The Student Emerging Leaders Program, a partnership of Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) and the Montgomery County Business Roundtable for Education (MCBRE), is designed to nurture student interest in national, state, and local government by engaging and inspiring students to become the next generation of Black and Hispanic leaders, through a combination of a mentoring relationship, peer-to-peer engagement and accountability, and interactive student debate. (Link to the MCBRE Congressional Black Caucus program web site; link to the MCBRE Congressional Hispanic Caucus program web site)

Each spring, rising sophomores (current freshmen) from each high school, who hold a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or better and are eligible based on the program criteria, will have the opportunity to apply via online application and be selected to participate in the Hispanic Caucus conference or the Black Caucus conference. Conference and transportation costs will be covered. (Students are picked up from a central location - students must provide their own transportation to the pick up points in Montgomery County.)

The top 50 student applicants will be selected for each program. At least one student from each high school that applies and returns the commitment form will be accepted.

Basic Program Requirements:

Semester I:
• successfully complete the online application;
• be selected to participate by the review board comprised of MCBRE and MCPS;
• accept the nomination to participate in the program by returning the signed commitment form; and
• attend a preconference meeting to receive up-to-date information, meet with their fellow participants, and be introduced to their professional advisor, who has volunteered to work specifically with them throughout the program.
• Attend the legislative conference
• After participating in the legislative conference, students will vote for two topics that they believe are the most important topics affecting their communities. These topics will be voted for on the day of the conference, and can be topics that were presented at the conference or appropriate outside issues. Students then will be assigned a position on the selected topic or issue and be placed into work groups of two to three students and one professional advisor.
• Meet and Research - Students must meet three separate times with their assigned group and professional advisor to research and/or discuss the assigned position before the mock debate and Local Issues Forum. Students will be placed in groups that are geographically close to other group members and/or their professional advisor. If a student cannot attend a meeting, a maximum of one meeting can be made up via teleconference.

Semester II:
• Participate in the Local Issues Forum - Students must attend the Local Issues Forum with their professional advisor and other group members, and work with other students to defend their position by participating in a mock debate. At this event, students also will participate in discussions on youth-related bills before the Maryland General Assembly

Attend the Congressional Reception - Students completing all requirements are invited to attend, with one guest, a reception with Congressman Christopher Van Hollen and Congresswoman Donna Edwards (late February or early March date to be determined).

Please refer questions to Mrs. Karen Crawford, student affairs coordinator, Department of Student Services, at 301-670-1419 or via email Karen_L_Crawford@mcpsmd.org

Students looking for other opportunities in the county or state to be involved should Click here: link to Opportunities Web Page

2011-2012 Program Information:
Students who do not have an email account may apply for a MCPS Outlook Email account. Return the signed application to the Student Affairs Office at Lakelands ParkMiddle School (as a school secretary to put it in the MCPS pony!). (application - pdf file)

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Detailed Information 2011-2012
MARCH & APRIL
Memo to Principals	Memo and attachments (pdf file)
Information for students and parents	Attachments for students and parents • Program overview (pdf file) • Application worksheet (pdf file) • Student Commitment Form (pdf file) Attachments for student and parents in Spanish (coming soon)
Information for school adult contacts	Attachment for school adult contact (pdf file ) Full packet for school adult contact - (pdf file )
School adult contact registration -Please report contact by Friday, March 25, 2011	no user ID, just click "request"
Student Application Link - Application is only open until June 30th. No exceptions. Students applying should also send the signed commitment form by July 1st. The selection panel will get back to you about your application as soon as possible but by July 1st.	no user ID, just click "request"
MAY
Commitment Form (pdf file)
AUGUST
Letter to Parents and Students (includes field trip permission form) • Hispanic Caucus - orientation letter with field trip form (pdf file) • Black Caucus - orientation letter with field trip form (pdf file)
SEPTEMBER
Orientation for Students and Parents Please bring the signed field trip form included with the mailed letter or download it from above.	Wednesday, August 31, 2011 Kennedy High School Cafeteria • Black program 6:00-7:00 p.m. • Hispanic program 7:30-8:30 p.m.
	Tuesday, September 6, 2011 Quince Orchard High School Cafeteria • Black program 7:30-8:30 p.m. • Hispanic program 6:00-7:00 p.m.
Documents from Orientation: • coming soon
Congressional Hispanic/Black Caucus Annual Legislative Conference back to top	Hispanic Program Tuesday, September 13, 2011 Washington Convention Center 801 Mount Vernon Place, N.W., Wash., D.C. (Neelsville bus 6:15am - Eastern bus 6:45am) bus form (pdf file)
	Black Program Thursday, September 22, 2011 Washington Convention Center 801 Mount Vernon Place, N.W., Wash., D.C. (Neelsville bus 6:15am - Eastern bus 6:45am) bus form (pdf file)
Hispanic Caucus • Conference Agenda (coming soon) • Session Overview (coming soon) • Selection Form (coming soon) • CHCI Perm. form (coming soon)	Black Caucus • Conference Agenda (coming soon) • Selection Form (coming soon)
OCTOBER - JANUARY
Students meet three separate times (October, November-December, and January) with their assigned group and professional advisor to research and/or discuss the assigned position before the mock debate and Local Issues Forum. Students will be placed in groups that are geographically close to other group members and/or their professional advisor. If a student cannot attend a meeting, a maximum of one meeting can be made up via teleconference. Students meet three times with their group and professional advisor for research/discussion of assigned position on topic and be ready to participate in a mock debate and Local Issues Forum. (Problems with advisor contact? Please email Ms. Claudia Cadavid (Claudia.Cadavid@mcbre.org) from the Montgomery County Business Roundtable for Education. Students should be preparing for their "mock debate" back to top
FEBRUARY
SELP Local Issues Forum 6:30-8:30 p.m. Monday, February 6, 2012 (if MCPS cancels afterschool/evening activities due to weather the snow date is February 7, 2012) • Agenda (pdf file) Auditorium, Carver Educational Services Center (850 Hungerford Dr.) The Congressional reception date has not been finalized - if possible, we will have permission forms at the Local Issues Forum. back to top
Late FEBRUARY or early MARCH
Congressional Reception (March 8, 2012)
An invitation is extended to students who have completed the program requirements attended the pre-conference orientation attended the Legislative Caucus conference met a minimum of three times with assigned group and professional advisor completed assigned position research on topic and participated in mock debate and Local Issues Forum If you didn't receive a email letter of invitation and you feel you have completed the program requirements, please contact Mrs. Karen Crawford (301-670-1419 or Karen_L_Crawford@mcpsmd.org) (Karen_L_Crawford@mcpsmd.org)
March 8, 2012 (deadline for return, February 17, 2012) Transportation form (pdf file)

Updated February 6, 2012 | Maintained by Karen Crawford