General Assembly Meeting March 9, 7:00 PM-8:00 PM

(Mark your attendance! QR code to Google Form above!)

7:00-7:10        Officer Team Report

7:10-7:20   Maryland Association of Student Councils Presentation

Learn about opportunities for YOU to get involved with the statewide student council, MASC.

Presenter: Emilie Tedeschi - Division 2 Liaison MASC

7:20-7:30   Welcome Community Leader Senator Katie Fry Hester

We are excited to welcome State Senator Hester, who represents District 9 Carroll County and Howard County

7:30-7:45   Partners in Progress

Students will break into groups, discuss relevant issues and policy in the school system, and find ways to serve as strategic partners for each other

7:45-7:55        Leadership & Volunteer Opportunities

See the full list on our agenda

7:55-8:00        Pay it Forward

        Who else needs to know about what you learned tonight?

8:00-8:30      Networking: Stay after to speak with the SMOB or Officer Team members.

Leadership and Volunteer Opportunities

Opportunities to serve on HCPSS Policy Review Committees and Howard County

Government Advisory Groups- contact cindy_drummond@hcpss.org for more information. The meetings for the policies will hold virtually- and invite student input as critical stakeholders.

HCASC is looking for students who like to make videos, documentaries, and social media posts:

• ​send an email to cindy_drummond@hcpss.org
• include a link to videos you created
• we invite student videographers to collaborate with the HCASC advisor, Officer Team and PR team

All middle and high school students can explore the student created Portal with information about the Student Member of the Board of Education position, application, convention, campaign, and election Student Member of the Board of Education Convention Portal

• serve as engaged and informed citizens
• all 6-11 grade students will vote in the general election May 4th
• 138 students representing every middle and high school will attend the Student Member of the Board Convention March 22
• students not selected to represent their schools as delegates can participate in the process by attending HCASC meetings, checking in on the HCASC website https://hcasc.hcpss.org/, and reading the weekly updates shared through Canvas

Click HCPSS Community News to read more about Leadership and Volunteer Opportunities- highlights include… and many more!

Lady Brion: The Anthem (Poetry Slam Workshops) | Community News and Programs

Rotary Sponsored Four-Way Test Speech Competition | Community News and Programs

Peer-to-Peer (Mentoring & Tutoring Program) | Community News and Programs

Online Classes - Howard County Library System | Community News and Programs

Fidos Lends an Ear Virtual Reading Program

Next Generation Leadership Academy | Community News and Programs

Howard County Food Bank | Community News and Programs 

Maryland Leadership Workshops (MLW) Summer Program for students in grades 6-12! REGISTRATION OPEN NOW! SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE!

We are happy to announce that registration is now open for MLW Summer 2022! We are returning to our long-time home, Washington College in Chestertown, MD and we are also returning to our week-long residential programs! You can register today with just a $25 deposit.

Dates and Programs:

• July 17 - 23: Middle School Experience in Leadership (MSEL) for those entering grades 6 - 8 in Fall 2022
• July 24 - 30: Senior High Workshops (SHW) for those entering grades 9-12 in Fall 2022
• Further details can be found mlw.org. We can't wait to see you in July!

Luminus is seeking Student Ambassadors to support our upcoming OneWorldFest.

OneWorldFest is a celebration of the immigrant journey and the cultural diversity behind what it means to be American. Taking place at Merriweather Post Pavilion on July 4th, 2022, OneWorldFest will feature:

• Race4TheWorld 5K – an event that marks the conclusion of our 2-month Virtual Challenge to collectively run the circumference of the Earth
• Public Naturalization Ceremony for New Americans (pending USCIS approval)
• International Food Trucks
• Cultural Exhibits and Performances

By attending meetings 2x per month, Student Ambassadors for OneWorldFest will play a critical role in event planning, outreach, and fundraising – as they use available tools and resources provided by Luminus to take action in their respective communities. Our first Student Ambassador meeting will be this Wednesday at 7pm in the Luminus Conference room, so please RSVP if you plan to attend.

If you are interested in becoming a Student Ambassador, please complete this form.

If becoming a Student Ambassador does not seem like the right fit for you, but you would like to participate in Race4TheWorld, you can sign up for the in-person 5k and virtual challenge using this link.

Apply to work with our HCASC Appointed Staff Team

• Open to all students from 6th-12th grade
• Lead with your peers across HCPSS and throughout Howard County
• Build your resume
• We welcome everyone and help you find a place to lead and serve!
• Application Link: https://tinyurl.com/HCASCApplication 

Appointed Staff Committees and Descriptions

Public Relations

The Public Relations Committee manages the HCASC web page and social media in partnership with the HCASC advisor and Corresponding Secretary, and continually works to improve the communications between HCASC and the member schools not only through the website, but through newsletters, social media and other publications.

