Global Studies Academy
Newsletter November 14, 2022
From your Academy Coordinator -
In this newsletter you will find helpful information, news from the GSA Booster Club, and some volunteer opportunities and Enrichment Opportunities.
Parents/Guardians, please make sure that you have gone into skyward and checked your email addresses. It is our main way of communicating with everyone and last week many were undelivered. If it is incorrect, please update it.
Enrichment and Volunteer Hours: You will find links in the newsletters to enrichment and volunteer opportunities for the semester. Please remember that you will need to complete two enrichments per semester for a total of 4 for the year and 12.5 volunteer hours for a total of 25 hours a year.
GSA Booster Club Membership Dues!!
Please pay your $45 GSA Booster Club membership dues. Click the link below to complete the registration form and submit your payment. Dues are used to pay for various events throughout the year including student socials, Lock-In, the Global Issues Summit and the End of Year Banquet. Funds are also used for student Travel Grants and for Senior Scholarships.
We also accept additional donations on our website and please reach out to businesses or companies that may be interested in donating to these wonderful students! Thank you for your support!
We appreciate your help in making this year the best GSA year yet!
GSA Parent & Booster Club BAND
Please take a moment to download the "Band" app, this is a quick and easy way to stay in touch as a group. GSA Booster Club is very active and hosts a lot of spirit nights, parent socials, and invites all GSA parents to play an active role in GSA through opportunities provided in the Booster Club. Scan the QR Code or click the link below to join our group!
Hey, join our 'GSA Booster Club & Parent Band' group on BAND - The app for groups and communities!
https://band.us/n/a0a57eGeW7765
Academy Bus Routes 2022-2023
NEW! Band APP for STUDENT ONLY communication through GSA
Feel free to scan the QR code below to join our Band to stay up to date on all things GSA!
Global Studies Academy Student Survey
Please take some time to fill out the form at the link below from our GSA Student Executive Leadership Team. GSA's Student Executive Leadership Team is working diligently to ensure your experience in GSA is memorable and enriching.
We would like to start highlighting our outstanding Academy students and their accomplishments in and outside of school. If your student has won an award, received a scholarship, participated in a competitive summer program, etc. please submit this form. We will post your student's accomplishment in/on the varies academy social media platforms and they may be featured in other community publication.
The name and photo associated with your Google account will be recorded when you upload files and submit this form
Schoology Course Codes
Class of 2026: BNKQX-H3TT8
Class of 2025: VPJX-CW5H-VGHTF
Cass of 2024: VT9G-5M3S-FZ88N
Class of 2023: 8JDHC-R5M8M
YOU MUST FILL OUT THE FORM BELOW WHEN SUBMITTING ENRICHMENTS!!
Sugar Land Cultural Arts Festival - Youth Talent Show
As an organization, the Sugar Land Cultural Arts Foundation seeks to highlight the presence of the arts and culture in our community.
Here are the details:
How does it work?
Students will create a video up to 3 minutes in length of them performing their art and submit it to our Google Form (https://forms.gle/JSBu8f1dARD27KkL9), where it will be received by the Board. Twelve students will be selected to win a chance to showcase their talent at Inspiration Stage along with an opportunity to win a grand prize.
Who can enter?
This is eligible for grades 9-12 who attend schools in Fort Bend County, so please pass the information along to your students and whomever else fits the criteria so that we may highlight their talent.
Selecting a winner:
The videos will be reviewed by a committee from the Board. Once selected, we will inform the finalists that they will be moving on to the live talent show. Residents of the Sugar Land area will be invited to attend. These finalists will perform live where their talents will be voted on by judges.
Prizes:
The first, second, and third place winners of the live talent show will receive a prize and a trophy, and all participants will receive a certificate for their courage to step up and show us their talent!
Submissions:
We will only be accepting 35 entries. As soon as we reach that amount, we will email the additional students back to let them know we have reached full capacity. We will open submissions on November 1st, and they will close on December 1st so act fast! We will announce the finalists on December 12th and email them letting them know they have made it to the in-person performance. Attached below is a flyer containing this information that you may share and find on our social media.
