Blog
Celebrating International Youth Day
In honor of International Youth Day, we’re re-upping this post by NHS alum, Esha Singhai. This school year, Esha begins her first year at the University of Maryand. Her words reflect how student leaders continually make a difference in their communities and in the world at large. (more…)
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Student Leadership
Embracing the Values of NHS by Sharing My Story
When I was five years old, I was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). It is the most common type of childhood cancer and curable in 90% of children with standard treatments; however, that was not the case for me. My childhood was halted by my diagnosis and transformed into a whirlwind of appointments, blood...
Mental Health/Wellness, Student Leadership
Why Juneteenth Deserves a More Prominent Place in History Classrooms
On June 17, 2021, Juneteenth became a federal holiday—the first new federal holiday since Martin Luther King Jr. Day was adopted in 1983. As we mark the second year of the Juneteenth holiday (short for June 19th), the history behind the day still isn’t widely known. Juneteenth commemorates the day when federal troops arrived in...
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Student Leadership
An Exceptional Trio of Sisters—and Student Leaders
When triplets Aleena, Alyssa, and Aniyah Butler learned they all were accepted into their high school’s chapter of the National Honor Society (NHS), they breathed a collective sigh of relief. (more…)
Student Leadership
Celebrating Pride Month Starts with Student Voice
During one school’s election for student body president this year, a candidate was openly gay. He was preparing to give a speech over the intercom during homeroom period. A few minutes before he presented, the school’s principal briefly met with him to discuss the contents of his speech. (more…)
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, LGBTQ+, Student Leadership
Listening and Learning Tour Features Stops Out West
As the end of the school year approaches, NASSP President Gregg Wieczorek is winding down Leading Forward: The Listening and Learning Tour. The latest tour stops, highlighted below, come from California, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, and Utah. (more…)
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Education Policy, Education Technology and Innovation, Funding, Guest Blogs, Internet Safety, LGBTQ+, Mental Health/Wellness, Principal Pipeline: Recruitment and Retention, School Leadership, School Safety, Student Leadership
Highlights from Leading Forward: The Listening and Learning Tour
NASSP President Gregg Wieczorek has now visited more than 35 states as part of Leading Forward: The Listening and Learning Tour. In April, he visited schools in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. Below are brief highlights from the latest stops. (more…)
Student Leadership
Take 10: Spring 2022
Never Stop Learning Although they may be stretched thin between teaching and mentoring, advisers still find the time to enhance their professional learning. In this article, three veteran advisers share three important lessons: Allow the students to lead.Rely on a network of NHS advisers through online forums, conferences, and by building relationships with advisers in...
Advise, Advise: Volume 50 (2021-2022)
Collaboration Space: Spring 2022
We Are All in This Together After a year and a half of virtual learning, students at Rockdale Magnet School for Science and Technology in Conyers, GA, were eager to return to in-person learning. In honor of their first 30 days back in the building, NatStuCo members created a video of 30-second interviews showcasing the...
Advise, Advise: Volume 50 (2021-2022)
Leading the Way
Jeremhy Cesar credits his experience as a student leader with helping him gain admission to Georgia Tech. Listing National Honor Society chapter president on your resume is not a bad thing when you’re looking to get into a highly competitive college. In fact, Jeremhy Cesar credits his experience as a student leader with helping him...
Advise, Advise: Volume 50 (2021-2022)
Losing Control
As an educator, fully giving over the reins to students to accomplish a goal was somewhat daunting. I found myself asking: How will it reflect on my leadership and expertise? Will they focus? Will they be organized and mature and punctual in their planning and execution? Is saying “yes” to their ideas—which are sometimes lofty,...
Advise, Advise: Volume 50 (2021-2022)
Active Voices: Spring 2022
Mahatma Gandhi said, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” As Asian American kids born to immigrant parents, we have seen poverty in the streets of India from a very young age during our trips to visit relatives. After the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami hit in...
Advise, Advise: Volume 50 (2021-2022)
Silver-Linings Playbook
It was March of 2020, and Melissa Van Wingerden was starting to hear worrisome talk in the news and among her colleagues at Parsippany High School in Parsippany, NJ, about a perplexing virus from China. There were rumors about the district’s response, then came word her school would close early before spring break. “I think...
Advise, Advise: Volume 50 (2021-2022)
Never Stop Learning
Just as they encourage students to focus on their leadership growth and educational development, advisers too never stop learning. Between teaching and advising, educators are no doubt stretched thin, but many still find time to enhance their professional learning. Here, three veteran teachers and experienced NHS advisers share what they have learned on the job,...
Advise, Advise: Volume 50 (2021-2022)
A Conversation With David L. Collier-King: Spring 2022
David L. Collier-King loves Walt Disney. In fact, he carries this quote from the famous animator with him wherever he goes: “Around here, however, we don’t look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things because we’re curious and our curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” Collier-King’s...
Advise, Advise: Volume 50 (2021-2022)
Honor Society: Spring 2022
Digital badges—online credentials that reflect achievement and skills—are as authentic and legitimate as high school diplomas, certificates, and in some cases, licenses. NHS and NJHS students receive automatic digital member badges once they are registered with a student account at the national office and are verified by their adviser. Digital badges are hosted by Credly,...
Advise, Advise: Volume 50 (2021-2022)
NatStuCo Update: Spring 2022
The Distinguished Student Leadership (DSL) Program helps secondary schools identify students who have achieved a high level of leadership skill and knowledge while also building their expertise. Open year-round, the program enables students to create a leadership portfolio, engage in associated activities, and write a reflective essay (which they upload and submit online) on their...
Advise, Advise: Volume 50 (2021-2022)
The Middle Ground: Spring 2022
Today, we live in a society where anyone with a smartphone can constantly connect with the rest of the world. When I was in middle school in 2004, I was far more likely to use my cellphone with preloaded minutes to call a friend to make a plan to hang out in person! At the...
Advise, Advise: Volume 50 (2021-2022)
Morning Announcements: Spring 2022
Student Leadership Network NASSP, the parent organization of NHS and NatStuCo, has launched its first-ever NHS Student Leadership Network focused on mental health and wellness. Led entirely by student leaders, this nationwide network has spent the first few meetings engaging students across the country who are committed to improving mental health for students in school...
Advise, Advise: Volume 50 (2021-2022)
From the Director: Spring 2022
One of the hardest things is to know when to really go for something versus letting it go. I remember I went back and forth when faced with a decision to pursue my master’s degree in education. What was holding me back? Complacency? Uncertainty of something new? What excited me was the chance to take...
Advise, Advise: Volume 50 (2021-2022)