Dear Neighbors and Friends –
The 2023 Legislative Session has now officially come to a close! It has been my honor to represent the residents of District 22 in the Maryland House of Delegates and work hard in these past few days of the legislative session to vote for bills that represent the values of our community. Thank you all for following along with the various bills as they go in and out of the legislative process.
Some crucial bills that passed both chambers and are on their way to the Governor for this session include HB0001 (The Child Victims Act of 2023), HB0705 (Right to Reproductive Freedom), and HB0554 (Keep Our Heroes Home Act). My bill HB0232 (Child in Need of Assistance Act) has passed both chambers and is on its way to the Governor’s desk.
-Nicole
Autism Awareness Month EventsCheck out this April event within Prince George’s County to stay educated about autism awareness and to uplift our community:
- Glow Walk/Run for Autism
- Saturday, April 15, 2023, at Watkins Regional Park, starts at 6:30 P.M
Employ Prince George’s – Women’s Fair 2023
| On April 29, join Employ Prince George’s for their annual woman’s fair. Beginning at noon, this FREE event will have everything from health and beauty to entrepreneurship resources, to activities for children. Don’t miss this amazing community event at the Prince George’s Sports and Learning Complex. |
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Scholarship Opportunities
- Emanon’s, Inc. is still accepting applications from high school seniors in the DMV area for their scholarship program, with the deadline now extended to April 15, 2023. Click here to read more and to complete the application.
- If you are in Greenbelt and need financial assistance for post-secondary education, you are in luck! The Greenbelt Education Scholarship Grant is intended to assist high school seniors and current college students from Greenbelt affected by COVID-19 seeking to further their education. The deadline has now been extended to June 15, 2023. For more information, click here to read more and complete the application. Click here to review the scholarship guidelines.
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On March 23rd, 2023, the Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) Board of Education met and reviewed a presentation on the data from the Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program (MCAP) to assess countywide progress that students have made in the last year, based on standardized test scores. Many public school students in the county are still recovering from the learning gaps they faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially children who were in younger grades (ex. Kindergarten and 1st grade) who are now in upper elementary school. To learn more about the lessons taught by the MCAP and how educators are planning to improve their curriculum for the future of Prince George’s County students, read here.
| Community Events |
| Gaywood Elementary School Shoe DriveStop by Gaywood Elementary School from now until June 1st, 2023 to donate any unwanted new shoes you have for a greater cause! See the flyer below for more details about the location and drop-off instructions. |
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| Community Remembrance in Honor of Mr. Thomas JuricksPrince George’s County aspires to honor and properly remember the life of Mr. Thomas Juricks, whose life was taken too soon in our home county back in 1869 due to the horrors of racial terror lynching. The Community Remembrance Event is to accept the truth of how our system never gave him or his family proper justice for what happened, remember his life, and keep ourselves accountable for creating a more equitable future in Prince George’s County. See the flyer below for more details. |
| Hispanic Latino Business Reception Elizabeth Seton High School in Bladensburg, MD is hosting a Hispanic Latino Business Reception on Tuesday, April 25th! This reception is to celebrate the start of a Latina Endowment starting at the high school. Check it out to learn more about how to support the advancement of the Hispanic community in Prince George’s County. See the flyer below for more details. |
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| Bilingual Annual Pharmacy Camp Opportunity Real change happens slowly and requires diverse representation- meaning having bilingual and bicultural people in every room. To make that happen, the Legislative Latino Caucus continues to partner with Notre Dame School of Pharmacy in their annual high school pharmacy camp to raise awareness among Maryland’s Latino youth about the health industry! This annual Pharmacy Camp is open for registration for Summer 2023! The camp will take place from June 26 to June 30, 2023, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. each day. The camp will be led by NDMU School of Pharmacy faculty members, who are experts in their fields and passionate about teaching and mentoring the next generation of pharmacy