If you have any questions email slcafyouth@gmail.com.
RealTalk Virtual College Exploration
Real Talk is a virtual college exploration initiative designed to connect Black students and families with Black representatives from colleges and access organizations across the country. We empower Black students to own their futures their way.
Real Talk is a safe space for you to learn and engage, while also getting answers to your most pressing questions about life after high school. No matter where you are on your journey, we’re here for you. Family members and educators are also encouraged to participate!
Dare to Reshape the World ART Contest
TakingITGlobal and Actionable Innovations Global are co-hosting a student art contest entitled Dare to Reshape the World. It is open to anyone ages 10-30, and the deadline for submissions is November 16th. The winners will be announced at the online Global Learning for an Open World conference, and PRIZES are involved. Here are the details from TakingITGlobal.
What visions come to mind when you close your eyes and imagine a better world?
There are many things changing very quickly and many ‘problems’ to fix in the world today. Each of these problems also represents an opportunity to engage and shape the future of our communities and our world.
Being able to visualize how our world could be different provides a strong anchor as we navigate through these times of uncertainty and change.
We invite your imagination and creativity to run wild and visualize how the world could be improved.
We want to collect bold visions for how our systems could be re-imagined in new ways. We have a stack of prizes (including laptops, iPads, and more) to reward those with compelling visions for our future who upload their works to our global gallery set.
Over the next few months, we will be using new technologies to create a series of visuals relating to Internationally recognized days and how themes of these days could be used to transform our world. We hope these inspire you to create your own works and upload them.
We're launching this contest to coincide with the upcoming virtual GLOW conference and will showcase the winning entries at this event. We also plan to showcase the works submitted as part of other international conferences and gatherings to inspire decision-makers and community leaders. With this in mind, please include a short description of the image or video that you submit to provide additional context on the meaning of what you have created.
If you have any questions, contact me (lucy@globaledevents.com) or Michael Furdyk (mfurdyk@takingitglobal.org).
Also, don't forget to register for the GLOW conference and submit a session proposal (due by November 1)! You don't want to miss this extraordinary professional learning event, and we want you to be an active part of our global education community.
Digital Storytelling for High School Teens
Hope of Harvest is proud to offer Alley Theatre's B.E.T.A Project, a multipart digital storytelling workshop in which participants are guided through the storytelling process while utilizing video and editing equipment in the creation of a digital project. This workshop will be held from 10:00 am to 12:30 pm on the following Saturdays: October 15, 2022, October 22, 2022, November 5, 2022, and November 12, 2022.
Space is limited and registration is required. Click here for more information about the B.E.T.A Project: www.alleyathomehelponline.com/betadata
CIEE Global Navigator High School Summer Abroad
Virtual Presentation Every Wednesday at 8:00 p.m. EST
We want your students to apply for their study abroad programs with confidence!
That's why every Wednesday at 8:00 p.m. EST, our helpful Enrollment Coordinators answer questions live on a virtual call.
Students, parents, teachers and administrators are all invited to join us to learn more about:
- Program options
- Application process
- How to apply to a scholarships and more
Texas A&M University - Bush School of Government & Public Service recruiting events
See the website below on how to register for their webinars and in-person events. These events may also count as enrichment credits.
Youth in Politics - Article Writing
Youth in Politics is an organization dedicated to creating more civically engaged and informed teens. If you are interested in writing article(s) to be published on their website, you may receive enrichment credit for each article that is published.
*NOTE* your article must be published to receive enrichment credit, if the owners of Youth in Politics choose not to publish your article, you will not receive enrichment credit.
Community Mapping 101 - Enrichment Opportunity
Please check out the link below to complete the activity for an additional enrichment opportunity!
YOU MUST USE THE VOLUNTEER FORM BELOW WHEN UPLOADING VOLUNTEER HOURS!!
VOLUNTEER HOURS - UPDATES
GSA Students must complete a total of 25 volunteer hours per school year. This breaks down to 12.5 volunteer hours per semester. You may find some opportunities available to you below.
**CHANGE: You will now submit your volunteer hours directly to Schoology. You must upload your volunteer hour documents in a way that can be opened and viewed or you will not receive credit.
