Your Students Could Become YouTube Stars!

October is National Principals Month, which means it’s time for students to show their appreciation for their principal. One way for them to get involved is to create a fun, unique video about how great their principal is. In addition, students are encouraged to show their principal some love in other ways, such as thank-you notes, banners, and pep rallies. The deadline is October 28, so if you haven’t already done so, start filming! Visit www.principalsmonth.org to learn more.

Recognition for Outstanding Student Volunteers

Your students work hard to make a difference in their community, and they deserve to be recognized. The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards do just that. These awards have honored tens of thousands of middle level and high school students over the past 18 years for their volunteer work. In addition, winners can receive $1,000 and a trip to Washington, D.C. Encourage your students to apply by the November 8 deadline and learn more by visiting www.nassp.org/spirit.

Share Your Experience in Advise

You have invaluable advice and unique experiences to share with your peers. So, why not write for Advise and help your fellow advisers improve their councils or chapters? You can view the editorial calendar by visiting www.nasc.us/advisecalendar, www.nhs.us/advisecalendar, or www.njhs.us/advisecalendar and submit your ideas to [email protected].

Organize Your Social Media

Are you finding it hard to keep track of who is tweeting, posting, or pinning on a given day? With all the social media outlets available to get the word out about your next council or chapter event, it can be easy to get mixed up. That’s where www.contentcoon.com comes in. This free website, currently in beta, allows you to create your own social media calendar organized by month, week, or day. You can type up your posts right in the calendar so you know exactly what is going live and when, and send reminders to your students. Pretty handy, eh?

Local Service Projects Recognized

The Outstanding Service Project (OSP) awards recognize National Honor Society and National Junior Honor Society chapters that have made significant service contributions at the local level. Each project submitted for this award is judged based on its goals and organization, service impact, involvement, and the quality and clarity of the written summary. Applications are available online on November 1. Visit www.nhs.us/osp to learn more and apply.

Congressional Leadership Program Launched for High School Students

U.S. Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-TX) has announced the launch of the Congressional Student Leadership Program (CSLP) for high school students in Texas’ fourth district. The program’s goal is to teach students about the role of federal government and the functions of congressional office, in addition to allowing them to engage with their congressional representative and discuss public policy issues affecting the country. Each fall, the program will include a group of students-selected based on academic achievement, extracurricular involvement, and demonstration of leadership—who participate for the duration of the school year.

“We’ve got a lot of bright students throughout the 18 counties I’m proud to represent,” Ratcliffe explains, “and I’m sure the work they accomplish through the program will be quite impressive.”

LEAD is Coming… Are You Ready?

You won’t want to miss the LEAD (Leadership Experience and Development) Conferences this year. Start planning your trip for one (or more) of this year’s conferences in Denver, CO (November 11–13); Washington, D.C. (February 3-5); or Chicago, IL (February 10–12). At LEAD, you and your students will tackle a variety of topics, including leadership, student voice, civic engagement, service, and activities. Visit www.leadconferences.org to learn more.

Dates To Remember

OCTOBER

National Principals Month

October 14: Early Bird Registration Deadline for Denver LEAD Conference

October 20: NHS Virtual College Fair

October 26: NHS/NJHS College Admission Planning Webinar “The FAFSA: What You Need to Know Now”

October 28: Regular Registration Deadline for Denver LEAD Conference

NOVEMBER

NHS Scholarship application available

November 1: Oustanding Service Project Award application available

November 8: Prudential Spirit of Community Awards deadline

November 11-13: LEAD Conference in Denver

DECEMBER

December 1: Warren E. Shull Award for NASC Adviser of the Year application deadline

December 19: Early-bird registration deadline for Washington, D.C., LEAD Conference