Education advisory committee expands school grants and student‑government outreach

The Advisory Committee on Education told City Council at a work session that it increased school grants and institutionalized an annual meeting between the committee and student-government leaders to provide student leadership opportunities.

Why it matters: The committee said the annual meeting with principals and PTA presidents led to a new recurring event that it expects will strengthen student leadership opportunities across Greenbelt schools. The committee also raised concerns about sustaining scholarship funding and asked council to promote participation by other advisory boards in the Labor Day parade.

Committee report: Janet Mirsky, chair of the Advisory Committee on Education, said the committee currently has five members, down from a planned nine, and is actively recruiting. She said the committee awarded grants to two schools this year (double last year’s number) and provided support to a summer coding program called CARES (I Can Code). She described a new, successful pilot: a meeting with student-government leaders that the committee plans to hold annually.

Policy detail: Mirsky said the committee will offer two grant-application windows next year—August or October—to accommodate different principal preferences; grant work would still finish by the end of the school year. The committee also noted scholarship funds are finite and that it is pursuing new funding partners, including a possible Rotary Club scholarship for trade- and two-year‑school students.

Next steps: The committee asked council to encourage other advisory boards to march with it in the Labor Day parade and to support its recruitment efforts to fill vacancies. No formal council action was taken at the work session.