Encouraging Your Student to be Their Best Advocate
Of the many skills students can learn at Hopkins, the ability to advocate for themselves and their needs is one that will serve them for the rest of their lives. From asking questions in class to seeking out academic resources, self-advocacy takes many forms, but all of them build the communication and connections we all need to succeed in our careers and in our personal lives.
Johns Hopkins offers many services and programs to assist your student in finding the help they need. To help familiarize you with some of these offerings and provide some tips on how you can encourage your student to be proactive in shaping their college experience, a few of our experts weigh in on the importance of self-advocacy below.
What is Self-Advocacy? “It really means that students take ownership of their time at college,” says Ariane Kelly, Director of Academic Support, “not just social but also academic.” It can start from day one, building a network of faculty, staff, and/or other class members that your student knows they can turn to when they need support.
“Everyone in academia—from first-year students to long-time faculty—depends on the people around them to learn, grow, and do their best work,” says Dr. Anne-Elizabeth Brodsky, Senior Lecturer for JHU’s Expository Writing program. “No successful researcher or professor works alone. Neither should your student.”
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Upcoming Employment Opportunities via Life Design Lab
Is your student looking for an internship or job? Seeking workshops to build upon 21st-century skills like resume building, elevator pitching, effective networking, and interview techniques? At the Life Design Lab, we can connect students to enriching experiences as well as help to prepare them for their professional endeavors at the university and beyond. Through our extensive network of company partners as well as our various grants and funding opportunities, we encourage students to take every opportunity to redesign their own life journeys.
Funding Opportunities
The Life Design Lab, Johns Hopkins departments, and other companies offer multiple grants, scholarships and ways to fund internships, housing for internships, travel to conferences and other important experiences that can help students learn about potential careers and build skills they need to get hired.
The following funding opportunities will be available by application to undergraduate students by March 1 and will be listed in Handshake. When posted, please read the opportunity closely, as each program has unique aims, requirements, and deadlines.
- Steinberg Family
- Design Your Summer Experience
- LDL Unpaid Internship
- Second Decade Society
- Robins Grant
- InBaltimore
- SOAR Summer Plunge
Tune in to Life Design Lab TV
The Life Design Lab is proud to present LDL-tv! We offer a full slate of weekly virtual programs for Hopkins students. From alumni panels and employer info sessions to personal branding workshops and how-to classes around our resources, your life design and career readiness questions will be explored here.
Go to our Handshake Events to register for any of the events on our calendar. To look at the week ahead go to bit.ly/ldlprograms.
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Office of Multicultural Affairs Supports International Students
The Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA) uplifts international students studying at Johns Hopkins University by serving as a resource for questions about the student experience, academic support, and how to connect with other university resources. OMA is home to the ISAH Ambassador program—an intersectional and collaborative affinity group dedicated to creating a global community and advocating for JHU international students. OMA is also the host of international postdocs, graduate students, and undergraduate students. The office also coordinates international student orientation programming, international education week events, and international student socials. For more information about OMA and to learn more about their programs, services, and initiatives, please visit their website.
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Update on Universitywide Commencement Ceremony
The Johns Hopkins University Commencement, marking the close of the 145th academic year, is scheduled for Thursday, May 27, 2021. Based on current public health guidance and state and local regulations, we are planning for a virtual ceremony. However, with cautious optimism that the situation will improve, we are also preparing for the possibility that we will be able to hold some part of the Class of 2021 Commencement Ceremony in person. Should conditions permit, we hope to hold the ceremony at the Royal Farms Arena with undergraduate seniors only in person, and family, friends, guests and graduate degree candidates of the Class of 2021 invited to join via livestream. Graduate degree candidates will receive information about their 2021 individual school ceremonies in the coming weeks.
In the event we are able to hold an in-person universitywide ceremony at Royal Farms Arena, to ensure the safety of our graduates, and in accordance with University COVID-19 protocols, masks will be required, seats will be assigned to ensure graduates are physically distanced during the ceremony, and, instead of lining up to cross the stage, graduates will be recognized from their seats during the event.
