#EngageInChange

Join the new initiative developed by the 2018 NASSP Student Leadership Advisory Committee, which is devoted to effecting positive change at the community level. The initiative will focus on three strands:

  • Engagement: Educating peers or the community about an important issue and encouraging them to find solutions.
  • Empowerment: Using student voice to take action.
  • Equity: Spreading the idea that all people should have the same opportunities.

Share how your school is making small improvements to its community by using #EngageInChange on social media!

Lay the Groundwork

Middle level adviser Jackie Jaros from Deer Lakes Middle School in Cheswick, PA, shares top tips and protocols for a successful year with your chapter or council:

  • Host a training so students know their roles and standard operating procedures for meetings.
  • Use the Remind app to communicate with members and families.
  • Meet frequently with officers to discuss and evaluate goals.
  • Schedule monthly meetings with administrators to review projects and activities.
  • Explore Google Classroom and Google Hangouts as great resources for staying organized and keeping the lines of communication open.

Raise Some Dough

Partnering with local eateries or serving up your own meals can earn your council or chapter some serious funds. When planning a restaurant fundraiser, keep the following in mind:

  • Consider timing. Avoid conflicts with other events.
  • Select the restaurant carefully. Choose somewhere popular and accessible.
  • Determine the terms. Learn the rules and expectations of the restaurant with which you’re partnering.
  • Publicize the event. People won’t come if they don’t know about it!
  • Be a presence at the event. Members should be engaging with diners to promote their chapter or council and working to involve the community.

Widen Your Students’ Lens

Quality summer immersion programs reflect the four pillars of NHS to expose students to college life and broaden perspectives—and they often result in action plans that drive community change.

  1. Scholarship. Brown University offers some programs that blend experiential opportunities with academic ones.
  2. Service. Northwestern University’s Civic Education Project features sessions on power and privilege that allow students to see the multiple ways advocacy can take flight.
  3. Leadership. Leadership lessons can infuse every part of an immersion program by virtue of students learning to do things on their own and helping other people.
  4. Character. In both Northwestern’s and Brown’s programs, students pledge adherence to values that are important to them.