Bonkers for Books
School in San Marcos, CA, collected gently used children’s books to donate to their local elementary school, La Mirada Academy. Adult books were either added to their own collection or donated to other local libraries. Once the children’s books were collected, high school students visited the sister school and read some stories to the students. A whopping 2,600 books were collected!
Rocks of Inspiration
NHS members at Hamilton High School in Anza, CA, wanted to spread words of encouragement and kindness around their school. They painted rocks with inspirational messages or designs to hide around the campus. Other students were so excited to find a hand-painted rock! Some teachers reported that the students who seemed to need to hear positive messages the most smiled and shared their rocks. What a great, simple way to improve school culture.
Lunchbox Social
The Lunchbox Social is an annual event at Forest Hills High School in Marshville, NC, to raise money for Victory Junction, their state charity. For this event, students and teachers bid on the opportunity to have lunch with a student leader from school clubs including NHS, student council, BETA, sports teams, and others. On the day of the lunch, student leaders purchase food from a local restaurant, bring it to school, and eat lunch with their patron in the hopes of building a relationship. This event brought in $5,000!
A Magical Journey
NJHS students at The TASIS School in Dorado, Puerto Rico, teamed up with the International Thespian Society and TASIS Dorado Thespian Troupe 7629 to put on a theatrical showcase titled “A Magical Journey.” Students and teachers performed for two nights in the school’s performing arts center. Proceeds from the show went to furnish the first common room in the pediatric oncology wing of their local hospital.
New Life Furniture Bank
NJHS students at Dr. Philip O. Coakley Middle School in Norwood, MA, contacted New Life Furniture Bank—a nonprofit organization that donates to people transitioning from homelessness, victims of fires, refugees, and military veterans as they start new homes—and found that the school could help by creating housewarming baskets. Each basket contained various household items such as household cleaners, kitchen items, and bathroom supplies. The group conducted a bake sale and asked for donations from member churches to raise funds to buy or collect the items needed for each basket. They made 12 baskets to help families in need.
StuCookies
The student council at Adlai E. Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, IL, hosted a free cookie-decorating event in the common areas of their school. Students were encouraged to show up, grab a cookie, and decorate it with different types and colors of frosting and sprinkles. In order to promote this event, student council members hung banners around the campus and posted on social media accounts, including the student council’s Instagram. This event was a great way to uplift the spirit of students by adding a treat in the middle of their day as a pause from stress and school.
Interclub Council
In an effort to unify their school’s clubs and organizations, the student council at Fleming County High School in Flemingsburg, KY, started the Interclub Council. Two representatives from each school organization attend monthly gatherings to discuss upcoming meetings and projects to avoid conflicting event dates. As a result, the organizations have been more supportive of one another and often team up for service drives and community events.
Phone-a-Thon
NHS students at De La Salle High School in Concord, CA, launched the school’s first Phone-a-Thon, where NHS members use landline phones to call various De La Salle alumni and ask for donations to the school. Donors could contribute online or over the phone. The first Phone-a-Thon was very successful, raising more than $9,000! The chapter hopes to repeat this success with three more Phone-a-Thon events scheduled to take place over the rest of the year.