Grab a Bag
An NHS student at Post Oak High School in Houston, TX, had an epiphany one lunch period. They noticed several students visited a local store and brought plastic, environmentally unfriendly bags back to school with them. Thus, project “Grab a Bag” was born. There is now a central location at the school where more than 15 cloth bags are stored. Students grab a bag, use it, and return it when they’re done so others can do the same. As it turns out, it is easy being green!
Falcon Forum
The student council at Frank W. Cox High School in Virginia Beach, VA, organizes an annual event called “Falcon Forum,” where it invites speakers from different career paths who speak on the benefits of exploring different options after graduation. Teachers sign their classes up to hear different speakers, including the special keynote presentation to which the entire school is invited. It’s a week of listening, learning, and discovery.
Knock It Out of the Park
NHS members at Golden Valley High School in Santa Clarita, CA, recognized that their baseball facility was in need of some serious repair and upgrades. They invited baseball players, parents, and other community members to join the effort of removing all the old torn turf, cleaning dirt and leaves, repairing ripped netting, and installing new equipment. By organizing workers into stations best suited to the volunteers’ abilities, the job was complete in no time. Play ball!
Locker Legacy
NJHS students at Gruver Junior High School in Gruver, TX, saw that the school’s lockers were in need of an update. They decided the best way to tackle the issue was to contact local businesses and community members and invite them to sponsor the purchase of a locker. Sponsors would receive personalized nameplates, such as “In honor of,” “In memory of,” or “Sponsored by.” There were 166 lockers in total that needed to be replaced, and NJHS members sold sponsorships for every single one!
A Helping Hand
Lamar Academy in McAllen, TX, is unique in that it is very close to the Mexico border, so they have a very large immigrant population. Near the school is the Humanitarian Respite Center, which aims to help families in crisis and those who are seeking asylum. After visiting the center, student council members realized it was in desperate need of supplies and volunteers to accommodate the number of refugees who were there. They held a supply drive within their school and encouraged peers to volunteer their time to help out. This influx in volunteers guarantees that refugees’ first experience with Americans is one of hope and compassion.
World Leadership Week
Students council members at Lebanon High School in Lebanon, MO, celebrated World Leadership Week in April by honoring leaders from different decades each day of the week. For instance, they began on Monday by honoring Dwight D. Eisenhower for his presidency in the 1950s and encouraged students to dress in ’50s attire. The week went on with celebrating leaders like Martin Luther King, Jr. (’60s), Elvis Presley (’70s), Ronald Reagan (’80s), and Nelson Mandela (’90s). With each decade, students and faculty dressed in a similar manner to the people of that era. This added a “spirit week” effect, causing it to be much more entertaining for the school, and student participation skyrocketed!
Senior Signing
The student council at Elko High School in Elko, NV, gives incoming seniors the opportunity to leave their mark on the school by signing their name on the “senior block”—a mural painted by a selected incoming senior during the summer before the school year starts. Students are given four days to participate in the activity, and the block stays as a landmark for all students to see who will be graduating that year.
Grow-A-Row
The student council at Brooklawn Middle School in Parsippany, NJ, joined two special education classes for a trip to America’s Grow-A-Row—a state charity whose mission is to positively impact as many lives as possible through a volunteer effort of planting, picking, rescuing, and delivering free fresh produce. After their visit, students raised $2,000 to support Grow-A-Row during the 2017–18 school year, and the school intends to remain involved with the charity for years to come.