students sitting in front of NNSS employee in classroom

NNSS boosts literacy with novel initiatives

students sitting in front of NNSS employee in classroom

Nevada National Security Sites (NNSS) commitment to community engagement in Nevada was recently shown through two literacy initiatives: a book donation drive and participation in Nevada Reading Week.

Donation boxes placed across Nevada offices collected new or gently used books for students from pre-K to fifth grade. Employees generously donated more than 150 books, which were delivered to Spread the Word Nevada, a non-profit organization dedicated to childhood literacy in underserved communities across the state. Spread the Word Nevada has distributed over 8 million books to more than 1.5 million children since 2001.

Additionally, NNSS employees participated in Nevada Reading Week at Helen Anderson Toland International Academy, a local elementary school the NNSS has partnered with for more than 25 years. Nine volunteers shared their love of reading with approximately 180 students during 25-minute sessions. They read stories and led discussions, bringing the week’s “Book an Adventure” theme to life for these students.

“These events are more than just outreach; they’re an essential part of how NNSS connects with and invests in our community,” said NNSS’ McKenzie Krause, who helped lead these events. “We’re supporting individual students while helping build a stronger, more educated future by making reading fun at an early age.”