Some of the Las Vegas Valley's most deserving youth are getting a big dose of Rebel pride during this year's homecoming week.

UNLV is piloting an Adopt-A-School program that pairs the campus community with Cunningham Elementary School, where many of the students are homeless or living below the poverty line.

Alumni Step Up

The Alumni Association has donated 100 Rebel Fun Packs to reward students who are excelling in Cunningham's accelerated reading program. The association is challenging alumni, donors, and friends of the university to send more high-achieving students to the game by matching its contribution.

The $50 Rebel Fun Pack is for the Oct. 17 homecoming game. The students will get four game tickets and a voucher for hot dogs and drinks. Cunningham Elementary also receives $5 for every Fun Pack sold, and each student will receive a T-shirt.

"This project is a wonderful opportunity for the university community to encourage the students at Cunningham Elementary School to make education a top priority," says Lisa Story, Alumni Association board member. "If we can inspire these students to strive for excellence, hopefully they will continue their educational pursuits and become future UNLV students and alumni." Seventy percent of the students at Cunningham Elementary, which is located near Sam Boyd Stadium, are on free or reduced lunch. "Cunningham is located very close to the campus of UNLV, yet for some students, the reality of attending college seems so far away," says principal Stacey Scott-Cherry.

"This will be the first time that many of these students and their families have been exposed to a collegiate event," says Earnest Phillips, UNLV director of marketing and public relations. "My hope is that the enthusiasm of the campus community will rub off and provide a memorable experience for each of these youngsters."

Beyond the Game

The program also serves as a way for alumni, faculty, staff, and students to give back to the community that supports the university. The homecoming committee and the Rebel Pride Council are planning a book drive for Cunningham's accelerated reading program. Additionally, UNLV athletes will visit the school throughout the year. Other activities are in the planning stages.

"I am so excited about this partnership and what it will offer our most deserving students," Scott-Cherry says. "Not only will this partnership help strengthen our library, it will also help connect our students with our local university. Teaming with the university helps us expand our accelerated reading book collection, which will allow students to better participate in the reading program."

The Adopt-A-School program was developed by a homecoming subcommittee with representatives from UNLV athletics, admissions, marketing and public relations, alumni relations, the Alumni Association, the Rebel Pride Council, and the office of civic engagement and diversity.