Cross-posted from this State PTA article.
The California State PTA Student Involvement Committee invites all students to come to the 2009 Convention in San Jose! Convention is an exciting opportunity for students to discover how the California State PTA advocates for them and how they can get involved. At Convention, you can:
- Network with the five student members of the State Board of Managers and with other students from across the state.
- Share your thoughts and opinions as delegates debate resolutions that guide the future advocacy work of PTA.
- Gain a greater sense of the statewide issues that affect you and your education.
- Learn how you can become more involved in PTA, your school, and your community.
Being a student delegate at Convention is a thrilling experience that will leave you inspired and energized. Here is a rundown of the activities sure to be of interest to students at Convention this year.
Student Orientation: 1 – 3 p.m., Thursday, April 30.
Come kick off your Convention experience at this orientation presented by students for students. The orientation will prepare you for your Convention experience and give you a chance to get to know other student delegates from across the state. Following the orientation, students will walk as a group to the first general meeting. Students will have the opportunity to sit together in a specially designated student section during all six general meetings, where student State Board members will be on hand to answer questions about the proceedings.
Fourth General Meeting –The Power for ALL Students! 8:30 – 10:30 a.m., Saturday, May 2.
Student involvement will take center stage during the Fourth General Meeting at Convention. The majority of this general meeting will be run by the student State Board members themselves. Speakers during this general meeting will include the California Teacher of the Year, as well as a keynote presentation by Ray Culberson, director of Youth Services at San Bernardino Unified School District. He is an educator who will discuss his method for dealing with “Kids in Chaos,” and how to recognize hidden assets in students to inspire them to succeed. Students, teachers, and administrators are invited to attend this general meeting for free.
Convention Workshops
Students are invited to attend any of the more than 85 workshops presented Thursday through Saturday, and a number of workshops are labeled in the Convention registration book with “Track S,” identifying workshops that may be of particular interest to students. The Student Involvement Committee will present two workshops on Saturday demonstrating the power of students who got involved with a common goal to make a difference.
Workshop #410 will feature a presentation by the California Youth Council, which successfully raised awareness about “alcopops” and alcoholic energy drinks and helped pass a bill to label and tax them as alcoholic beverages.
Workshop #510 will discuss how youth can build leadership skills and overcome obstacles to make a difference.
We invite you to join us at Convention! For the full Convention experience, ask your PTA unit (school), council, or district to elect you as their full-time voting delegate to Convention. Being a voting delegate will grant you the exciting privilege of making motions, speaking at the microphone, and voting during general meetings. You should also inquire with your PTA about having Convention expenses covered (travel, hotel, meals, registration).
Can’t make it for the entire four days? We recommend that you register for a one-day registration on Saturday, which will allow you to attend the Fourth General Meeting, the two Saturday student involvement workshops (or any other workshops), as well as the Healthy Walk and San Jose Tech Museum events.
Attending Convention as a student delegate is a unique experience that will leave you with new skills, new friends, and the power to get involved and make a difference.
More info about registering for Convention is on the State PTA website.
