Blog
The Power of One: How a Single AP Course Can Transform Students’ FuturesÂ
Some of the benefits of Advanced Placement® (AP)—including building skills for college and career and providing an opportunity to earn college credit and placement—are familiar to many educators.  (more…)
Uncategorized
Four Scholarship Resources for NHS Members
As a member of the National Honor Society (NHS), you've already demonstrated your commitment to academic excellence, leadership, service, and character. Now, it's time to leverage your achievements and explore scholarship opportunities that can help fund your higher education. Here are four valuable scholarship resources to consider: (more…)
Student Leadership
This Pride Month Holding Space for Us All
Walking the dirt street to reach my house, I hear a homophobic slur emanate from the car driving past me. A meek 12-year-old, I rush on in fear—fear of what they would do if they knew how right they were. “How do they know?” I ask myself. “Am I too masculine? Too feminine?” My identity...
LGBTQ+, Mental Health/Wellness, Student Leadership
Students Gain National Voice Through Newly Elected Council
As the nation wrestles with critical issues from the future of education to democracy itself, student voices have been left out of the conversation—until now. NASSP recently held its first election for the newly created National Student Council. The ten students elected to the Council will advocate on behalf of millions of their peers on...
Uncategorized
Reflecting on Our Progress During Mental Health Awareness Month
My voice matters. Seeking change is welcomed. I am supported.  These three sentences best reflect my experience with NASC, NHS, and my role as a facilitator with NASSP’s Student Leadership Network on Mental Health and Well-Being.  (more…)
Mental Health/Wellness, Student Leadership
Celebrating AAPI Heritage Month and Happy Endings
The month of May kicks off Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, and I am overjoyed to be writing about what this special month means to me. I think it is amazing that we have a month that celebrates the incredible achievements of leaders who come from Asian American and Pacific Islander backgrounds,...
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Student Leadership
It’s Our Turn to Lead
Maurits Acosta at the LEAD Conference in November. Photo by Allyssa Hynes/NASSP. It was close to midnight on March 7th. I stood in the East Room of the White House as a delegate representing Florida to the 62nd annual U.S. Senate Youth Program. Just a few months earlier, I walked through the very same room...
Student Leadership
Digital SAT: Connecting More Students to More Opportunities
Recently, high school students across the globe began navigating a new testing experience: the digital SAT®. (more…)
Guest Blogs
A School Full of Distinguished Student Leaders
Here at Lancaster Central High School in Lancaster, NY, more than 300 of our students have been recognized through the National Association of Student Councils’ Distinguished Student Leader Program over the years. As the school’s Student Union (what we call our student council) adviser and co-director of our Leadership Academy, I’m proud that we’re a...
Student Leadership
Transforming Futures: How Educators Can Ignite Passion for Law and STEM Careers in Middle and High School Students
In the fast-paced global job market of today, the fields of law and STEM offer not just growth, but explosive growth opportunities. Middle and high school students are at a stage where they can explore various career options and develop a passion for subjects that align with their interests, skills, and the demands of the...
Guest Blogs
NHS Fundraiser Brings Out Diverse TalentÂ
Every January, William Mason High School in Mason, OH, hosts one of its biggest events of the year: the NHS talent show. It’s a fundraiser for community groups, and this year’s show raised almost $2,200 for the Lindner Center of HOPE’s treatment program for adolescents. (more…)
Student Leadership
California Student Wins Top National Honor Society Award
Chosen from nearly 17,000 applicants, the National Honor Society (NHS) named Ella Mayor, a senior at Santa Susana High School in Simi Valley, CA, the $25,000 National Honor Society Scholarship winner. NHS is supported by its parent organization, the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), which also administers the National Association of Student Councils. “This scholarship means more than...
Student Leadership
Why You Should Participate in The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Student Visionaries of the Year
Matthew during treatment. Photos courtesy of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and Matthew Hauser. My name is Matthew Hauser. I am from Pennsylvania and am a stage four Burkitt’s lymphoma survivor. I was diagnosed with this aggressive form of cancer when I was only two and a half years old. Intensive chemotherapy saved my life,...
Guest Blogs
Election Advice From an NHS Adviser
At New Albany High School in Ohio, where I’ve served as the National Honor Society adviser for almost six years, I don’t worry that we won’t have enough candidates to fill the six officer positions in our chapter. As a high-performing school, we attract a lot of students who become NHS members, and the biggest...
Student Leadership
How I Helped Spread the Word as an NASSP Ambassador
Five months ago, I joined the NHS + NatStuCo Marketing Advisory Council. Why? To be a part of something bigger than myself. The Council is part of NASSP’s Ambassador program, which engages principals, advisers, and students to support NASSP’s mission of lifting school and student leader voices and empowering school leaders and students to lead...
School Leadership, Student Leadership
Why I’m Part of the Student Leadership Network on Mental Health
Throughout my time in high school, I have learned that mental health is not a goal, object, or buzzword but rather an active practice. Taking care of your mental well-being requires self-awareness, patience, and reflection. It may sound daunting, but there are plenty of tools that can help. (more…)
Mental Health/Wellness, Student Leadership
Thinking Inside the Box: Because Boxes Are Reality
Recalling the many times in my career that principals and peers challenged me to think outside the box, and then in turn me sharing the same advice with my student leaders, the idea of "thinking inside the box" seems counterintuitive. After all, we want our students to think about the possibilities when faced with hurdles...
School Leadership, Student Leadership
Gaining Perspective From the LEADership Community
Life is a cumulation of the moments we've had, with some moments more significant than others. As we accumulate experiences, our lives can transform from just one moment. My life-changing experience involves 500+ student leaders from 50+ states and U.S. territories, all in the heart of Washington, D.C. NASSP's LEAD Conference held earlier this month...
Student Leadership
A Season of Giving
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, we spoke with Lynnette Hollis, an instructor in the Freshman Transition Academy at Delcastle High School in Wilmington, DE, about the school’s inspiring service project, the Soul to Sole Sock Drive. Hollis is also the adviser of the school club Leading Ladies Empowerment Group and the heart behind the service...
School Leadership, Student Leadership
Encourage Your NJHS Students to Apply for the Outstanding Achievement Award
Are your NJHS students living out the core pillars of the National Junior Honor Society: scholarship, service, leadership, character, and citizenship? If so, it's time to recognize them for their hard work and dedication. The NJHS Outstanding Achievement Award (OAA) offers a remarkable opportunity for students to celebrate their accomplishments and further their educational aspirations,...
Student Leadership