Since students began attending school digitally in March of 2020, they have spent the majority of their time confined indoors. With a high likelihood that students will return to in-person learning before the end of the year, Project REAL hopes to help parents prepare their children in the transition back to normalcy.

As part of a Ready2Return 2021 initiative, Project REAL is asking all parents of young students to contact them for free law- related lessons that have been improving student behavior in Nevada for over 15 years. Students will eventually return to having unsupervised and unstructured time just like during life before the pandemic, and Project REAL wants to set Nevada families up for success in that change.

“Young Nevadans lost a year’s worth of freedom already — walking to and from school, weekends with friends — a year’s worth of freedom they’ll want to make up for. At Project REAL, we view that as a perfect storm of pent up energy that could lead to poor decision-making and risky behaviors. We’re extremely concerned that some students may even end up breaking the law without realizing it,” said Project REAL’s Senior Director Mike Kamer.

Parents of Nevada students in grades 3 through 12 will find grade and age specific lessons that teach laws and the consequences of breaking them. Many of the lessons are specific to Nevada law, making the experiences all the more relevant. Over 85% of students report wanting to improve their behavior and decision -making as a result of a Project REAL experience they’ve had.

“Whether it is in March 2021 or December 2021, Nevada’s youth will soon be returning to having more unsupervised and unstructured time out in the world.  In those conditions, their choices can shape the rest of their lives.  Project REAL works because we give students experiences that have been carefully designed to teach them the real-world consequences of poor decision making. These experiences are exactly what are needed to prepare Nevada’s students for a return to normalcy,” said Project REAL’s Executive Director Tom Kovach.

Parents that are interested in using Project REAL’s lessons with their families should visit Project REAL’s website http://projectrealnv.org. More information about Project REAL’s work can also be requested by sending  an email to mkamer@projectrealnv.org.

Project REAL, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, was founded in 2005 by Sam Lionel and Irwin Molasky to meet the challenge of teaching K-12th grade Nevada students the importance of the law. Project REAL has taught over 185,000 Nevada students about the importance of the law with the goal of preparing them to be informed, law-abiding and participating citizens through courthouse field trips, mock trials, and unique in-class experiences.  For more information or to make a financial contribution so more students will benefit, please visit http://projectrealnv.org.

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