Editor’s note: Este artículo está traducido al español.

When a child is called to testify in court, it can be a daunting and overwhelming experience. 

Most children have never taken the witness stand, and many are asked to recount traumatic events in an unfamiliar setting.

That’s where the Kids’ Court School at UNLV’s William S. Boyd School of Law steps in, preparing children for the courtroom experience and helping to ease their anxiety about the legal process.

This program is just one example of UNLV’s deep commitment to the community. Through numerous outreach initiatives across Southern Nevada, the university has demonstrated dedication to meaningful civic engagement.

That commitment has earned recognition at the highest level: UNLV today received its second consecutive Carnegie Classification for Community Engagement, maintaining its place among the nation’s most community-focused higher education institutions.

Awarded by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the American Council on Education, the Carnegie Classification represents the gold standard for recognizing colleges and universities that prioritize community impact.

UNLV Interim President Chris Heavey said engagement is central to the university’s mission. Simply put: We exist to lift up our region, he said.

“It is an amazing opportunity to lead an institution that has such a huge impact in the Southern Nevada community and beyond,” Heavey said.

UNLV initially earned the classification in 2020. The renewal process takes 18 months, officials said.

The classification highlights the university’s engagement practices, community partnerships, service learning, and community-based research — all dedicated to advancing the public good, the university said. Earning renewal is even more challenging, requiring institutions to demonstrate substantial growth in the scope, reach and impact of their programs.

Carnegie recognized UNLV’s alignment of campus mission, culture, leadership, resources and practices — all supporting impactful community engagement.

Fewer than 300 universities nationwide received this classification in the current cycle, placing UNLV among the top 5% of higher education institutions in the country.

Constance Brooks, the vice president for government and community engagement at UNLV, labels the award the “gold standard for how a university measures the impact they are making in the community.”

It’s something the university puts a premium on because it has an “obligation to prove we are doing well and good stewards of the community.”

Take the kids’ court.

The program consists of two one-hour sessions for children ages 4-17. The first session introduces participants to the pretrial and trial processes, explaining courtroom procedures and the roles of judges, attorneys, and other key participants. Children also learn essential communication skills, including the importance of truthful testimony and how to request clarification when they don’t understand a question.

The program has been in existence for two decades, being replicated at UNR, adopted in other states, and even implemented internationally, Brooks said.

Family court judges identified the drama placed on children having to testify, said Tamara Marino, the university’s director of community engagement. 

She added, “They came to us: ‘Here is a problem in our community. Can you use your expertise to solve this?’” 

UNLV’s community engagement takes many forms. 

Some efforts are highly visible, like the November 2025 emergency food distribution when the university partnered with Three Square Food Bank to serve thousands of residents during a federal government shutdown that disrupted food assistance programs.

Other initiatives operate more quietly, like the on-campus food pantry that serves students, faculty, and staff in need.

That’s what makes the classification so meaningful — it shines a light on the breadth of UNLV’s community impact and recognizes the coordinated effort behind these programs.

Heavey said it’s hard to pinpoint an initiative that stands out over the others, but referenced the impact UNLV has in the medical community. The UNLV School of Dental Medicine, for instance, recently opened the state’s first cleft palate clinic.

“That is something that has a huge impact on someone’s life if they can’t get it treated,” the president said.

The university is also behind the Mojave Mental Health Clinic, providing services to residents “who live on the edge” and could experience homelessness without intervention through the clinic, Heavey said.

The university played a vital role in the region’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic—and it extended far beyond virus testing and vaccine pop-ups on campus. Dr. Brian Labus, an infectious disease epidemiologist at UNLV, became a trusted authority on all things pandemic-related, giving countless interviews to educate the public about the virus’s dangers and help save lives.

With a student enrollment of 34,000 and countless faculty and staff “we have a huge population of helpers who can impact the community,” Brooks said.

Those helpers extend to the City of Las Vegas.

UNLV is a key partner in the city’s “ReInvent Schools” program, which serves 16 underserved elementary schools — those with two-star ratings and student populations where at least 75% qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. 

The university’s College of Education collaborates closely with school administrators and teachers, deploying university resources to address critical student needs through a full-service community school model.

The program provides literacy tutoring, works to reduce chronic absenteeism, and offers nutrition mentorship to students and families. UNLV even provides tickets to campus sporting events for the families.

The results speak for themselves, according to Tammy Malich, director of the city’s Department of Youth Development and Social Initiatives. Students in ReInvent Schools are outperforming the school district average academically.

“We don’t think that is by accident,” Malich said. “There is a strong correlation” between program participation and improved student outcomes.

UNLV is no stranger to awards.

UNLV holds a prestigious R1 designation, classifying it as a university with “very high research activity” by the Carnegie Foundation, a status it first achieved in 2018. Only 187 universities have that designation, UNLV said.

And few can say they earned both the research and community engagement honors — something UNLV officials are celebrating today.

“This is an incredible opportunity for our community to have immense pride in the impact we are making,” Brooks said.