Education

This school year, more than 1,500 MCPS high school graduates will earn the Maryland Seal of Biliteracy in over 28 languages. the Maryland Seal of Biliteracy recognizes a student’s high level of proficiency in listening, speaking, reading and writing in English and one or more languages.

The Maryland Seal of Biliteracy is an award given by participating school systems that recognizes a student’s high level of proficiency in listening, speaking, reading and writing in English and one or more languages. Starting in California in 2011, the Seal of Biliteracy is now offered in 28 states and the District of Columbia. Maryland’s Seal of Biliteracy Bill was signed into law in 2016 and implemented for the first time in 2017.

In honor of Asian Pacific American Islander Heritage Month, 95 K–12 students in 49 schools participated in a poster contest hosted by the Asian Pacific American Student Achievement Action Group. The contest called on students to create original art work to commemorate the histories, challenges and contributions of Asian American and Pacific Islanders in the U.S. All  21 student winners and honorable mentions were honored during a ceremony last month. See the winning artwork.

Winners are:

Samantha Jayasundera will be honored during the 11th annual Montgomery Serves Awards, the county’s highest honor for service and volunteerism, tonight (June 15). This year’s honorees represent volunteers dedicated to programs including social justice and educational advocacy, safety-net healthcare services and outreach to vulnerable populations.

Samantha, a senior at Montgomery Blair High School, will be named a Youth Volunteer of the Year. She is a co-founder of Sankofa Empowering Women in Ghana (SEWING), a women’s empowerment and human rights program combating child labor and female exploitation. Committed to her personal focus of “education for all,” she has spoken on the local, national and international stage, hosted conferences and led large-scale initiatives for education and equity.

College Conversations: Connecting Students of Color to Top Colleges is being held from 6:30–8:30 p.m. on July 22. The event is sponsored by MCPS, the NAACP Parents’ Council and Johns Hopkins University. It is geared toward rising seniors of color and their families.

This event will feature college admissions officers discussing financial aid, scholarships and the college admissions process. Other breakout sessions will highlight the college experience, writing college essays and others. Representatives from more than 25 colleges and universities are planning to attend.