How can students be encouraged to resist the attractions and financial incentives of Las Vegas and actually obtain their diplomas? Las Vegas High School has found a solution. In a city renowned for its extravagant water shows and dazzling neon lights, where even a pyramid offers gambling and Elvis performs weddings, a surprising group of locals is putting on one of the most extraordinary shows in town. This spectacle begins early in the morning, before the showgirls have even woken up and the unlucky ones are still recovering from their losses the night before. Though it may be miles away from the glamorous Strip, Las Vegas High School has developed a program that motivates students to endure the surreal environment of their surroundings and stay in school until graduation, all while preparing them for life beyond that.
In a city like this, where high rollers and high school students alike struggle to think beyond the present, convincing young individuals to focus on their education is no easy task. After all, why should they stay in school when a restaurant hostess can make $200 in just one night, or parking cars can earn them $60,000 a year? Considering a long-term career seems unlikely, especially when some high school dropouts are making more money than their teachers. However, in Las Vegas High School, a school known for its diverse student body and located in the sixth-largest school district in the country, students are asked to set aside these temptations, at least for a little while. Each year, around 140 juniors and seniors at Las Vegas High commit to a school-to-work program called Partnership at Las Vegas (also known as PAL). This program aims to enhance their job skills and prepare them for college, should they choose to pursue that path.
PAL, which has gained a reputation among students as the "school within a school," provides its participants with the opportunity to spend one day a week outside of the regular classroom, undertaking unpaid internships arranged by the program. For the remainder of the week, they follow a typical course schedule and adhere to the rules of an office, with professionalism and punctuality being mandatory. It’s not always easy, though, as reminders of the tantalizing allure of easy money are everywhere.
Las Vegas High School students can see the dazzling temptations of the Strip from their school, but envisioning a brighter future is much more challenging. According to Kirk Wallace, a history teacher involved in the program, money seems to flow effortlessly through the city, and students desire to be a part of it. However, they often fail to recognize the potential consequences of not completing their high school education. These students are the sons and daughters of pit bosses, blackjack dealers, and waitresses – hard-working individuals from the working and middle class who moved to Las Vegas in search of higher wages and a better life. However, at some point, many of these young people realized that a future solely centered around the glamorous hotels and casinos of Las Vegas, regardless of how financially rewarding, was not fulfilling enough.
For officials at Las Vegas High School, launching the Partnership at Las Vegas program seven years ago had an unexpected positive outcome: it helped maintain students’ interest in education. Earlier this year, the federal General Accounting Office, which investigates on behalf of Congress, recognized PAL as one of the most successful dropout prevention initiatives in the country, despite many students claiming they never considered dropping out. According to school records, around 97 percent of PAL students graduate compared to less than 87 percent for the rest of Las Vegas High School. Unfortunately, Nevada itself is an ideal example of the ongoing dropout problem. The state consistently ranks near the bottom in national dropout prevention rankings, though actual estimates vary due to different counting methods. Clark County’s school district, which has around 244,000 students, including those at Las Vegas High, is struggling to keep up with the rapid growth of the region and the unique challenges faced by its increasing Latino population. These students often confront greater economic, cultural, and language barriers to staying in school, according to local and national education officials.
At Las Vegas High, the effects of these social and demographic factors are evident at all grade levels. Some students quit school in order to support their families, who have recently immigrated from Mexico, while others leave due to parental responsibilities. Teachers also point to the transient nature of the city, where families frequently move in and out, making it difficult for students who switch schools to keep up until they eventually drop out. Lastly, there is the age-old temptation that still lingers in the air.
‘Money simply flows through this town.’
Kirk Wallace,
In its early days of establishment in 1905, the school consisted of nothing more than a small tent with two rooms situated in the sandy soil of the downtown area. As the local legend tells it, students had to make do with the windy surroundings for over a year because the city’s leaders prioritized the construction of a new jail. During that time, people referred to Vegas as the City of Destiny, and it must have surely seemed that way to miners, farmers, and railroad workers who brought their children from nearby towns like Searchlight and Goodsprings. Over the following decades, Las Vegas High School expanded alongside the growing city. In 1993, it relocated to a plot of previously undeveloped land on the eastern side of town where it stands today. Visitors can now wander through the open-air hallways of this 3,100-student school, ascend its staircases, gaze out from the second-floor balcony, and witness a desert metropolis that no settler could have envisioned. The Stratosphere tower and high-rise hotels shine in the bright sunlight and haze, while mountains with a color reminiscent of Kahlúa loom in the distance.
