Parents Guide of Las Vegas

Childs’ Play is fun and safe family activity center with two locations in Las Vegas, “a children’s space designed with parents in mind”. At each location, they offer an indoor play space with activities for children of various ages. The play spaces are open everyday of the week for parent-supervised “open play”.

Children will get a chance to experience different sports, crafts, games and performances, all in the comfort of our air-conditioned facility. Soccer specific camps are also available.

Girl Scouts Sabina Manzini and Lauren Nelson, along with Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada were recently honored by Clark County Commission.

For most people the phrase ‘going for the gold’ conjures up visions of the Olympics – a beautiful ice skater or gymnast. But if you’re a Girl Scout, ‘going for the gold’ takes on a whole different meaning. Similar to the Olympics, Girl Scouts offers Gold, Silver, and Bronze Awards in recognition of extraordinary achievement, but the road to achieving gold is not about competition – it’s about community and girl leadership.

Girl Scouts have been “going for the gold’ since 1916, when the award, then called The Golden Eaglet, debuted. Several name changes later (Curved Bar Award or First Class), The Gold Award continues to inspire girls to find their leadership potential by taking action to make their community and the world a better place.

“Although it’s difficult to endure through the whole process, Girl Scouts should go for the Gold Award because it is a worthwhile experience that will help connect them to their community and help them find their passions,” said Marcy Brown, a 2013 honoree.

Girl Scouts in southern Nevada, including Illyana Preth and Brown who are pictured on the cover, are being honored at the Young Women of Distinction ceremony this month. They are among an elite group of women who have left a lasting impact on their communities and the world. Approximately 5.6 percent of Girl Scouts achieve their Girl Scout Gold Award annually.

Brown spent more than 80 hours preparing her project, “Diversity in a Diverse City – A Guide to Ethnic Markets and Farmers Markets in Southern Nevada.” She felt the need to create a guide that would bring the community together and encourage awareness of the variety of ethnic markets and farmers markets that are available right here in southern Nevada. Brown chose her project to answer environmental concerns people face today about the quality of their food and the level of nutrition they are receiving.

“These issues have people seeking quality food and they are fast becoming locavores, as they seek food that is grown closer to their communities; thus reducing their carbon footprint,” she said.

Preth reached out to more than 500 youth, 10-15 years-old, at middle schools, day camps, and Boys and Girls Clubs to encourage and engage them to lead healthier lifestyles through proper exercise techniques and nutrition. Her Gold Award drew from her passion for competitive swimming.

The Girl Scout Gold Award is more than just a good service project. It is the culmination of a girl’s experiences in Girl Scouting; encompassing her organizational, leadership, networking, and critical thinking skills. The Girl Scout Gold Award challenges girls to identify a need in their community and take action to alleviate or solve that need – in the process learning that one girl has the power to change the world.

“Earning the Girl Scout Gold Award taught me confidence, compassion, patience, and perseverance through my interactions with people.” Brown said.

A Journey To Gold

The Girl Scout Bronze Award is the highest honor a girl in grades 4-5 can earn. It starts with a girl identifying a team of girls to work with. Together they explore their community, identify a need, make a plan to fill the need, and then put their plan in motion. Girls from Troop 354 partnered with the DMV for a W8 2 TxT campaign. They created thumb bands to remind people to not text and drive, along with PSA’s at DMV locations.

The Girl Scout Silver Award is the highest honor a girl in grades 6-8 can earn. At this level a girl may choose to work with a team or take the lead by herself. Building on what she’s learned, this award requires her to develop a project that addresses a need in her local community. She is required to work through her plan and once she has completed her project she is asked to share her story with others. Troop 199 collaborated with Clark County School District Safe Routes to School program to paint STOP and LOOK reminders at eight crosswalks around Betsy Rhodes Elementary School.

The Girl Scout Gold Award is the highest honor a Girl Scout can achieve. It is the culmination of a girl’s experiences in Girl Scouting and is reserved for girls in grades 9-12. This prestigious award challenges girls to complete a project that will leave a lasting impact in the world. In addition to the learning and leadership benefits, girls who achieve their Girl Scout Gold Award are eligible for college scholarships and can enter any branch of the U.S. military at a higher rank. Sabina Manzini teamed up with Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada to create a resource book to help foster children understand their rights and take action on decisions that impact their lives.