Celebrate With NHS

March 1, 2021, marks the centennial anniversary of NHS.

  • Discover how former student leaders Allie Swain, Isabella Sarria, and Gavin Arneson use the four pillars of NHS to accomplish some extraordinary things.
  • Learn about the rigorous standards Greg Brooks uses with his NHS chapter and how students realize the importance of community service.
  • Use Rebecca Adams’ lessons as an example for how to operate a virtual NHS chapter, including driving community service projects online.

Build Community Connections

This year, building bridges to the community is especially important. Advisers share how those connections can still be forged, even amid a pandemic. In an effort to build connections, we also considered some questions to ask yourself before posting to social media:

  • Does this help advance the mission?
  • Does it coincide with organization values?
  • Is the information timely, factual, and accurate?
  • Am I being respectful?
  • Am I familiar with school and organization policies?
  • Can I dedicate the time necessary to keeping a social networking site relevant and active?

Report Online Negativity

Marisa McAdams, a public relations intern at #ICANHELP, suggests the following three strategies for reporting online negativity:

1. Report to school faculty. Tell a trusted teacher, adviser, counselor, or administrator about what happened. Include important details of the incident so that the faculty member can respond accordingly.

2. Report to website moderators. Most social media sites give users the option to report abuse or spam. Visit the site’s help center to familiarize yourself with its reporting system.

3. Report to #ICANHELP. They can take down negative online content. Comment on the post with @icanhelp. You may also message #ICANHELP directly and include a screenshot of the comment or post in your message.

Enjoy Your Work-Life Spaghetti

Deborah Gilboa explores the concept of “work-life spaghetti,” with work and the rest of life overlapping all over the place. Here are four ways to handle the constant flux of this year:

1. Use “when” not “if” language. Accept that there will be changes, even if you can’t know what they will be. Speak about them in the “when.”

2. Identify the differences between uncomfortable and unsafe. Uncertainty makes everyone feel uncomfortable. Talk about the discomfort, then decide if someone is actually in danger or simply experiencing things that are hard.

3. Offer structure, even when routines are changing. Establish some structure that can be followed wherever students are—at home or in school.

4. Catch the good stuff. Identify good moments that wouldn’t have happened in a “normal” year and celebrate them; this will increase overall optimism.