<![CDATA[VotEd - Advocacy Journal]]>

<![CDATA[VotEd - Advocacy Journal]]>Sat, 14 Dec 2024 09:56:01 -0800Weebly<![CDATA[Students Learn Students Vote Conference 2024]]>Thu, 21 Nov 2024 08:00:00 GMThttp://www.votedusa.com/advocacy-journal/students-learn-students-vote-conference-2024In November of 2024, our founder Jacquelyn P. Slade attended the National Students Learn Students Vote Conference at the University of Maryland with the Hopkins Votes Team. At this conference, she shared her organization of In The Stacks, a concert series featuring student performances that reflected on the power of music in Democracy. Alongside the Hopkins Votes Team, she attended sessions on coalition-bulding and jobs in the field of advocacy. She also met with many amazing voter engagement professionals and activists from around the country, including those from Baltimore Votes and Headcount. She is looking forward to further continuing this work!

]]><![CDATA[In The Stacks: Hop The Vote - A Concert Celebrating the Power of Music in Democracy]]>Tue, 29 Oct 2024 07:00:00 GMThttp://www.votedusa.com/advocacy-journal/in-the-stacks-hop-the-vote-a-concert-celebrating-the-power-of-music-in-democracyThis past election season, Jacquelyn organized and hosted In the Stacks: Hop the Vote along with the team at the Center for Social Concern, Johns Hopkins University at the George Peabody Library. This unique collaboration between In the Stacks and Hopkins Votes celebrated the power of music in democracy. Peabody Institute student jazz ensembles explored themes of voting, civic engagement, social responsibility, and collective action in an hour of curated music, accompanied by exhibits from the collections including an original journal of Sarah Vaughn's.

Read Jacquelyn's Reflections below:

I has been dreaming about hosting an event that emphasizes the unique power music can have in democracy since her freshman year, and In the Stacks was even better than I could have imagined. Thank you so much Luis Sierra Moncion, M.S., Jasmine L. Blanks Jones, Ph.D., MPP, Willow Goode and Sam Bessen for making this event happen. Special thanks to the amazing members of our selection committee Nicoleen Willson, Sarah Hoover, and Lara Bruckmann for providing their expertise as members of our selection committee. And we could not have done the event without our Hopkins Votes Ambassadors Sareen Muthyala, Julia Fang, Arielle Clayton, and Elizabeth Zuerblis who provided many students with voting information at In the Stacks. And we can't forget the amazing musicians from The Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University who brought their wonderful music reflecting on Baltimore and political identity.

This event was the highlight of my experience as the Peabody Engagement Coordinator for Hopkins Votes. Thanks to everyone who helped make it a reality!

]]><![CDATA[Fever at An Die Musik]]>Sun, 13 Nov 2022 08:00:00 GMThttp://www.votedusa.com/advocacy-journal/fever-at-an-die-musikI sang Fever at An Die Musik today, with Coby Siegel on Guitar and Dylan Simon on Bass. Enjoy!

]]><![CDATA[Jacquelyn Elected Co-President of the Carroll County League of Women Voters]]>Fri, 15 Jul 2022 07:00:00 GMThttp://www.votedusa.com/advocacy-journal/jacquelyn-elected-co-president-of-the-carroll-county-league-of-women-votersToday, Jacquelyn was elected Co-President of the Carroll County League of Women Voters along with Cheryl Steinbacher. By developing the social media team and the Vote 411 Guide Team, Jacquelyn has already grown the presence of the League in Carroll County. She is very excited to continue developing the presence if the Carroll County Maryland League by working with local organizations to share voter information while also growing the membership.]]><![CDATA[Women in Government Panel]]>Wed, 21 Apr 2021 07:00:00 GMThttp://www.votedusa.com/advocacy-journal/women-in-government-panelToday, Jacquelyn hosted a panel of women in government of both political parties with panelists Clerk of Court Heather DeWees, Representative Jessica Feldmark, Delegate Susan Krebs, Delegate Brooke Lierman, Judge Maria Oesterreicher, and Councilwoman Odette Ramos (listed in alphabetical order). She shared panel with over 200 high school students and faculty members via zoom.
This panel served to inspire young women to enter the political arena and advocate for what they believe in when they do not see it happening within their own communities. Jacquelyn asked each woman questions on how their political career began, what they were doing to advocate for the needs of others as teenagers and young adults, and about their paths to success. Watch the panel below!

