LAS VEGAS, NV (Thursday, October 23, 2025) — A pocket-sized guide created by a Las Vegas high school student is now available for local teens and young adults (ages 13–25) who are facing homelessness or at risk of it. For those vulnerable young Nevadans, the guide offers encouragement and instructions for finding help quickly.
The Southern Nevada Youth Resource Guide, or SNYRG (pronounced “synergy”), lists more than 50 local agencies, the services they provide, and tips for accessing them. Designed to fit in a pocket or alongside a phone, the guide connects youth with housing, food, health, and other essential services.
The idea came from Oni Boulware, who began compiling the guide during her junior and senior years as a high school student in Las Vegas. Working independently rather than for a school or work project, Boulware wanted to make it as easy as possible for struggling local youth to find help in a crisis.
When Boulware partnered with Project REAL, the team refined the concept, added design elements, and prepared it for printing. In the process, the guide grew from an emergency-only resource into one that could also prevent homelessness by helping young people connect with support before they lose stable housing.
“Oni came to us with well-organized research: locations, hours, websites, and tips for accessing services,” explained Project REAL Executive Director Mike Kamer. “We built the guide around that research with two goals in mind: making sure kids would pick it up, and ensuring they felt invited and encouraged to use the services, not like they were a last straw to reach for in desperation.”
That approach shaped every decision in the finished guide. The subtitle, Supporting Local 13–25-Year-Olds with Housing Help, Supplies, Services, and More, was chosen to communicate what the guide offers without using words that can carry stigma, such as “shelter” or “housing.” Nearly every page features photos of young people in the same age range the guide is designed for, representing a range of backgrounds, appearances, and social circles accessing the services being listed.
“When you see people like you in these pages, it makes it easier to take that first step,” said Boulware. “It means a lot to know the work I started is now something kids across Southern Nevada can carry with them and use when it matters most.”
Printed copies are available to the public at more than 100 locations across Clark County, including most Clark County–Las Vegas and Henderson library branches, certain Clark County community centers, the Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada, and a range of service providers and nonprofits supporting unhoused youth. Parents can have their students request copies from CCSD social workers at all Title I schools and high schools, HOPE staff, and Communities In Schools site leaders at local middle and high schools.
Digital copies and the full distribution list are available at https://projectrealnv.org/
For interviews from Project REAL: Mike Kamer, mkamer@projectrealnv.
About Project REAL
Project REAL is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2004 that helps young people understand the laws that impact their lives, preparing them for civic life by teaching them about their rights, responsibilities, and resources under the law. Project REAL has provided free educational experiences to over 250,000 students across Nevada, giving them the knowledge and skills to make informed decisions, strengthen their communities, and build brighter futures.
