Online Educational Talks
Chinese American Parent Association of Howard County (CAPA-HC) has been holding zoom online talks for school age children since April 9, 2020. We want to thank Howard County Community Organizations Active in Disaster (COAD) for sponsoring this activity.
Join Zoom Meeting:
Meeting ID: 919 2484 9263 Passcode: 319498
Weekly Talks 2021
Topic: The How-to Guide in Navigating High School
Time: December 17, 2021 8:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Speaker: Julia Liu & Anthony Duan
Not sure which classes to pick? Confused on where to look for internships? Overwhelmed by high school and life? Speakers Anthony Duan and Julia Liu will be addressing each of these issues in their High School Course Selection talk series. They will go over their own class schedules, extracurricular activities, and internship experiences, and general advice for acclimating to high school. At the end, there will be a Q&A session to address any other questions.
Topic: Police and Civilian Response to Violence in Gathering Places
Time: December 10, 2021 8:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Speaker: Police Officer First Class Steve Mitzel & Corporal Kyu Lee
The Howard County Police Department wants you to be prepared in the event of an active assailant incident in your house of worship, workplace or any public environment. These situations are unpredictable and evolve quickly. Because active assailant situations are often over within a few minutes, even before law enforcement can arrive on the scene, individuals must be prepared both mentally and physically to deal with this kind of emergency. YOU are your own first-responder. Be prepared. Be smart. Be safe.
Topic: Howard County Population Characteristics and Growth Management
Time: November 19, 2021 8:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Speaker: Jeff Bronow
Jeff Bronow serves as Chief of the Research Division in the Howard County Department of Planning and Zoning (DPZ), where he has been working for the last 21 years.
Mr. Bronow will present the results of the recent 2020 Census for Howard County. Some comparisons trends to Maryland and the U.S. will also be offered, as well as select County population characteristics from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.
In addition, Mr. Bronow will discuss historical and projected population and household growth in Howard County and the County’s growth management law (the Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance also known as APFO).
Lastly, he will discuss DPZ’s current work on the County’s General Plan update, HoCo By Design. The General Plan is updating every 10 years, and now is the opportunity to weigh in on the future land use plans for Howard County. Questions and conversation will be welcome.
Topic: Growing Pains: The Journey to Being My Authentic Self
Time: October 8, 2021 8:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Speaker: Caroline Goon and Barry Liang
In this presentation, Ms. Caroline Goon will discuss the process of career exploration with a focus on three lessons learned from her own personal career experience and journey. The goal is to help students begin to thoughtfully consider and understand the elements of career planning and walk away with tangible action items to implement right away. The mentees will also hear from a guest speaker who will discuss how they chose their college major, their experience as interns at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the lessons learned as they continue in their post-graduate studies.
Click here for the bio of the panelists.
Topic: Confronting Walls with Bridges
Time: September 17, 2021 8:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Speaker: Mike Mitchell and Danielle Duran Baron
Luminus Network for New Americans (formerly, FIRN) has spent 40 years serving the immigrant community with legal and social services. Luminus empowers immigrants, refugees, and asylees to access resources and opportunities so they can thrive and contribute to their communities. It also serves them with legal, social and language services that hasten their welcome and social and economic integration into our community. In the Asian American community, this has been extraordinarily crucial because America has a dark past in that it has made law and policy discriminating against the Asians. Because law follows belief, Luminus is actively working to address beliefs by breaking down stereotypes through services and storytelling. This will help people today and change laws in the future.
Topic: School Reopening Safely: Policies and Preventive Measures
Time: August 21, 2021 8:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Speaker: Dr. Chao Wu and Dr. Yun Lu
Dr. Wu and Dr. Lu will debrief on conscientious and stringent policy guidance, in partnership with the County Department of Health, regarding in person teaching and learning in public schools in fall 2021 during the impact of the insidious COVID and its mutated variants.
Topic: We Raise Up Each Other – Respect, Support, and Grow with Our Child
Time: July 31, 2021 7:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Speaker: Ms. Guifang Yan & Dr. Xuehong Xu
This webinar costars a husband and wife who are willing to share insights, skills, and experience with families in the audience on how parents prepare to grow together with their child while maintaining an intimate, long-lasting familial relationship.
Click here for the bio of the panelists.
Topic: How to Respond to Violence and Active Threats
Time: June 13, 2021 2:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Speaker: Stella Dieu, Police First Class Officer & Asian Community Liaison Officer Steve Mitzel, Police First Class Officer & Community Resource Officer for Southern District
The Howard County Police Department wants residents to be prepared in the event of violent or active threats in your house of worship, workplace, schools, or any public environment. These situations are unpredictable and evolve quickly. Because those situations often take place within a few minutes, even before law enforcement can arrive on the scene, residents must be prepared both mentally and physically to deal with this kind of emergency. YOU are your own first-responder. Be prepared. Be smart. Be safe. Use the webinar information to learn more about the best ways to protect yourself and others (Source: Howard County Government).
Topic: Applying and Preparing for Medical School
Time: June 11, 2021 8:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Speaker: Dr. Sidney Fu, Charmaine Yuan, Kevin Zheng
The panelists will share experience and provide insights on what candidates would prepare in order to be accepted by medical school. The panelists will also discuss about the benefits of the dual degrees – MD/Ph.D. or MD/MPH (Master of Public Health).
Click here for the bio of the panelists.
Topic: Language Learning Abroad to Expand Your Horizon
Time: May 14, 2021 8:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Speaker: Sonia Su and Theo Goetemann
Sonia Su is the founder and executive director of the cancer nonprofit Kits to Heart. Sonia has had experiences studying and living in France, China, and Taiwan. She holds a Master of Arts degree in Asian Studies from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and a Bachelor of Science in Journalism from Boston University’s College of Communication. Sonia is a 2020-21 Ulman Foundation GameChanger honoree and serves as a First Connection volunteer for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. She splits her time between Clarksville, MD and Arlington, VA.
