PASC will hold its 14th annual Student Summit in the State Capitol in Harrisburg on February 23, 2012.  One of the most important issues facing lawmakers and government leaders in Pennsylvania is the education of our state’s 1.8 million students. Our state government’s continuing goal is to provide the highest quality of education for the 21st century and the most affordable price.  Many adults in and outside of government have many and varied opinions on how best to achieve the goal.  The students of Pennsylvania are the recipients of this education and also the greatest stakeholders in the success in achieving the highest standard of education in our nation. The 2012 PASC Student Summit is designed to give the students of Pennsylvania a voice in the most important topic. 

PASC invites schools to send four students to Harrisburg for this Student Summit on 21st Century Education.  The Summit is designed around six aspects:
    • Research and Preparation by student participations prior to the February 23rd meeting with focus on four specific educational issues.
    • Development of Proposals by students in advance of the Summit and the refinement of those proposals through working with other students during morning work sessions.
    • Presentation and Debate on proposals recommended by student committees during an afternoon general session following lunch.
    • Refinement of Proposals by the “working committees” to incorporate ideas generated through the general session debates and discussion. 
    • Nomination of up to six students who will be tasked with the responsibility of working with PASC to present students’ ideas generated at the Summit to the State Board of Education, the Secretary of Education, and Education Committee Chairs of the Pennsylvania House
and Senate.
• Student participants will also be encouraged to make presentations to their local School Boards.  

Educational Topic Areas—The topics that students should research and prepare proposals for in preparation for the Summit are:
    • Academic Accountability
    • Equitable Funding
    • Teacher Certification and Training
    • Role of Co-Curricular Activities in the Educational Process 

Tentative Schedule
8:15–8:45  Registration at the East Wing of the State Capitol
9:00–9:15  Opening Session in the House of Representative’s Chamber
9:30–10:15  General Work Session

• Students will be divided into groups based on their interest in the four major educational topic issues facing Pennsylvania. A facilitator will lead a group of 30–35 students in a discussion of their topic.  Students will be asked to present their proposals to the group.    

10:30–11:45 Resolution Writing

• Each of the four groups will select up to three student resolutions and divide into that number of sub-groups. Each committee will prepare one or more resolutions to be presented to all delegates during the afternoon General Session.
• The committee will select two or more spokespersons to make General Session presentations.
  

11:45–12:45  Lunch on your own/ Free time at the State Capitol Complex
1:00–3:30  General Session on the Floor of the House of  Representatives

• Each committee will present resolutions to the general body. Delegates and committee spokespersons will engage in a comment period and debate on the resolutions during a 30-minute block of time. 
• At the end of 30 minutes the delegates will vote to support or to reject each resolution presented on that topic.
• The same process above will be used to reach student opinion on each of the four educational topic areas. Delegates from other committees may  submit written recommendations for the committee to consider following the general session.
  

3:45–4:45 Committees will reconvene to revise their resolutions based on the vote of student delegates in the general session and on written opinions provided to the committee from other delegates.

• Each committee will select a representative to work with PASC on the final draft of the Summit resolutions  and presentations of resolutions to Pennsylvania educational leaders.
  

Following the Summit, participants will be emailed resolutions that they may use to present to their local School Boards.

The program is open all students (including non-student council members) in grades 9–12 only.  The deadline to apply is January 18, 2012.