Senior Class Leaders and the JHU Commencement Office are working together to ensure that this momentous occasion will be memorable, and recognize your outstanding achievements. Whether it is virtual or a seniors-only in-person event, we are committed to creating a fun and engaging ceremony and look forward to soliciting your ideas and feedback on what would be most meaningful for you.
More information will be provided on the Commencement website throughout the spring semester. Stay connected with us on social media. “Like” us on Facebook. Follow us on Instagram @jhuseniors, #jhu2021.
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Parents Fund UpdateVirtual Lighting of the Quads
On Saturday, January 30, our Student Engagement team worked to create a memorable virtual Lighting of the Quads program, one that celebrated the light of our community and the beginning of the spring semester. With the transition to an online program, the group diligently worked to create a memorable event with a variety of video images to include performances from student groups including Octopodes, Korean Pop Motion, the Johns Hopkins Entertainers Club and the JOSH Bollywood Fusion Dance Team. The program also featured President Daniels sharing a poem from Leonard Cohen highlighting how each of us bring our light to campus to make Johns Hopkins a community.
Students were able to participate in the virtual festivities with an at-home guide with entertaining playlists, coloring sheets, a LOTQ screen saver for login, and a few other surprises to create their own Lighting of the Quads atmosphere. The first 2,000 students who attended virtually were also treated to a goodie bag, which included a Traditions Scarf and Bookstore swag!
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Hopkins Traditions scarf.
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Class of 2024 T-Shirt
All incoming first-year students including transfer students received a Class of 2024 t-shirt when they arrived on campus as a welcome gift during their First-year Mentor groups. Students who were unable to return to campus this semester received their shirts in the mail.
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Class of 2024 t-shirt design.
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Important DatesSunday, March 7
Last day to drop courses via self-service
Monday, March 22
Spring Break (No Classes)*
Tuesday, March 30
Spring Break (No classes)*
*Instead of a week-long spring break, days off will be scattered throughout the semester.
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Upcoming Webinars
Our next Blue Jay Family webinar, Best Practices: How your Jay Can Secure Employment During a Pandemic, is scheduled for March 1 at 7 p.m. ET. This session will provide strategies to assist families whose student is actively seeking employment or an internship during the pandemic. Please click here to register.
Additionally, Community and Conversation with First-Generation Limited-Income Families and Students is planned for Monday, March 8 at 7 p.m. ET. Campus representatives from the Center for Student Success, Financial Services, Student Outreach and Support, Academic Success Coaching, and a current Hopkins student will share their experiences, services and resources with families and students. To register please click here.
How Does Your Blue Jay Register for Classes in the Fall? is planned for Monday, March 22 at 7 p.m. ET. Campus representatives will share with families how students can successfully register for their classes. Representatives will further explain the expectations and role of students, advisors and faculty throughout the process. To register, please click here.
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Center for Social Concern's Popular Civic Sessions Return in March & April
Civic Sessions offers JHU student participants the opportunity to learn about multiple civic engagement topics, while building community with fellow Blue Jays. During fall 2020, the program offerings were such a success that Civic Sessions II are now open to students throughout March and April during most Tuesday evenings, 6–7:15 p.m. ET. The Center for Social Concern staff and community-engaged students help facilitate discussions with students to explore their civic agency through multiple civic topics. Students are not required to attend each session, but can pick and choose the sessions that are most interesting to them and their own civic journey. Encourage your Blue Jay to register for a Civic Session II through Hopkins Engage.
First-Year Mentor Opportunity for Your Student
First-Year Mentors are an incredibly important component of each incoming student’s transition to Hopkins and we would love to have your student join us in this effort. FYM applications are now open so please encourage your student to consider applying. Applications are due Wednesday, March 10th.
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Be sure to also "like" our Facebook Page to find resources and opportunities for your student to get involved!
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