Theo Goetemann is the founder of Basil Labs, a consumer analytics company. He has had experiences studying and living in Peru, Taiwan and South Korea. He holds a BA in Government from Georgetown University and is based in the Boston area.
Topic: Legal Talk: 1) reporting hate biased incidents, 2) self-defense laws, and 3) how to deal with bullies.
Time: April 30, 2021 8:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Speaker: Jason Plotkin, Esq
Jason A. Plotkin, Esq. is the Founder/CEO of The Pinder Plotkin Legal Team, Chairman of the Baltimore Firefighters Community Advisory Council and Chief Visionary Officer of MotorcycleTalks®. Mr. Plotkin is the former President of the Parkville Carney Business Association, Board Member of the Education Foundation for Baltimore County Public Schools and Member of the YMCA Parkville/Perry Hall Community Advisory Board. Mr. Plotkin has earned numerous honors for his work, being named to The Million Dollar Advocates Forum, Super Lawyers List, The National Trial Lawyers: Top 100, and The Daily Record VIP List: Successful Under 40. He was also recognized by The SmartCEO as a Center of Influence and has been awarded numerous citations from federal, state and county lawmakers in recognition of his service to the community. He lives in Howard County with his wife and their two children. You can learn more about Mr. Plotkin at www.PinderPlotkin.com
Disclaimer: The discussion is for educational purposes and should not be relied upon for legal advice. During the Q&A period, please remember that the discussion is not confidential and confidential information should not be disclosed. Mr. Plotkin will provide individual free consultations afterwards to answer specific questions. No attorney client relationship exists without a written engagement letter.
Topic: LinkedIn for Beginners: Expand Your Network & Find Jobs
Time: April 16, 2021 8:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Speaker: Sonia Su
Sonia Su is the founder and executive director of Kits to Heart, a nonprofit that distributes cancer kits for patients and their caregivers at hospitals in the Baltimore/Washington Metro Area and nationwide. Sonia is a 2020-21 Ulman Foundation GameChanger honoree and serves as a First Connection volunteer for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. She holds a M.A. in Asian Studies from Georgetown University and a B.S. in Journalism from Boston University. 
Topic: Preventing Crime & Understanding Hate
Time: March 19, 2021 8:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Speaker: Stella Dieu, Police Officer First Class Lynda Earle, Howard County Human Rights Commissioner
Police Officer First Class Dieu is currently the Asian Liaison Officer for the Howard County Police Department. She started in this position in August of 2020 and has some fluency in Vietnamese. Officer Dieu has been a police officer for almost nine years, working in various areas on Patrol and as a Community Resource Officer. She received her bachelor’s degree in Political Science. She hopes to use her education, experience, and heritage growing up in a Vietnamese, Chinese, and Thai household to better serve the AAPI community.
Lynda Earle is a Prosecuting Attorney in Montgomery County, Maryland. She is the former Co-Chair of the Howard County Human Rights Commission and now serves as a member of the commission on the Awards Committee and the Hate Crimes and Criminal Justice Committee. Ms. Earle enjoys serving the community and believes in working towards a hate free society.
Topic: College Application Strategies and Beyond: Parents’ Perspectives
Time: March 5, 2021 8:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Mandarin Chinese Session – Panelists:
Lan Deng, CAPA-HC
Dr. Hua (Bill) He, U.S. Department of Transportation
Dr. Hui Shen, National Institutes of Health
May Zhou, Precise Software Solutions, Inc
Sonia Su, Founder of Kits to Heart
Topic: Return to In-Person Learning Safely During Pandemic
Time: February 26, 2021 8:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Speaker: HCPSS Administrators and Staff
Topic: College Entrepreneurship
Time: February 5, 2021 8:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Speaker: David Lange
David Lange is the Campus Program Manager for Georgetown Entrepreneurship. He is responsible for all student-facing programming, including pitch competitions, mentorship opportunities, internships, and more. He is also the author of an upcoming book on America’s changing food system called “A Farm on Every Corner: Reimagining America’s Food System for the Twenty-First Century.”
Prior to his time with Georgetown, David was the Manager of the Glover Park – Burleith Farmers Market for the 2019 season. In 2018, he worked on Search and Rescue and childcare operations at the Kara Tepe refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesvos. He has also worked in various capacities with ThinkFoodGroup, one of the DC area’s preeminent restaurant groups.
David Lange is a graduate of The George Washington University with a B.A. in International Development and is a current Master of Business Administration (MBA) candidate at Georgetown University.
Video: https://youtu.be/e5L6IDAPceM
Topic: Accessing Library Resources Online during Pandemic
Time: January 22, 2021 8:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Speaker: Diane Li
Diane Li is the Branch Manager of the Savage Branch Library and STEM Education Center. She joined the Howard County Library system in the mid 90’s as the Public Services Librarian at the Miller Branch Library. Diane is an experienced information professional and has been actively involved in the Howard County community, Diane is a winner of the 2015 FIRN American Success Award. Serving as the first Community Partnership Liaison for the Howard County Chinese School, she was instrumental in the implementation of key initiatives of HCCS community.
Video: https://youtu.be/B9tqYxKRXeM
Topic: High School Course Selections & Internship Programs
Time: January 8, 2021 8:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Speaker: Megan Li, Alex Liu, Tess Yu
Click here for the bio of three presenters.
Video: https://youtu.be/niakU0N1cOU