NBA Hall of Famer, member of Communities In Schools (CIS) national board of directors, Boys & Girls Club Alumni Hall of Fame, and founder of The Shaquille O’Neal Foundation, Shaquille O’Neal, joined by local leaders and dignitaries, hosted a press conference on July 10 to announce new details about a future collaborative youth facility planned for the northeast side of the valley to benefit nonprofit partners, Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada and Communities In Schools of Southern Nevada (CIS of Southern Nevada).
The multi-million-dollar project will span over 17,000 square feet and house the country’s first-ever CIS Alumni Center. The clubhouse will provide youth in grades K-12 with the academic, social, emotional, recreational, and tech resources needed for youth development. The CIS Alumni Center is dedicated to serving former CIS students, helping them to further navigate and succeed in their personal, academic, and professional lives.
Following the press conference, hundreds of underserved Clark County School District students identified by CIS of Southern Nevada and Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada participated in the annual, “Shaq-to-School” event where they received custom Shaq-packs filled with school supplies for the 2024-2025 school year. CIS of Southern Nevada will serve over 75,000 students at 80-plus K-12 schools throughout Clark County during the coming school year.
About The Shaquille O’Neal Foundation
The Shaquille O’Neal Foundation creates pathways for underserved youth, helping them achieve their full potential. Established in 2019 by the NBA Hall of Famer, television sports analyst, and entrepreneur Shaquille O’Neal, the Foundation works to instill hope and bring about change in communities, collectively shaping a brighter future for our children. While primarily partnered with Boys & Girls Clubs and Communities In Schools, the Foundation simultaneously supports Shaquille’s other charitable endeavors, such as his annual Shaq-a-Claus holiday event and initiatives alongside his corporate partners. For more information, visit shaqfoundation.org.
About Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada boasts 13 clubhouses throughout Las Vegas, Henderson, and North Las Vegas. Our mission is to enable young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. Focused on three main impact areas – Academic Success, Healthy Lifestyles, and Good Character & Leadership – Clubhouses provide a safe, supportive place to go (both physically and mentally), life-changing opportunities, and the chance for youth to learn, grow, and become who they want to be. Serving over 7,000 youth each year between the ages of 5-18, Clubs operate Monday through Friday before and after school, with extended hours over school breaks such as spring, winter, and summer break. For more information: https://bgcsnv.org/ | Facebook@BGCSNV | Instagram @BGCSNV | X/Twitter @BGCSNV | 702-367-2582
About Communities In Schools of Nevada
CIS places full-time and professionally trained site coordinators in 110 Title I and high-needs schools across Nevada to support more than 100,000 students in grades K-12 who face barriers to their success—increasing the likelihood of students staying in school and graduating on time. The organization taps into a statewide network of more than 120 community nonprofits, partners, and agencies, bringing the community into the school to get students whatever they need to overcome the barriers they face that prevent them from achieving academically. From eyeglasses, dental care, health care, and professional counseling to food, school supplies, clothing, and housing, CIS identifies student needs and finds a way to address them, closing the gaps they experience in their everyday lives. CIS’s long-term vision is for every child enrolled in a Title I or high-needs school to access a CIS site coordinator and their evidence-based model of integrated student support, otherwise known as wraparound services. The graduation rate for CIS case-managed high school seniors in Nevada for the 2022-2023 school year was 95 percent.
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Contact: Cherryl Kaopua, The Warren Group, [email protected], 702-408-8334
