United Way of Southern Nevada (UWSN) brought together educators and community leaders on June 24 for its Early Childhood Education & Literacy Community Conversation. Hosted at the College of Southern Nevada’s (CSN) North Las Vegas campus, the event brought together community leaders, policy makers and educators to address key challenges in childcare, early childhood education, and literacy.
The morning began with breakfast, followed by keynote remarks from UWSN leadership. Attendees then heard from panelists and participated in breakout discussions that explored a range of topics in depth, such as:
- Strengthening systems that support young children
- Universal Pre-K
- Early childhood school readiness
- Expanding childcare in urban communities
These discussions were led by notable community leaders and education experts, including:
UWSN Leadership
- Julie Houchins, Senior Director of Early Education, UWSN
- Max Jansen, Volunteer Engagement Manager, UWSN
- Danielle Munao, Director of Grant Development, UWSN
- Samuel Rudd, President & CEO, UWSN
Nonprofit Community Leaders
- Aliy Bossert, Managing Director, Early Literacy Support, Teach for America
- Elisa Cafferata, Executive Director, Children’s Advocacy Alliance
- Shannon Bilbray-Axelrod, Policy & External Affairs Director, The Children’s Cabinet
- Doris Guvar, Managing Director, Alumni & Community Impact, Teach for America
- Lisa Habighorst, Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Spead the Word Nevada
- Beth Hart, QRIS Coach Family Childcare, The Children’s Cabinet
- Dr. Jamelle Nance, Early Childhood Policy Director, Children’s Advocacy Alliance
- Jessica Russell, Ready to Learn Coordinator, Vegas PBS
- Jordan Sommaggio, CEO & President, YMCA of Southern Nevada
- Denise Tanata, Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems Advisor, The Children’s Cabinet
- Dr. Christina Vela, CEO of St. Jude’s Ranch for Children
Early Childhood Education Leaders
- Ashley Couch, Preschool Director, Durango Hills YMCA
- Cynthia Duffy, Owner of Children’s Learn & Play, LLC
- Howard R. Giles, M.A., M. Div. Mental Health Counselor, NVDHHS
- Marissa La Croix, Education Program Supervisor / Nevada Ready! State Pre-K Programs for Office of Early Learning with the Nevada Department of Education
- Louiza Nacer, Director Owner of Little Hearts Learning Academy
- Patti Oya, Director (retired), Office of Early Learning & Development, Nevada Department of Education
- Gloria Phillips, Owner, Bring’em Young Academy
- Dr. Denise Sidney, VP of Educational Development, NEVAEYC
- JoAnn Trujillo, QRIS Quality Excellence Coach, The Children’s Cabinet
- Kathy Yoder-Bass, Principal & Owner of The Hills Preschool #1 & #2
UNLV & UNR Leaders
- Dr. Amanda Haboush-Deloye, Executive Director, NV Institute for Children’s Research & Policy, UNLV
- Dr. Gard Jameson, Compassionate Las Vegas, UNLV
- Nicole Thomas, Director of Education Policy, Kenny Guinn Center for Policy Priorities, UNR
- Jenna Weglarz-Ward, Associate Professor, UNLV College of Education
- Melissa Yarczower, Assistant Professor-in-Residence & Fieldwork Coordinator, UNLV
The event concluded with a fireside chat led by UWSN President & CEO Samuel Rudd and Dr. Gard Jameson on charting the path forward for greater cross-collaboration in the early education and literacy space.
Insights gathered through the event will help shape the second installment of the Early Childhood Education & Literacy Community Conversation, planned for fall 2026. The next event is expected to build upon the key conversations, priorities, and themes that emerged from this initial gathering.
To learn more about United Way of Southern Nevada’s year-round community events, visit uwsn.org.
