Vegas PBS Announces Local Winner in PBS Kids Writers Contest

Published on Mon, Jul 28, 2014 (5:54 p.m.)

Submitted by Vegas PBS

Las Vegas Student Named Finalist in National Writing Contest


Las Vegas (July 28, 2014) – Today, Vegas PBS announced local winner Oniana Boulware has been selected as a first place national winner in the annual PBS KIDS Writers Contest. The contest was designed to promote the advancement of children’s literacy skills through hands-on, active learning. Boulware, who is a student at Mabel Hoggard Elementary School, was chosen as a winner from thousands of submissions from 62 participating PBS stations across the country. Boulware’s winning story, “Eric’s Job,” was awarded first place among the second grade level entries. Boulware is the first student from Southern Nevada to place first in the national contest.

“Vegas PBS is proud to announce Oniana Boulware’s win in this year’s PBS KIDS Writers Contest,” said Jessica Carroll, Ready To Learn Coordinator for Vegas PBS. “The PBS KIDS Writers Contest helps Southern Nevada children build valuable literacy skills for success in school and life, and it’s great to see a local child in our community nationally recognized as a winner. Her story celebrating diversity and overcoming challenges touched the hearts of all who read it.”

The Contest empowers children in grades K-5 to celebrate creativity and build literacy skills by writing and illustrating their very own stories. The national winners will receive prizes courtesy of national prizing sponsor LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc., along with a prize package provided by Vegas PBS.

The local PBS KIDS Writers Contest is coordinated through the Vegas PBS Ready To Learn (RTL) project, which provides literacy, health and math-based workshops to schools and families. Vegas PBS RTL focuses approximately 90 percent of its outreach efforts on reaching at-risk students and families.

Vegas PBS RTL provides more than 65,000 new books to at-risk families annually, serving tens of thousands of children. RTL staff also offered more than 800 workshops throughout the community during the past school year. Vegas PBS provided more than a workshop a day, every day, promoting good health and literacy.

To read Boulware’s winning story, click here.


About Vegas PBS
Dedicated to enriching the lives of those who call Southern Nevada home, Vegas PBS Channel 10 is one of America’s most watched PBS stations on a per capita basis. Five additional channels are available over the air or on cable and satellite including Create, Vme, Worldview, Rewind and Jackpot!

Vegas PBS expands its television broadcast impact through supplemental materials on Vegas PBS.org, PBS.org, PBSKids.org, PBSParents.org, PBSTeachers.org and NextAvenue.org. Vegas PBS also offers extensive online distance education for workforce development and economic diversification through Global Online Advanced Learning (GOAL).

Vegas PBS provides K-12 educational resources to teachers and students in public, private, charter and home schools including TeacherLine professional development courses; One Place, a curriculum-correlated online media service; the Described and Captioned Media Center (DCMC) containing materials for deaf, hard of hearing, blind and vision impaired individuals and those who assist them; and Ready To Learn literacy and health community workshops based on curriculum materials in daytime children’s programs.

For more information on programming and services, please visit VegasPBS.org, like us on Facebook at Facebook.com/VegasPBS, or follow us on Twitter at Twitter.com/VegasPBS.

About PBS KIDS
PBS KIDS, the number one educational media brand for kids, offers all children the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television, online, mobile and community-based programs. Kidscreen- and Webby-award winning pbskids.org provides engaging interactive content, including the PBS KIDS video player, now offering free streaming video accessible on computer- and mobile-device-based browsers. For more information on specific PBS KIDS content supporting literacy, science, math and more, visit pbs.org/pressroom, or follow PBS KIDS on Twitter and Facebook.