The Expose Excellence Youth Program has another volunteer opportunity next week! We need assistance preparing for our upcoming holiday fundraising event.
We need student volunteers for these specific tasks:
-students with great handwriting to help sign thank you cards
-on-camera content creators to help us film videos about our silent auction items
-creative students that can help us decorate various items
Please have students sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c094fa5ad2da7fac25-expose
Students can help with multiple tasks but please have them sign up for only 1 slot. Students must cancel their registration if they are no longer available.
Please share this with your students.
Location: Fort Bend County Justice Center- Richmond TX
Time: 10am-2pm
More information will be provided in the confirmation email.
About the Elementari Art Contests
Elementari is hosting 5 art contests from October to January open to artists of all ages to utilize their creativity and artistic skills. Artists are invited to submit an original piece that will uplift, brighten and/or service the greater community according to the various themes.
These art contests are made possible with a grant from the Interledger Foundation to boost open, fair, and inclusive standards and innovation in Web Monetization. You can learn more about how Elementari is using this grant to enable Web Monetization for our educator and artists creators in our grant annoucement .
Who can Submit? Contest Categories
The Elementari Art Contests are open to all ages. There are 5 categories:
Category 1: Students and classes grades K – 2
Category 2: Students and classes grades 3 – 5
Category 3: Students and classes grades 6 – 8
Category 4: Students and classes grades 9 – 12
Category 5: Adults
Join us as a Judge!
Interested in volunteering to be Judge for our Art Contests? We'd love to have you join our community. You can volunteer to judge any of the contests or categories. Just fill out the google form.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSewp3nNSXf1leO4puVS1J90H-UPbbaqydFbSPHfZcmW6hU3lA/viewform
Goodwill Houston Volunteering
Goodwill Houston needs volunteers like you to help change lives! Through our volunteer program, we offer fun, hands-on opportunities to get you involved and help us make a meaningful impact in the Greater Houston area.
If you are interested in making a difference, Goodwill Houston is the place for you!
We welcome the following types of volunteers:
Volunteer Program
Student Program
Vocational Learning Program
Community Service
Volunteer with SBP Disaster Relief
Experience meaningful volunteer experiences that teach you life skills as well as help your community! Scan the QR code on the second flyer below to learn more!
Cards for a Cause
Cards for a Cause is a nonprofit organization dedicated to uplifting the spirits of disheartened, hospitalized, and/or seriously ill children by creating and sending encouraging homemade cards to give them something to smile about during a difficult time.
Make and send 6 cards to equal 1 volunteer hour. Make sure you take a picture of the cards you send and upload them with your volunteer forms.
See website on how to get involved:
Letters Against Isolation
Make and send 6 cards to equal 1 volunteer hour. Make sure you take a pictures of the cards you send and upload them with your volunteer forms.
See the website on how to get involved:
TUTOR CHILDREN VIRTUALLY WITH TEENSGIVE
TeensGive volunteers are high school students who want to use their skills to give back. So, what better way than through helping younger children learn? We offer three options to our members:
- In-person tutoring at our network of after-school programs
- Virtual volunteering: tutor children from Title 1 schools online on our platform
- Teach our entrepreneurship curriculum, Counting Cupcakes, which teaches math and business skills in a fun and delicious way!
"https://teensgive.org/about-us/"
TRANSLATE TED TALKS VIRTUALLY
TED Translators are a global community of volunteers who subtitle TED Talks, and enable the inspiring ideas in them to crisscross languages and borders.
Volunteer Roles: Apply HERE
The TED Translators program encourages the growth and advancement of all of our volunteers. There are specific roles volunteers can achieve to engage in the program and develop their skills:
Translator / Transcriber
Translators and transcribers are volunteers who create subtitles on CaptionHub. New volunteers should work on one assignment at a time before claiming a new video to subtitle.
