has held multiple book drives that produced over 500 new or gently used books donated by employees for the Read & Succeed Incentive Book Program. An NV Energy employee volunteer team also provides tutoring for children K-6 to assist in improving their reading skills.