Student Organizations Committee (SOC) Operations

The SOC aids in the coordination between existing student organizations, elevates diversity of student interest within HCASC and increase awareness of variable student interests across the country (ex: providing resources for students to create student organizations), inspire students to celebrate their interests, and incentivize students from other organizations to join HCASC.

SOC NHS

SOC NHS allows county-wide collaboration between National Honor Society groups to promote greater impact of activities and community service events. Representatives from different NHS groups across HCPSS can collaborate and spread news of their events between HCASC and their home schools.

SOC Arts

SOC Arts promotes arts related activities and opportunities, reaches out to school clubs and community groups, and brings ideas and concerns from county wide groups back to HCASC and the Student Member.

SOC Tutoring

SOC Tutoring allows students to collaborate with other tutoring organizations within HCPSS, whether that be volunteering as a tutor, seeking resources/ideas to create new tutoring programs, or doing outreach to bring tutors to those who would benefit from these services. Representatives of new or pre-existing tutoring organizations are welcome and encouraged to join!

Legislative Affairs

The Legislative Affairs Committee ("LAC") seeks to empower the Howard County Associations of Student Councils (“HCASC”) and all Howard County students to understand the advocacy process in all levels of government. The LAC develops and proposes official HCASC stances relating to policies and legislation pertinent to youth and education.

Health and Social Issues

The Health and Social Issues Committee promotes awareness of health and social issues, providing leadership for HCASC initiatives. This committee researches and shares state and county regulations and statutes regarding Safe Schools Initiatives, Mental Health, Discrimination, and Bullying/Harassment policies, and builds relationships with school clubs and community groups to promote environmental related activities and opportunities for HCASC.

Environmental Affairs

The Environmental Affairs Committee engages in environmental issues and promotes environmental related opportunities, builds relationships with school clubs and community groups to promote environmental related activities and opportunities for HCASC,bringing ideas and concerns from county wide groups back to HCASC and the Student Member.

Election Coordinating

The Election Coordinating Committee plans, organizes, and holds the general and special elections for HCASC. We also work in conjunction with the Officer Team and Mrs. Drummond in planning and advertising all the stops on the road to electing the Student Member of the Board for the next school year. ECC takes the lead in planning for Delegate Training and the SMOB Convention, with the chairperson serving as Convention Director.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee operates within HCASC to provide a safe and secure environment for students of all races, genders, and backgrounds, and creates platforms for HoCo students to voice their opinions against injustice, working with the Legislative Affairs Committee to uplift the importance of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion within HCASC and HCPSS. This could include doing research, aiding in writing of legislative stances, helping promote/support legislative stances on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

STEM

The STEM Committee fosters a system to promote STEM-related activities and opportunities, reaches out to school clubs and community groups to promote STEM related activities and opportunities, bringing ideas and concerns from county wide groups back to HCASC and the Student Member.

Policy Review

The Policy Review Coordinator(s) inform student representatives on policy; work with PR to create materials sharing student representatives’ work, explanation of policy and implementation plans, and tips for serving on a policy review committee; maintain the calendar for committee meetings, and send out reminders for upcoming meeting dates and times.

How Can You Find Out About More Opportunities?

Start with relationships in your school

• Student Services
• Administrators
• Teachers
• Coaches
• Advisors/ Club Sponsors
• Support Staff

Use your interests to make meaningful connections

• Clubs
• Sports
• Arts
• Community groups

March GA Feedback Form:  

Communication Builds Community

You are a member of a school club or leadership organization. How can you reach out?

1. Before your meeting, brainstorm with friends about all the possible clubs and organizations you could connect to.

2. Reach out to students in other clubs and organizations

1. Let them know you plan to meet and how they can help out.
2. Make sure to show your appreciation for their help! Ask them if there is anything your group can do to support the work they are doing.
3. After you connect with groups at your school, explore county and state-level organizations sharing your cause.

3. Want to increase ticket sales and student turn-out?

1. Promote and engage clubs to increase engagement in your school wide events.
2. Students want to go to events where they will feel welcome and see those they already know in addition to new faces.
3. Partner with groups to uplift everyone.

4. Reach out to adults

1. Tell them you plan to meet and invite them to join you at events or activities.
2. Ask for their input and ideas.

5. Inform BEFORE

1. Promote your planning meetings and ask for input and suggestions to the many groups and organizations you connected with.
2. Give them ample time to provide you with feedback, come up with questions, and prepare materials.

6. Reconnect AFTER

1. Communicate what you worked on after you meet!
2. Share photos of your event, presentation sides, and other helpful resources.
3. Invite students and adults and organizations to stay tuned for what’s next.

Key Takeaways- Student Leaders Build Connections

1. When we build foundations together around shared interests, purpose, and fun, it lays a foundation for when we find we need to dive into more complicated topics and challenging situations.

2. Frequent, engaging communication is the key and a first step you can take in preparation for your next meeting or event.

3. Give it a try! The worst someone may say is "no" and then you can try again next time.