Qualifications:
- Fluent in both source and target languages (note: transcribers should be fluent in the transcription language)
- Passed onboarding application quiz
- Reviewed all TED guidelines and best practices
Virtually National Archives Transcription and Tagging VIRTUALLY NATIONAL ARCHIVES TRANSCRIPTION AND TAGGING
Topics that the National Archives is looking for help with include: Sign up Here
- Homestead Final Certificates 18-63-1894
- African American History Documents
- The American Soldier
- African American Civil Wars Soldiers
- and Many more
- At the bottom of this page, they have documents categorized by beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced.
ZOONIVERSE VIRTUAL VOLUNTEERING OPPORTUNITIES
Second Mile
Whether you love to work one-on-one with people in need or to work diligently behind the scenes, we have a place for you. People like you give their time and talents to help us serve our neighbors through the most devastating moments of their life. We could not do this work without generous volunteers. Volunteers ages 12 to 15 must be accompanied by an adult at all times.
- Before your volunteer session and for a quicker check-in, complete this online volunteer application: https://secondmile.keepntrack.com/apply/index.html?db=secondmile.
- Please be sure to sign in at the volunteer kiosk and sign out after volunteering. We will not be able to process your volunteer records without these steps.
Mask Mandate Update (August 2021)
In accordance with the latest CDC guidelines and with the rapid rise in Covid-19 cases, masks are required for all individuals who enter Second Mile.
Thank you for your help in supporting this ministry while prioritizing the health of our community.
Project C.U.R.E
Please join us in saving lives by preparing medical supplies for shipment to hospitals and clinics in need around the world. Activities may include organizing warehouse inventory, sorting medical supplies, supporting administrative efforts, pulling for and loading containers, or other projects to be accomplished for the day. This will be a fun, engaging, and hands-on experience.
Project C.U.R.E. was founded in 1987 to help meet the need for medical supplies, equipment, and services around the world. Project C.U.R.E. builds sustainable healthcare infrastructure by providing the medical supplies and equipment needed to deliver healthcare in communities. Since its inception, Project C.U.R.E. has delivered medical relief to people in need in more than 130 countries.
- Go to this link: https://projectcure.volunteerhub.com/lp/houston/
- Scroll to the calendar and select a date which you are available (Make sure to go fast, spots are filling up!)
- Select “Sign Up” and “Create new account”
- Once you have created your account, you will be emailed a confirmation
- Students below 18 must print/ fill out a waiver form signed by their parent/guardian and bring it to the event *The waiver will be in your email confirmation
- New volunteers must arrive 10-15 minutes early to their volunteer slot for an orientation
Important Information:
Thank you for volunteering to serve with Project C.U.R.E.
Project C.U.R.E.’s Houston facility is located at 8303 Kempwood Drive, Houston, TX 77055. We are located in Spring Branch near the intersection of Bingle and Kempwood.
Before arriving, please review the safety guidelines in this video.
Also, please keep the following in mind:
- Volunteers are required to wear closed-toed shoes in the warehouse.
- Please dress comfortably and wear weather appropriate clothing - the warehouse can be warm in the summer and cool in the winter.
- Some of our tasks can be physically demanding but are always optional
- Minimum age to volunteer is 15 (under 18 requires parent/legal guardian signed consent in advance).
We look forward to working with you soon! Thanks for your interest in helping in our mission of "delivering Health & Hope to the world!"
The safety of our volunteers and staff is our top priority. We are taking all possible precautions. During your volunteer time, we will be following CDC recommendations and all volunteers and staff are required to follow social distancing guidelines and wear a mask and gloves. If you have your own mask, please bring it to your volunteer session. Disposable masks will be provided if needed. Please wash your hands or use hand sanitizer throughout your volunteer session. Please do not come volunteer if you are feeling ill or have been in contact with someone feeling ill. Your support in maintaining a safe facility is tremendously appreciated!
Please keep in mind the following:
- Attire: Volunteers are required to wear closed-toed shoes. We recommend comfortable, weather-appropriate attire that you don't mind getting dusty. The warehouse is colder in winters and warmer in summers.
- Timing: Please arrive on time. You will be led by a Volunteer Leader and they will need adequate time to explain to you what will need to be done.
- Food/drink: You are welcome to bring water and small snacks with you if you wish.
- Age: The minimum age to volunteer is 14 years old; volunteers younger than 18 years old will need parent/legal guardian consent signature.
