The Arkansas Council for Military Children Student Advisory Committee (SAC) provides a means for children of military families to have direct, regular input to and interaction with the Arkansas Council for Military Children (the Council).  The SAC consists of up to five students, one from each of Arkansas’ four congressional districts and an at-large member from the Arkansas Military and First Responders Academy.  The SAC will be supervised and mentored by members of the Council, two of whom will serve as Chair and Vice Chair of the SAC.  The SAC will meet either in person or via web-based conferencing two to four times during the academic year. 

 Students interested in serving on the SAC apply during the spring of their sophomore year in high school.  An ad hoc committee consisting of the Council chair, vice chair, and the chair of each of the Council’s standing committees will review the applications and vote on whom to accept.   Grades, discipline, attendance are considered by the selection committee.

Student advisors chosen as rising seniors are expected to serve for one year.  Student advisors chosen as rising juniors are expected to serve for two years.  During the first year of the program, the Council will choose two or three rising seniors for a one-year term of service and two or three rising juniors for a two-year term of service.  In each subsequent year the Council will accept applications for the vacancies occurring as its senior student advisors graduate.

Any rising junior enrolled in an Arkansas public, charter, or private school whose parent, stepparent, or legal guardian is currently serving in the military is eligible to apply.  The at-large student advisor from the Arkansas Military and First responders Academy must be also a student in good standing currently enrolled in JROTC at the Academy is eligible.

Students may apply online during the month of April.  For the 2023-24 academic year, students may submit applications beginning April 1, 2024 through April 30, 2024. The application consists of three parts:

• Online application form submitted by the student.
• Parental consent form hand-signed by the student’s custodial parent or legal guardian, submitted as an attachment to the student’s application.
• Online endorsement submitted by the student’s principal.

Each student advisor will receive credit for a minimum of six community service learning hours and a maximum of twelve community service learning hours per academic year with credit to be awarded as follows:

• One hour for each Council meeting the student advisor attends virtually.
• Two hours for each Council meeting the student advisor hosts or attends in person.
• One half hour for each Committee meeting the student advisor attends, including meetings of the SAC.
• One half hour for each semi-annual report the student advisor prepares and presents.
• One hour for participation in developing the addendum to the Council’s annual report.

The Council chair will report each student advisor’s community service learning hours annually to the student advisor’s school district.  Upon conclusion of the student advisor’s term of service, the student advisor will receive a certificate of service from the Council and the opportunity to use Council members as references.

Each student advisor is expected to:

• Attend at least four Council meetings during the academic year, either in person or via web-based conferencing. Student advisors may participate fully in all discussions during Council meetings but may not vote.
• Host one Council meeting during the student advisor’s two-year term of service. The meeting may be held at the student advisor’s school or at another public venue approved by the Council.
• Serve as an advisor to one of the Council’s standing committees other than the Student Advisory Committee.
• Promote activities for the Month of the Military Child in his/her school.

Collectively, the Student Advisory Committee is expected to:

• Present a written and verbal report to the Council at its November and May meetings.
• Provide a written addendum to the Council’s annual report to the Governor, House and Senate Education Committees, and State Board of Education.

By submitting the endorsement form online, the student advisor’s principal agrees to do the following:

• Excuse the student advisor’s absence from school to attend Council or committee meetings.
• Award credit for community service learning as reported by the Council.
• Host one Council meeting on site during the student advisor’s two-year term of service.