Public Invited to Step Up for Kids Event on Oct. 11 at Pearson Community Center
LAS VEGAS — Clark County Youth Mayor Ricky Gourrier-López, Jr., age 11, has released a new public service announcement (PSA) encouraging children to spend less time on screens
and more time enjoying outdoor play. The PSA, titled “Less Screen, More Green,” was written by Gourrier-López and features the Youth Mayor Council, highlighting the importance ofcreativity and active living.
The PSA is part of the culminating experience of the Youth Mayor program which will kick off another year at the 18th Annual Step Up for Kids event, held on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Pearson Community Center, 1625 West Carey Ave., Las Vegas. The public is invited to attend this free family-friendly event, which will feature music, food for the first 300 attendees, a petting zoo, farmers market, face painting, raffle prizes, a resource fair, costume contest, and the Youth Mayor election where children can cast votes for the next Clark County Youth Mayor. The PSA was produced in partnership with junior and senior community filmmakers, who generously contributed their time and talent.
“Programs like Youth Mayor show kids and their families that their voices matter and that leadership begins early,” said Amanda Haboush-Deloye, PhD, Executive Director of the
Nevada Institute for Children’s Research & Policy (NICRP), and Associate Professor of Social and Behavioral Health at UNLV’s School of Public Health. “We’re proud to give young people this platform to express their creativity, connect with their community, and inspire others.”
“I realized that the real fun starts when we put our screens down and go outside,” Gourrier-López, who has served as Youth Mayor since 2024. “That’s what I want other kids to remember
— less screen, more green.”
Six 4th and 5th graders are selected each year to campaign for the position of Youth Mayor through social media and public events. The elected Youth Mayor serves for one year, while
other candidates have the option to join the Youth Mayor Council.
The program is part of Step Up for Kids initiative that raises awareness about the challenges children face, including access to early learning and after-school programs, poverty, child abuse and neglect, and health care.
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Editor’s Note: Click here for the full PSA video, and here for the event information. Media outlets are encouraged to run the PSA.
Contact:
Nevada Institute for Children’s Research & Policy
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Phone: 702-895-1040 | Cell: 702-2173614 | Email: amanda.haboush@unlv.edu
Website: nic.unlv.edu