The University of Nevada, Las Vegas and the Greenspun College of Urban Affairs will host a research outreach forum, a planning retreat, and a child welfare conference during the college's first "Week of the Family."
A forum titled "Interchanges: A Focus on Partnerships for Families and Children" is set for April 21, 3-6 p.m., at the Marjorie Barrick Museum of Natural History auditorium on the UNLV campus.
This is the second in the "Interchanges" series of outreach forums. The series is devoted to a wide variety of topics of importance to the Las Vegas valley that are currently being addressed through research and service by UNLV's faculty and staff. The inaugural forum focused on transportation issues and was hosted by UNLV's Transportation Research Center.
This year's program starts at 3 p.m. with a presentation on current problems and collaborative solutions. Faculty from the Greenspun College of Urban Affairs will talk about research and service projects for families and children. These include Dr. Tom Sexton of the department of counseling, speaking on delinquency and drug abuse; Dr. Michelle Hussong of the department of criminal justice on domestic abuse and family violence; Dr. Cynthia Carruthers of the William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration on developmental assets; Sexton on the Client Services Center's counseling services; Dr. Stacey Hardy-Desmond of the School of Social Work on social work education; and Dr. Larry Mullen of the Hank Greenspun School of Communication on Internet camp for kids.
A panel discussion, moderated by Kirby Burgess, director of the Clark County Department of Family and Youth Services, will be held at 4 p.m.
A reception, at which Greenspun College faculty will show displays of relevant materials, will start at 5 p.m.
The organizers believe the forum will be of interest to local, regional, and state elected officials; city and county managers and staff members; community leaders; and persons who work with families and children. For more information, call Connie Correia in the UNLV Office of the Vice Provost for Research at 895-4240.
The Developmental Assets Planning Retreat is set for April 22-23 in the Richard Tam Alumni Center at UNLV. Participants will discuss a positive, community-based approach to enhancing the experiences that young people need to thrive. The retreat will bring together community leaders and youth to formulate an action plan. The retreat is cosponsored by the UNLV colleges of Education, Urban Affairs, and Hotel Administration in conjunction with United Way of Southern Nevada. For more information, call 895-3291.
The Child Welfare Conference is set for April 26 in UNLV's Moyer Student Union. Featured speaker David Pelzer, best-selling author of A Child Called 'It' and The Lost Boy, and a panel of experts will discuss current issues in child welfare. The conference is sponsored by UNLV's School of Social Work. For more information, call 895-3311.
