Blog
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)
Advise: Spring 2022
Features Never Stop Learning: Beth Sondel Silver-Linings Playbook: Jim Paterson Losing Control: Amy Krueger Leading the Way: Dan Gursky Columns & Departments From the Director Morning Announcements The Middle Ground NatStuCo Update Honor Society Update A Conversation With… Active Voices Collaboration Space Take 10
Advise, Advise: Volume 50 (2021-2022)
From the Director: Winter 2022
What makes a student “love” going to school? I know for me it was seeing my friends and favorite teachers, who were—not surprisingly—the advisers and activity sponsors. Rashaan Davis reflects on the unique role that student activities have in helping students love their school and feel at home in our feature, “Opening the Door of...
Advise, Advise: Volume 50 (2021-2022)
Morning Announcements: Winter 2022
Leading the Way Student leaders and advisers gathered virtually on Nov. 5–6 for the annual fall LEAD Conference, which gave participants the opportunity to sharpen their skills, engage in meaningful collaboration, and share innovative ideas about serving their school and community—all with the aim of enhancing leadership. Workshop highlights included presentations on NASSP’s National Initiative...
Advise, Advise: Volume 50 (2021-2022)
The Middle Ground: Winter 2022
Many people believe the middle level is one of the most difficult phases to be an educator—and this certainly can be true at times! But what most people don’t realize is the genuine goodness that these young adults possess and their desire to make a difference in the world. The middle level is a time...
Advise, Advise: Volume 50 (2021-2022)
NatStuCo Update: Winter 2022
Raising Student Voice & Participation (RSVP) is NatStuCo’s signature program to help activate student voice in schools. Through a series of trainings and summits, student leaders can take the lead to engage their entire school, as well as faculty and staff, to improve school culture. Why RSVP? Promoting and nurturing a culture of authentic schoolwide...
Advise, Advise: Volume 50 (2021-2022)
Honor Society Upate: Winter 2022
Our webinar series exclusively for advisers has sessions on managing honor society chapters, as well as topics on student leadership development. Bookmark these upcoming dates this winter to stay up to date on all planned webinars for the year at nhs.us/webinars. Cultivating a Service Mindset vs. Collecting Service Hours* Dec. 2, 2021, 5:00 p.m. ET...
Advise, Advise: Volume 50 (2021-2022)
A Conversation With Christopher Luisi: Winter 2022
Becoming a great leader is not an easy task. It can take years of practice balancing the dissemination of knowledge and honing people skills. But with a built-in leadership class at John F. Kennedy High School in Bellmore, NY, Christopher Luisi has become a NatStuCo Distinguished Leader. We caught up with him to ask him...
Advise, Advise: Volume 50 (2021-2022)
Service-Minded and Motivated: My Journey Through Volunteerism
Volunteering is an instrumental opportunity for youth to develop organizational and social skills while learning the importance of helping others and giving back to the community. Service has become an outlet for me to enjoy friendships, build leadership skills, and solve problems. When I was just 10 years old, I began a service project with...
Advise, Advise: Volume 50 (2021-2022)
Collaboration Space: Winter 2022
Lifeline Links Looking to involve every student in increasing suicide awareness and prevention, NatStuCo members at Mountain View High School in Mesa, AZ, organized a project aimed at fostering support and inspiration. During classroom visits, members explained how everyone could contribute to improved outlooks, and they encouraged students to write positive messages on strips of...
Advise, Advise: Volume 50 (2021-2022)
Take 10: Winter 2022
Recalibrating Community Service Volunteerism should be about more than students tracking hours to beef up a college application. To make community service more equitable and accessible, Gil Villanueva, associate vice president and dean at the University of Richmond, urges advisers to consider breaking it up into five categories: Community mindedness Civic mindedness Academic interests Personal...
Advise, Advise: Volume 50 (2021-2022)
Recalibrating Community Service
In the wake of the pandemic and social justice movement, an ongoing conversation has surged to the forefront about whether community service is a privilege that can perpetuate inequitable volunteer opportunities. The time is ripe for college admissions officers and service advocates to recalibrate community service into true community engagement, even for students constrained by...
Advise, Advise: Volume 50 (2021-2022)