November 2015

REACHING OUT

Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, holiday-themed activities…this time of year chapters are engaged in so much outreach. So we’re reaching out to you and want to know: What unique service projects has your chapter undertaken? Please tell us by submitting your project to the National Student Project Database, emailing [email protected] with a short project description and photo (subject: Chapters Doing Great Things), or sharing your project on our Facebook page. Thank you for all you do to help your chapter members reach out and give back.

NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

2015–16 NHS Scholarship Program Kicks off with Important Changes
A total of $500,000—a record amount—will be awarded to outstanding NHS seniors through the 2015–16 NHS Scholarship Program. This year, there is no limit on the number of applicants—any senior NHS member in good standing may apply. Visit the website to log in and download the 2015–16 application instructions. Distribute it to all applicants and your principal. The application deadline for students is February 16, 2016. Advisers and principals must provide recommendations and certify applications by February 24. The entire process is completed online. Email [email protected] with any questions about the application.

College Admission Planning Webinars
In case your chapter members or their parents missed it, a link to a recording of the first NHS and NJHS college admission planning webinar from November 14 is available on the NHS and NJHS websites. Suggest they visit www.nhs.us/webinars or www.njhs.us/webinars to access the webinar—which provides advice for applying to college—as well as information about two upcoming webinars: “Understanding Financial Aid” in February and “The ‘Right’ College Fit” in March.

College and Career Planning with ACT Profile
Encourage your students to plan smarter with ACT Profile, a free college and career planning tool. Students can make sure they’re ready for the next step in their journey to college or their career by using ACT Profile to help them determine what their options are after high school, what they’re interested in studying, and what schools they should consider. Self-assessment quizzes provide personalized results to help students pinpoint their unique interests, values, and skills. Click here to learn more and help your students get started today!

Energize Your Leadership at LEAD
Let your chapter members sharpen their leadership skills while hearing motivating speakers and networking with peers from around the country. Registration is open for LEAD Conferences in Washington, D.C., and Chicago, IL; choose the location that works best for you and your chapter. New this year is LEADershipLive, a trio of engaging and enriching activities. LEAD D.C. will take place January 29–31, while LEAD Chicago happens February 12–14. Get early bird and regular registration deadlines by visiting the LEAD Conferences website. The early bird registration deadline for LEAD D.C. is December 18!

Get Recognized! Outstanding Service Project Awards Program Open
Applications are now being accepted for the 2015–16 NHS and NJHS Outstanding Service Project (OSP) Awards. Active NHS and NJHS chapters may submit applications for projects performed between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2015. The deadline for submissions is January 25, 2016. Applications must be submitted via email. Please visit the OSP section of the NHS and NJHS websites for full information.

It All Adds Up
The 2015 NASSP Student Programs Service Report is now available! Each year, Honor Society advisers are asked to complete a survey to provide information on charitable giving, the number of service hours performed by the chapter, and other data. The report shows the tremendous impact of Honor Society members’ service contributions. If you’re not already doing so, please track chapter and individual service hours, as well as anything that can be calculated (estimated weight of food, pints of blood, pounds of clothing or number of books donated, etc.). A service hours tracking form is available for individual members to record their hours. Log in to the Adviser Resource Center, and find it under “Project Planning.”

If you’ve developed a service reporting tool, or can suggest an online tracking service or software, please share it with us at [email protected] or on our Facebook page.

PROJECT OF THE MONTH

The Gift that Keeps on Giving
Heifer International is a nonprofit organization committed to providing impoverished families around the world with a sustainable means of providing food and income. Last year, the NHS chapter of Betty Fairfax High School in Laveen, AZ, raised enough money for the organization to provide a heifer for one family. The family receives the livestock, as well as training to properly care for the animal. Families then use the milk for their own consumption and for revenue—to start their own business, send a child to school, or build a home. After that heifer has grown and has had little ones of its own, the family is then obligated to give the baby heifers to other families in the community in order to continue the cycle. Through Fairfax’s one donation, an entire community of lives has been changed!

Please share your chapter’s service projects by uploading your project descriptions and photos to the National Student Project Database—which allows you to search thousands of project ideas—on the NHS and NJHS websites.

CHAPTERS DOING GREAT THINGS

The NHS chapter at Greeley Central High School, in Greeley, CO, sponsored a coin and book drive to raise money for the Children’s Hospital of Colorado in Denver, CO. Thanks to their efforts, the chapter purchased 155 books for the hospital. Read more about this fantastic project on the Greeley Tribune website. The next drive will take place in the spring and will benefit North Colorado Medical Center’s Pediatric Department and the kids visiting its emergency room.

Has your NHS or NJHS chapter sponsored an activity you’d like to see highlighted? Tell us about it. Email [email protected] or [email protected] with “Chapters Doing Great Things” in the subject line.

HONOR SOCIETY TIPS AND TOOLS

Logo Usage/Copyright: As chapter service projects and holiday activities get underway, many chapters want to customize apparel and other items bearing the NHS or NJHS emblem or name with their school name and personal design. External vendors must have permission to use the copyrighted name or emblem on products. Please submit your logo usage requests via the online submission form. Log in to access the form on the NHS and NJHS websites in the Adviser Resource Center. If you have trouble logging in, please contact the NASSP membership department by emailing [email protected].

Tip: To ensure quick approval, include both the front and back images/text of any t-shirt or sweatshirt design, even if the copyrighted material is only found on one side. Once complete information is provided, please allow up to five business days for approval.

Is there something you’d like us to include in next month’s Honor Society News? Email your ideas or suggestions to [email protected].

IMPORTANT DATES

ANNOUNCEMENTS

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