Scholarship Search Tool Debuts for NHS Students

The National Honor Society (NHS), in partnership with Get Schooled, is launching a customized scholarship search tool exclusively for Honor Society students in early 2016. Accessible through the NHS website for student members and their parents, this tool will offer filtered results of scholarship options that are aligned with the four pillars of NHS: scholarship, service, leadership, and character. Advisers should alert chapter members and their parents about this new resource and encourage them to visit www.nhs.us/scholarshipsearch.

National Student Leadership Week: Right Here, Right Now

How can your students make a difference right now? That’s the challenge for National Student Leadership Week (NSLW) 2016. Scheduled for April 17–23, 2016, NSLW gives students across the country the chance to show how their leadership can positively affect their school and community.

This April, ask your students to step up and take action that has an immediate impact—and then share it via social media. Their projects could even be featured in an upcoming issue of Advise magazine! Visit www.nhs.us/nslw, www.njhs.us/nslw, or www.nasc.us/nslw to learn more and start planning your NSLW activities now.

Stamp of Approval

The NASSP List of Approved Contests, Programs, and Activities for Students (produced by NASSP through its National Committee on Student Contests, Programs, and Activities) has been updated for the 2015–16 school year. Take time to peruse the list for activities that have been validated by the committee for legitimacy and educational value—you’ll find everything from contests to leadership conferences to academic programs such as writing contests, robotics competitions, math challenges, and more. The list provides information to assist principals, teachers, parents, and students in making decisions regarding participation in a wide variety of program opportunities. Visit www.nassp.org/contests to download it today!

Apply for the National Council of Excellence Awards

The National Council of Excellence Awards seek to recognize middle level and high school student councils that consistently provide quality leadership activities and service to their schools and communities. These awards distinguish outstanding student councils by guiding student leaders and their advisers through an application process featuring standards-based criteria and demonstration-based outcomes.

The awards feature two levels of recognition—the basic level is National Council of Excellence, awarded to NASC student councils that meet all required standards. The National Gold Council of Excellence designation is awarded to student councils that meet all required standards, plus a minimum number of additional standards. Visit www.nasc.us/ncoe for details; the deadline to apply is February 16, 2016.

Students Instill Leadership Through Collaboration

Students from Flower Mound High School in Flower Mound, TX, are partnering with the local elementary school to instill leadership skills in young students while putting their own leadership skills into practice. The senior high school students visit the elementary school six times during this nine-week leadership course. During their class time, students prepare lesson plans for the younger kids that detail leadership-building activities and themes, such as sacrifice and commitment, effective communication, and public speaking. The effort is mutually beneficial, as it hones leadership skills that have real-life application for the high schoolers, and the elementary-age students soon realize older kids aren’t scary—they can be great mentors.

Energize Your Leadership

You and your students won’t want to miss this year’s Leadership Experience and Development (LEAD) Conferences. These weekend events offer students and advisers exciting opportunities to develop their skills and grow as leaders. If you missed November’s conference in Phoenix, AZ, be sure to mark your calendar for the next two conferences before the end of the school year:

January 29–31, 2016: Washington, D.C.
Hyatt Regency Crystal City Hotel

February 12–14, 2016: Chicago, IL
Westin Lombard Yorktown Center

Be Awarded for Your Outstanding Service

The Outstanding Service Project (OSP) Awards recognize NHS and NJHS chapters that have made significant service contributions at the local level. Each project submitted for this award is judged based on the group’s goals and organization, service impact, involvement, and the quality and clarity of their written summary. Applications for the award are available at www.nhs.us/osp and www.njhs.us/osp. The deadline is January 25, 2016.

Dates to Remember

December

December 18: Early bird registration deadline for LEAD Conference: Washington, D.C.

January

January 15: Early bird registration deadline for LEAD Conference: Chicago
January 15: Registration deadline for LEAD Conference: Washington, D.C.
January 25: Deadline to apply for the NHS/NJHS Outstanding Service Project awards
January 29: Registration deadline for LEAD Conference: Chicago
January 29–31: LEAD Conference: Washington, D.C.

February

February 12–14: LEAD Conference: Chicago
February 16: Deadline for NHS Scholarship student applications
February 24: Deadline for NHS Scholarship adviser and principal recommendations and certifications

See Your Students Thrive

Imagine a tool that could illustrate exactly how your students excel. Who are the leaders? Who are the creative thinkers? Which ones have more analytical minds? Thrively.com is a free online resource that can tell you just that. The Thrively Strength Assessment identifies each student’s individual strengths across 23 factors. Once talents and interests are recognized, you can shape your chapter or student council accordingly to ensure you’re utilizing your members to the best of their abilities. Check it out at www.thrively.com.


Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other. -John F. Kennedy