- Cancellation concern: If you are unable to attend, please cancel your registration so we do not schedule staff unnecessarily.
We look forward to working with you soon! Thank you for helping us in delivering health and hope to the world.
Target Hunger
Target Hunger depends upon the support of the community to fulfill our mission. A vital aspect of that support is volunteerism. Each year, Target Hunger welcomes hundreds of volunteers who donate their time to help children, families, and seniors in need of food assistance. If you are interested in volunteering with Target Hunger, please register below.
Current Volunteer Opportunities
Drive-Thru Food Distributions
Volunteer to help pack bags filled with food and place into the trunk’s of cars.
Register to Volunteer at a Food Distribution
Community Garden
Do you enjoy working outdoors? Do you want to share your passion for gardening with others? We welcome both novice and experienced gardeners to volunteer at our Garden. Volunteers work together to grow 6,000 pounds of nutritious produce that is distributed through Target Hunger Pantries and Food Fairs.
Community Garden Volunteers: Missouri City
The Lettuce Live community garden is in Buffalo Run Park in Missouri City, Texas. We have shifts every Saturday from 8:15am - 11:30am to help maintain the Lettuce Live community garden. We're looking for energetic volunteers to join us to harvest, weed, paint, plant seeds and have fun.
Sign up to volunteer at https://signup.com/go/zVzgXUQ
We have precautions in place to ensure the safety of our volunteers. These include outdoor space to maintain at least 6 feet of social distance, using gloves to handle produce, and wearing of masks or protective coverings over the nose and mouth in spaces where sufficient social distance cannot be maintained. We recommend volunteers bring their own drinking water to the garden and ask that you stay home if you are not feeling well.
US Air Force AIM HIGH Flight Academy Scholarship Opportunity
The US Air Force has announced a summer opportunity for students interested in aviation. The AIM HIGH Flight Academy Scholarship is a 3-week all-expense paid program that includes 15 flight hours of training at an Air Force partnered university. Participating students will live, dine, and learn to fly at a university campus. Applications are open through November 30, 2022. This opportunity is available to students between the ages of 16-18 in any career cluster.
Veterans of Foreign Affairs Youth Scholarships
The VFW is dedicated to promoting patriotism and investing in our future generation. If you are a democracy-loving high school student interested in a $35,000 college scholarship or a patriotic middle school student interested in winning $5,000, these scholarships may be for you.
Voice of Democracy
Established in 1947, our Voice of Democracy audio-essay program provides high school students with the unique opportunity to express themselves in regards to a democratic and patriotic-themed recorded essay. Each year, nearly 25,000 9-12 grade students from across the country enter to win their share of more than $2 million in educational scholarships and incentives awarded through the program.
The national first place winner receives a $35,000 scholarship paid directly to the recipient’s American university, college or vocational/technical school. A complete list of other national scholarships range from $1,000-$21,000, and the first place winner from each VFW Department (state) wins at least a scholarship of $1,000. Before submitting your essay, read the rules and eligibility requirements, and find your sponsoring local VFW Post as applications must be turned in by midnight, Oct. 31. Download and complete the 2022-2023 Voice of Democracy entry form here.
The 2022-23 theme is:
"Why is the Veteran Important?"
About the 2021-2022 winner ...
Daniela Mare, a junior at Sachem High School North in Lake Ronkonkoma, New York, was named the 2021-2022 Voice of Democracy first place winner. Daniela's speech on the theme, "America: Where Do We Go from Here?" won her a $30,000 college scholarship. Daniela was sponsored by VFW Post 9486 and its Auxiliary in Centereach, New York. Watch as Daniela delivered her speech during the VFW's virtual Parade of Winners award ceremony.
Want to catch up on everything that happened this year? You can watch the full virtual Parade of Winners ceremony which was streamed live on Facebook, or see this year's complete list of winners.
Click the link below for details!!
Global Studies Academy
Email: mary.skelton@fortbendisd.com
Website: https://www.fortbendisd.com/Domain/2400
Location: 1111 Harlem Road, Richmond, TX, USA
Phone: (281) 634-3106
Twitter: @fbgsa