The Congressional Black Caucus program is an ongoing effort to tap emerging leaders in the 10th grade to become more engaged with public policy issues.

The program began in 2005, when MCBRE, MCPS and Congressman Albert Wynn teamed up to create a program tied to the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's Annual Legislative Conference (ALC). Fifty sophomores - two from each county high school - are selected as emerging leaders in their schools to attend the ALC and participate in follow-on projects.

The students attend the ALC's National Town Hall Meeting, which focuses on issues of key importance to the African-American community. Past participants have included Senators Obama and Clinton.

In the afternoon, the students are paired with lawyers from MCBRE Board member Hogan & Hartson, who serve as mentors to the students as they escort them to issue forums covering a wide range of topics.

Following the conference, the students are tasked with a research project covering a public policy issue of interest to them. Their mentors from Hogan & Hartson are available as resources during their project work. Following completion of their projects, the students present their findings to one of their classes or a social or business group in the community.

As a culminating event, students who complete their projects are honored on Capitol Hill.

To view photos from the March 6, 2008 reception on Capitol Hill with Congressmen Wynn and Van Hollen please click here.

To view photos of the most recent group of students, who attended the ALC in September 2007, click here.

The program's goal is for these emerging leader students to remain engaged in public policy issues about which they feel passionately. To help this process along, MCBRE teams with MCPS to create ongoing projects of interest for the first class of emerging leaders -- for example, helping them get involved in election aid and campaign support in the fall of 2006, which allowed students to experience how they can support their communities in a key democratic process.

Watch a video of the first class of emerging leaders: Student Emerging Leaders Series - Congressional Black Caucus, 2005-2006.