A kickoff rally for the UNLV/Nevada Communities AmeriCorps program is set for Sept. 12 on the Valerie Pida Plaza at UNLV.

AmeriCorps is the Clinton administration's national service program that is intended to put people to work on community projects in exchange for living expenses and grants to be applied toward current or future education costs.

The 1 p.m. rally at UNLV will provide an opportunity for Southern Nevadans to learn more about the new program.

Food, soft drinks, and balloons will be provided at the rally, which is open to the public. Local and state dignitaries are expected to attend.

The rally for the UNLV/Nevada Communities AmeriCorps program will coincide with similar kickoff events nationwide.

UNLV received a grant to plan the AmeriCorps program in the state of Nevada. Tracy Cotton, UNLV's director of community involvement, has been selected to serve as director of the Nevada program, which will involve a consortium of community, federal, and state agencies.

AmeriCorps participants will assist their communities in projects involving educational, public safety, environmental, and human needs. The slogan for the program is "get things done."

For additional information about Nevada's AmeriCorps program or about the rally, call Cotton at 895-4777.