professionals. NDMU’s Pharmacy Camp is designed for students in grades 9-12 who want to explore the world of pharmacy and the pharmaceutical sciences. Throughout the week, students will have the opportunity to: Make medications in a lab Explore precision medicine and the pharmacist’s role in research and patient care Learn about medication therapy management Discover which pharmacy career best fits them Get tips for applying to pharmacy school Registration costs $450, which includes meals and activities. Scholarships are available for bilingual students! Registration ends on May 27, 2023, but limited scholarships are available, so we encourage anyone who may be interested to apply now! To register for Pharmacy Camp 2023 or to learn more, visit ndm.edu/pharmacy-camp. ESPAÑOL Estimados colegas, amigos y colaboradores comunitarios, Sabemos que el cambio real ocurre lentamente. Y eso requiere una representación diversa, lo que significa que personas bilingües y biculturales estén presente en todos lados. Para que eso suceda, continuamos asociándonos con la Escuela de Farmacia de Notre Dame en su campamento anual de farmacia de la escuela secundaria para crear conciencia entre nuestra juventud latina sobre la industria de la salud. ¡Lo cual es beneficioso para su carrera Y también mejora la salud de nuestra comunidad! ¡Estamos felices de compartir esta increíble oportunidad por medio de la Escuela de Farmacia de la Universidad Notre Dame de Maryland! Ya abrió la inscripción para la edición anual del Campamento de Farmacia en el verano de 2023. El campamento se realizará del 26 al 30 de junio de 2023, de 9 a.m. a 5 p.m. El Campamento de Farmacia de NDMU está orientado a estudiantes de grado 9 a 12 que quieran explorar el mundo de la farmacia y las ciencias farmacéuticas. Es una oportunidad única para los estudiantes latinos interesados en los campos de atención de salud. Durante la semana del campamento, podrán: Hacer medicamentos en un laboratorio Explorar el ámbito de la medicina de precisión y el rol del farmacéutico en investigación y atención del paciente Saber más sobre medicación en terapia farmacológica Descubrir qué carrera de farmacia es la mejor para cada uno Recibir consejos para aplicar a la escuela de farmacia La inscripción tiene un costo de $450, e incluye comidas y actividades. ¡Y hay becas disponibles para estudiantes bilingües! La inscripción finaliza el 27 de mayo de 2023, pero el número de becas es limitado, por eso los interesados tienen que registrarse lo antes posible. El campamento estará encabezado por profesores del equipo docente de la Escuela de Farmacia de NDMU, expertos en su área y apasionados por enseñar y guiar a la próxima generación de profesionales en farmacia. Para registrarse en el Campamento de Farmacia 2023 o conocer más detalles, pueden visitar ndm.edu/pharmacy-camp. |
| COVID-19 Update According to the CDC, COVID-19 Community levels are measured as Low, Medium, and High. At this time the federal government is planning to end the national COVID-19 state of emergency declaration on May 11th. This will potentially impact health benefits for Marylanders. Older adults (50 years and older), and individuals who are immunocompromised or have underlying medical or cardiac conditions should take necessary precautions to stay safe. Due to the reduction in cases, the COVID-19 testing sites in Prince George’s County are closing down.Click here to learn when the testing sites are closing, find your center, and get tested as soon as possible.Read here to learn how to obtain at-home test kits and vaccinations. |
| Resources Redefining Public Safety 2-1-1 Assistance  As you may know, dialing 9-1-1 is the number to call when you need help and are in immediate danger. When dialing 2-1-1, you can receive information on immediate mental health support, hate-crime support, senior assistance, food and shelter support, and much more. Also, note that this information is provided in multiple languages. To learn more, please click here to explore Maryland’s 2-1-1 site. Housing  Prince George’s County Department of Housing Community Development 2023-2024 Affordable Housing Portfolio: The portfolio lists over forty upcoming and completed senior living communities and multi-family dwellings, now available to County residents. If you want to access more information about the new portfolio, you can watch the promotional video here. If you are currently facing housing or rental concerns due to financial hardship, the organizations listed below can provide some support: Maryland Homeowner Assistance Fund offers support mortgage relief, weatherization, housing counseling, and legal services. Housing Counseling Services Inc. offers a variety of MD housing and rental assistance resources including but not limited to housing counseling, foreclosure prevention, utility assistance, and veteran support services. 211 Maryland‘s database can connect you with local programs and resources, call 2-1-1 to speak with an Information and Referral Specialist or visit their website. |