American University's Washington Semester Program
Hood
students are able to spend a semester attending American University's
Washington
Semester Program in Washington DC. The program offers semesters in
several distinct
areas: American politics, public law, justice, foreign policy, peace and
conflict
resolution, international business and trade, economic policy,
journalism, international
environment and development, the arts, transforming communities and
education
policy and special education.
For more information, visit www.washingtonsemester.com.
The Public Leadership Education Network (PLEN)
PLEN
is a wonderful opportunity to learn about a city that is often
seemingly untouchable.
It allows young women to meet other young women from all parts of the
country
and share different ideas. It also allows students to explore DC and
decide whether or not
it is the right place for them."
Hood College is a founding member of the Public Leadership Education
Network
(PLEN), which is a national consortium of women's colleges working
together
to prepare women for public leadership. PLEN believes that women's
participation
is critical in shaping public policy in communities, the nation and
the world.
Each year PLEN hosts a series of seminars and internships on the
public policy
process. The seminars, which take place in Washington DC include:
Women, Law
and Public Policy: A Public Leadership Career Conference, Women and
Public Policy
Seminar, Women and Science/Technology Policy Seminar, Women and
Congress Seminar
and Women and International Policy Seminar.
These seminars are open to students of all majors.
For more
information about PLEN visit www.plen.org.
Model United Nations Club
The Model UN club is open to all Hood College students. We participate
in the
week-long National Model United Nations simulation each spring in New
York City.
During the fall we learn about the operations of the United Nations
and the
specific policies of the country or NGO that we represent and also
participate
in a number of activities that publicize the work of the United
Nations.
Recently we have represented the governments of The Democratic
Peoples Republic
of Korea, Singapore, and Sri Lanka. As part of our preparations for
the
simulation we usually visit "our" country's embassy in Washington
DC as well as its permanent mission to the United Nations.
For
more information about the national simulation see www.nmun.org.
Maryland Student Legislature
The Maryland Student Legislature is a student run organization and is
open
to all students at Hood College. Students participate in three
sessions each
year as members of this club. There are two interim sessions, one each
semester,
which rotate among different colleges throughout the state, and one
annual session
held in the spring in the House and Senate chambers in Annapolis.
Students sponsor and debate legislation using parliamentary rules and
procedures.
in past sessions, bills ranged from changes in laws about the pledge
of allegiance
to the inclusion of same sex unions as a form of legal marriage.
Students are
assigned to committees where they debate bills in similar groups
before they
come together and debate the bills as one large group in the general
assembly.
While many students participate in the club without earning college
credit,
some opt to receive one credit in the spring semester for their
participation.
Credit can only be granted one time.
For more information about the Maryland Student Legislature, visit www.msl.org.
You can also call Janis Judson (301) 696-3721.