"Aspire to change and change for the better are two distinct things," says a student’s voice over the intercom as teenagers make their way to their first-period classes, exchanging jokes and shouts in English and Spanish. This message and its implicit warning were evident to a group of teachers at the school in the mid-1990s when they first began discussing the idea of implementing a program that would prepare students for the workforce and increase their engagement in school. Similar models had been tried in other schools across the country, so why not at Las Vegas High? With fresh hopes mixed with memories of past rejections, the teachers approached their principal’s office. Behind that door sat Barry Gunderson, a direct and no-nonsense man with twenty-five years of experience in Nevada’s school system. Everyone understood the importance of the proposed program, from teachers and parents to state politicians. Occasionally, Gunderson would respond positively with a resolute "Hell, yes," and seven years ago, Las Vegas High’s teachers received a similarly enthusiastic response. No words could have been more welcomed. "Most principals would have said, ‘Sounds great. But not here,’" says Robert Bray, a business teacher in the program. "Without a doubt." Gunderson, who retired this past summer, established some ground rules but promised to let the teachers take charge. They initially began with around 80 students.
Ricard Giraldo, a senior set to graduate in the fall, worked at T-Rex Effects last spring. This Las Vegas company specializes in creating animated creatures for amusement parks, casinos, and other venues. Giraldo, shown here working on a dinosaur figure, believes that his work aligns perfectly with his desired career path in computer animation. —Allison Shelley PAL encompasses students from diverse backgrounds, but many of them fit the "middle kid" model, as one teacher describes it. These are teenagers who neither struggle nor excel enough to receive significant attention from their teachers, counselors, and administrators. Some plan on attending college after graduation, while others simply want to enter the workforce. They possess intelligence but blend into the hallways unnoticed.
He completed his studies in June, after spending his Wednesdays interning at a real estate firm. He has a passion for the real estate business and aspires to obtain a license to sell houses in the future. If he can make a living out of it, he believes he can pursue his main passion as a disc jockey on the side. Many of Araujo’s friends dropped out of school early, too many to count. However, even when he fell behind in his credits, he always knew that dropping out was not an option for him. He believed that a high school diploma would offer more opportunities for him.
"A lot of people who drop out think that working at McDonald’s can lead to success," Araujo says during a break at the real estate office. "But that’s not the case. If you want a good life, a car, a house, a family, you need more."
PAL attracts students from diverse backgrounds, but many of them fit the "middle child" profile.
While Araujo was seeking discipline, others were looking for new challenges. School was easy for Irina Dan, and finding high-paying jobs, like her previous position at the Monte Carlo, was never a problem. The PAL program allowed her to explore beyond high school. She started interning at a local elementary school but soon realized that being a teacher was not her calling. However, she later landed an assignment at a local bodyguard and security company, which was a perfect fit for her dream of working for the FBI. She learned to seize opportunities like that. As the daughter of Romanian immigrants, she saw her parents leave their engineering careers behind and take on cleaning rooms and carrying luggage to support the family when they first arrived in Vegas. "PAL taught me a lot about the real world," says Dan. "In high school, we often lack hands-on experience. Now, I have a clear understanding of what I want to do."
Robert Bray understands that careers are often unpredictable journeys with ups and downs, rather than straightforward paths. As a business teacher at the Partnership at Las Vegas Program (PAL), he has heard many stories from the people of Vegas. He has his own story too. Twelve years ago, tired of the constant traffic in Los Angeles, he decided to reinvent himself and pursue a career in teaching, like many members of his family. He chose Vegas as his new home.
Teaching in the PAL program became Bray’s calling. In addition to his teaching role, he also serves as the liaison between businesses and the school-to-work initiative. He spends a significant amount of time arranging internships for students, both over the phone and in person, and ensuring a smooth experience for the students in their new work environments. After moving to Vegas, Bray took certification classes during the day and worked as a waiter on the graveyard shift in a hotel-casino to make a living. He would finish work at 7 a.m. and rush to class an hour later with tips jingling in his pockets, struggling to stay awake. One day, his exhaustion got the better of him, and he hit his head on the back wall of the classroom, waking up suddenly and wondering if anyone had noticed. "It was a uniquely Vegas experience," recalls Bray with a tired laugh.
Bray started teaching at Las Vegas High in 1996 and joined PAL soon after. Given his background in sales, he was asked to use his skills to attract more businesses to participate in the program. Every week, he would dress in a suit and tie and make cold calls to lawyers, accountants, and hotel managers, trying to convince them to join PAL. Slowly, the word spread, and today, PAL has more businesses offering internships than there are students to fill them. This success is largely attributed to Bray. His colleagues describe him as a workaholic, and they value his contributions to the program. Bray remains the key link between employers and the school, and his phone is constantly ringing with calls from business owners, parents, students, and PAL alumni seeking information, job references, and advice.
At the beginning, there were many skeptics. Educators who were not part of the program expressed dissatisfaction with its small classes and questioned why not everyone received the same treatment.