]]><![CDATA[Testifying in the Maryland State Senate]]>Tue, 09 Feb 2021 14:48:24 GMThttp://www.votedusa.com/advocacy-journal/testifying-in-the-maryland-state-senateToday, Jacquelyn testified in collaboration with the League of Women Voters in favor of SB 283, The Student and Military Voter Empowerment Act. If you did not read the last post, the Voter Empowerment Act is a great first step to make the process of registering and turning out to vote easier, especially for young people in the military and at university/college. There are three main parts of the legislation:
1. Military personnel can use their federal military ID to register to vote online,
2. Local Boards of Elections have to include large residential communities, such as universities, colleges, and nursing homes, in the process of deciding polling locations
3. Universities/colleges have to designate a staff member as the Student Voting Coordinator and develop a plan to increase voter registration and turnout.
Jacquelyn's testimony was received favorably by the committee, in fact, they remarked that it was nice to see someone younger from the League of Women Voters. The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan political organization, encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy.
You can watch Jacquelyn's testimony below here starting at 4:16:59.

]]><![CDATA[Testifying in Favor of HB 156 in the MD State House]]>Mon, 08 Feb 2021 15:41:47 GMThttp://www.votedusa.com/advocacy-journal/testifying-in-favor-of-hb-156-in-the-md-state-houseToday our founder Jacquelyn Slade testified in front of the Maryland State House in favor of the Student and Military Voter Empowerment Act, also known as HB 156. She was one of a few students asked to testify for the bill by Delegate Luedtke, the sponsor or HB 156 in the State House. Jacquelyn also submitted written testimony through a My MGA account, which is a specific account through the MD General Assembly that can be used to sign up to testify as well as track bills in the MD Senate and House.
The Voter Empowerment Act which she testified for is a great first step to make the process of registering and turning out to vote easier, especially for young people in the military and at university/college. There are three main parts of the legislation:
1. Military personnel can use their federal military ID to register to vote online,
2. Local Boards of Elections have to include large residential communities, such as universities, colleges, and nursing homes, in the process of deciding polling locations
3. Universities/colleges have to designate a staff member as the Student Voting Coordinator and develop a plan to increase voter registration and turnout
The full text of the bill is here.
You can watch Jacquelyn's Testimony below starting at 37:43.

]]><![CDATA[Empowering Female Voices: Close Up Day 2]]>Tue, 02 Feb 2021 08:00:00 GMThttp://www.votedusa.com/advocacy-journal/empowering-female-voices-close-up-day-2Today, Jacquelyn began to ponder the roots and effects of inequities in the education system. She plotted out and discussed major inequities in the educational system with her peers. She identified 3 main inequities in the educational system which she will be writing uop policy proposals surrounding in the following week, including a lack of preparation for college.

]]><![CDATA[Empowering Female Voices: Close Up]]>Tue, 26 Jan 2021 08:00:00 GMThttp://www.votedusa.com/advocacy-journal/empowering-female-voices-close-upToday, Jacquelyn attended the first session of the Close Up: Empowering Female Voices Program. The program focuses on policy proposals made for Biden's First 100 days. Each participant shares their stories and works togeather on the policy proposals regarding issues facing our country today. On Jacquelyn's first day, she learned about policy proposals Biden made regarding issues such as education, the environment, and health insurance. She chose to focus on policy proposals regarding education, with the hope to increase civics education in schools. She looks forward to meeting engaged teens from around the country!]]><![CDATA[Women in Politics Panel with Hockaday Institute for Social Impact]]>Thu, 10 Dec 2020 08:00:00 GMThttp://www.votedusa.com/advocacy-journal/women-in-politics-panel-with-hockaday-institute-for-social-impactToday, Jacquelyn attended a panel with other high school students interested in pursuing careers in the political field with the Hockaday Institute for Social Impact. This panel included Melissa Kilby, the Executive Director of Girl Up; Irene Bueno, the founder of the NVG government relations firm; and Amber MacDonald, a speechwriter for the Biden Campaign. During this meeting, Jacquelyn was able to network with Melissa Kilby and learn more about how to create change through VotEd from experts in the field.

Learn more about the Hockaday Institute for Social Impact here: https://www.hockaday.org/academics/institute-for-social-impact]]>