Oswego School District Board seeking two high school students to serve as board ambassadors

The Oswego School District 308 Board of Education is seeking two high school students to serve as ambassadors to the Board of Education beginning in August 2021.

Information about the program was first presented to the Board at its March 15 meeting.

According to the position description, two seniors, one from Oswego East High School and one from Oswego High School, will be appointed annually by the board and will attend all regularly scheduled meetings. Term lengths will be determined by the Board.

Current junior students are encouraged to apply, with the board to appoint students to the positions for the 2021-2022 school year.

“The student representative will act in an advisory capacity providing student voice on issues brought before the board,” the position description reads.

Student ambassadors will not have any voting privileges and will not be able to participate in or attend executive sessions of the Board, the description continued.

The duties of the student ambassador, the position description said, include attending all Board of Education meetings, attend - as requested as a member of the student body - Student Council meetings and Principal Advisory Council meetings, attending any professional development opportunities requested by the Board, serve as a student adviser to the Board, and to meet with their school’s principal prior to each Board meeting to provide a student report. The school’s principal will assist the student ambassador with the preparation of each student report.

Interested students are asked to complete all information in the application and have two recommendation forms filled out by a teacher or counselor. Students are asked to provide an essay, no more than one page typed, answering the following questions: Why are you seeking this position? What are your goals for this position? How have your experiences prepared you for this role? What do you bring to this position that others might not? In what areas do you feel you need to grow to be successful in this position?

Applications will be available through April 30, either in the OHS and OEHS main offices, or by requesting an electronic copy from Board Secretary Ursula Studer at ustuder@sd308.org. Completed applications and essays are to be submitted to the school principal’s office, or to Studer, no later than 3 p.m., May 14. Interviews will be set up with students through the office of Superintendent Dr. John Sparlin. Students will be contacted by their principal with the final decision.

The newly selected student Representatives to the Board will be presented at the Board’s first meeting in August, 2021.