Take Charge
National Student Leadership Week is almost here! Celebrate April 21–27 with this year’s theme “Student Leaders: Taking Charge,” which focuses on how students are changing their communities for the better. The theme ties closely with global citizenship and the #EngageInChange initiative conceived by NASSP’s Student Leadership Advisory Committee. Share how you and your students are taking charge and creating positive change using the hashtag #NSLW2019 on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Your post could be featured on NHS, NJHS, or NatStuCo’s social media pages! Visit www.studentleadershipweek.org for ideas and activities.
Savings Heat Up
Act now to take advantage of early bird savings for this year’s National Student Council Conference—available until April 19. This year’s conference will be held on June 24–26, just outside Pittsburgh at South Fayette High School in McDonald, PA. This gathering provides a unique opportunity for student council members and advisers from across the country to sharpen their leadership skills and build their peer networks. Dive into this robust, three-day event and ignite your leadership potential. Be sure to check out www.NatStuCoConference.org for updates! Early bird registration closes April 19 and the final registration deadline is June 7.
College Questions Answered
No matter where students are in the process of pursuing postsecondary education, the NHS/NJHS college admission planning webinars provide valuable insights. The April 16 webinar, “Getting Started With Your College Search,” presents a comprehensive guide for the entire college search process—from developing your college wish list and researching schools to visiting campuses and narrowing down your choices. The webinar also offers advice on application preparation, including tips on admission testing, essays, recommendation letters, and deadlines. For those further along in the process, the webinar “You’re Accepted—Now What?” on May 2 gives tips for making a smooth transition to college. The session will also feature strategies for successfully completing freshman year, becoming a leader on campus, and finding meaningful service opportunities in your new community. Visit www.nhs.us/webinars or www.njhs.us/webinars to register or view archived webinars on demand.
Guided Career Exploration
What lessons have students learned from student council that might help them succeed in a future career? The NatStuCo Career Exploration Series introduces students and advisers to professionals who share how student council impacted their journey. These former student leaders describe their career and give advice to current students about what they did during high school and college to prepare for postgraduate life. Investigate the new Career Exploration Worksheet, available for advisers to download and share with students in order to facilitate guided discussion about how the advice in the videos might apply to students’ own career aspirations. Visit www.NatStuCo.org/careers to get started.
Make the Case for Leadership Development
The LEAD and National Student Council Conferences are great opportunities for students and advisers to bolster leadership skills, network with peers, and receive targeted training—but you can’t reap the benefits if you don’t attend! Begin building a case to your principal, administrators, and/or school board for registration approval. A letter template and student worksheets are available to help you outline the numerous benefits of these conferences; plus, they give a cost breakdown for consideration. Connecting and interacting with peers is an invaluable experience that spreads throughout an entire school community. Make your case today with the resources from www.leadconferences.org/toolkit and www.NatStuCoConference.org/toolkit.
Dates to Remember
April
NHS Scholarship Winners Announced Online
16 Webinar: “Getting Started With Your College Search”
19 National Student Council Conference Early Bird Deadline
21–27 National Student Leadership Week
May
2 Webinar: “You’re Accepted—Now What?”