New Voices - STRONGLY recommended for any sophomore or junior

 As the 2022-2023 school year is wrapping up, New Voices Texas needs your help.

The 88th Legislative Session is now in its final days, and, sadly, HB 5266 has not passed. The lack of not having a hearing at this point has doomed it like hundreds of other bills. It will be officially dead when the session ends on May 29, and we will have to start the lobbying process over again during a future session.

Although we are disappointed with the lack of legislative action by the Legislature, we are very proud of the work and progress made by our current group of officers who have fought for New Voices legislation in Texas this year.

We found a new bill sponsor in the House with Rep. Erin Zwiener. We held a lobby day at the Capitol during spring break. And we sent hundreds of emails to members of the Texas House of Representatives Public Education Committee, demanding that they schedule HB 5266 for a hearing.

We won't let the end of the legislative session stop us. So that means it is time to pass the leadership torch to new officers as many of our current officers will be graduating at the end of this school year.

We have at least seven student officer positions that we will need to fill for the coming school year. And we are open to having additional students serve as "Specialists" for things like regional organizing and social media and all-around promotion.

There will be another legislative session starting in January 2025 so we hope to use this next year to build our movement and work at the local levels to educate lawmakers and influencers about the importance of New Voices legislation.

We will host an Interest Meeting on Zoom to let students who want to learn more about the organization and ask questions about what it means to be a student leader for New Voices Texas. The meeting will be held on Zoom on Tuesday, May 23 at 7 p.m.

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us05web.zoom.us/j/81124758231?pwd=emJXK2lwSHFIblI4ZkZqb3hBUGlpQT09

Meeting ID: 811 2475 8231

Passcode: jV6GGC

Volunteer Interest Form

If you are unsure about your ability to serve as an officer but are interested in getting involved with advocating for New Voices Texas, please fill out our Interest Form linked below:

https://forms.gle/57KJ8aGsJwadomrz5

New Voices Texas Officers Application

Please apply to become a New Voices Texas officer for the 2023-2024 school year.

New Voices Officer positions include:

• Legislative Officer
• Communications Officer
• Regional Organizer
• Educational Officer
• Club Development Officer

If you know you are interested in becoming an officer, please use this form to apply today!

https://forms.gle/RnXBx9Ac63B1RbAD7

SPLC Summer New Voices Student Leaders Institute

Participants in the all-online program will be joined by Student Press Law Center staff, New Voices leaders, and special guests to learn their unique capacity as organizers, deepen their understanding of civics, lobbying and press freedom, and expand their ability to act as advocates. By the end of the Institute, Student Leaders will identify the pressing needs in their state and local communities and the unique ways in which students can respond, as well as possess the tools necessary to combat these challenges. 

The Institute will run from July 18-27, and participants should expect to participate from Tuesday – Thursday from 1 pm - 4 pm Eastern/10 am - 1 pm Pacific time, with optional sessions until 5 pm Eastern/2 pm Pacific.

Participation in the Institute is free, but students will commit to serving as student leaders in the New Voices movement during the 2023-2024 advocacy year. For more information about the summer institute, visit the SPLC website​.

Application Form:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSch03z4__iT__4srRyb5x6Jc0m5icYMuvlF4fB6WhIKubm4Ng/viewform​​

Sincerely,

David Doerr

New Voices Texas Adviser Officer