The program keeps detailed records of students and their internships, although the majority of the time they can rely on their memory. Students are assigned to various workplaces such as law offices, medical centers, engraving companies, and even hotel-casinos, as long as PAL administrators are confident that they will acquire valuable long-term skills, such as hotel management, instead of just parking cars or bussing tables. Bray recalls a student who worked in a city office and was highly valued. He also mentions another recent graduate who is now a supervisor at their job site, a common occurrence. The program’s motto, "work hard, play hard," perfectly encapsulates their approach. To start off each school year, PAL students go on a field trip to a Shakespeare festival in Utah followed by camping and hiking in Zion National Park. Those who meet attendance and other requirements earn the privilege of visiting San Diego. Regular fundraising events are organized by students and teachers to help cover the costs of these activities.
Participants can be referred to the program by guidance counselors or recommended by teachers who identify students who may benefit from it. Alternatively, students can sign up on their own after PAL instructors visit sophomore classes annually to talk about the program. While there is no minimum GPA requirement, the program only accepts juniors and seniors and consults with other teachers to evaluate students’ attitudes and their likelihood of adhering to the program’s rules. Both students and their parents must sign liability releases and contracts committing to stay in the program for a year to prevent them from quitting after just a few weeks if they dislike it. Moreover, students are responsible for their own transportation to their job sites. Initially, there is a surge of interest, with up to 300 students signing up in a typical year. However, this number tends to decrease before the school year starts as some students skip mandatory interviews, fail to complete necessary forms, or simply change their minds about participating, according to PAL staff members.
Employers are appreciative of the students who remain committed to the program. At Sam’s Town Hotel & Gambling Hall, where a PAL student might work at the front desk, they encounter various types of guests and situations, from eager arrivals and frustrated customers whose reservations fell through, to jubilant gamblers celebrating a win and disgruntled tourists who lost their money at the slots. Front desk supervisor Dana Hampton, who has been accepting PAL interns for many years, believes that if students can handle the challenges here, they can handle them anywhere. Hampton emphasizes that the learning experience is up to the students themselves and that the program provides a valuable opportunity to gain hands-on experience without the significant pressure that often accompanies such roles.
In the beginning, there were many skeptics. Teachers who were not part of the program complained about the small class sizes and questioned why everyone did not receive the same treatment. There were also concerns about the nontraditional schedule. "Our first three years were challenging," recalls history teacher Wallace. "We faced some discontent, and some of it was valid. However, we now approach it as a team, although we had to overcome some misconceptions."
Andrei Casino, pictured on the far right, dropped out of the program this year. However, an interview he obtained through PAL helped him secure a job in the produce section of Wal-Mart. He is still hopeful about earning his diploma.
Administrators in the Clark County district have implemented their own initiatives in recent years to identify and support students who are at risk of dropping out, according to Brad Reitz, an assistant superintendent in the school system.
Irina Dan, who grew tired of her job in a hotel-casino, is now actively searching for employment while PAL teacher Kirk Wallace and another student are looking through job listings in the classifieds. —Allison Shelley
Reitz acknowledges that no single program can address the needs of every school, but he highlights the impressive results achieved at Las Vegas High. He notes that educators often abandon initiatives that fail to deliver, but the PAL program has proven to be successful and has gained the respect of all those involved. The program also has the support of Patrice Johnson, the new principal at Las Vegas High, who took over from Gunderson in the summer. Johnson sees PAL as a fantastic opportunity and is considering expanding its reach.
Gunderson praises the PAL teachers, emphasizing their ability to establish meaningful connections with their students. He believes that this is crucial in providing a better education and that the students in the PAL program are experiencing true success. They are receiving well-deserved recognition for their achievements and are gaining greater confidence in themselves. According to Gunderson, hard work leads to success, and the students in PAL are proof of that.
Despite the strong interest shown by students, PAL may not be adopted in other schools in Clark County. Ricardo Giraldo, a 17-year-old who has recently thrived in the PAL program, is frequently approached by others asking how they can join too. Giraldo believes that many others in the community and the wider city would benefit from PAL. He has witnessed many students dropping out and hopes to graduate and pursue his desired path instead. Shirley Giron shares this determination. If she were attending another school, the 18-year-old might have been considered at risk due to her pregnancy during her senior year. However, with the support of the close-knit PAL community, Giron successfully coped with her situation and graduated in June.
PAL was the right choice for Moses Araujo, who also graduated this year. —Allison Shelley
Giron explains that being in PAL leaves no time for distractions, such as constant questions about her pregnancy. The focus in PAL is on academics and work. The program fosters a strong sense of camaraderie among its participants. Bray, a former PAL student, still maintains contact with Larry Gipson, a student who wasn’t able to complete the program. Gipson joined PAL in 1999 and flourished with the support of his teachers. He even secured an internship, which received high praise from supervisors. However, just weeks before graduation, Gipson made the heartbreaking decision to drop out. Bray finds this situation incredibly frustrating, as Gipson had shown tremendous growth and potential.
Support for coverage of education in urban areas has been provided, in part, through a grant from the esteemed George Gund Foundation.