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.
Student advisors are expected to serve for two years.
Any sophomore student 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. 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, and attendance are considered by the
selection committee.
The seat for a student advisor from the Third Congressional
District is currently filled.
Applications for the seats for the First, Second, and Fourth
Congressional Districts and for the Arkansas Military and First Responders
Academy will be accepted beginning April 1, 2025 through April 30, 2025.
The application consists of three parts:
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 three 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.
- Promote
activities for the Month of the Military Child in his/her school.
- Communicate regularly with the District Military Education Coordinator and/or School Military Liaison in his/her school and district.
- Provide written input to the Council for each Council meeting. An online form with prompts is used for this purpose.
Collectively, the Student Advisory Committee is expected to:
- Present
a written and verbal report to the Council at its May
meeting.
- 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.