<p>Our school just had it's NHS elections and the new president is on a mission. He really wantes to do something that will impact the community, and make NHS more than something that you put on a resume. So I figured I'd post a question for you all. </p>
<p>In what ways could a chapter of NHS positively affect a community?</p>
<p>We were thinking possibly working with a group like Habitat for Humanity to build a few houses, but we wanted a few more ideas. Anyone? Students? Parents? Any ideas?</p>
<p>Perhaps by finding examples of honorable behavior in your community and giving credit to those. It sometimes seems like honor is in short supply.</p>
<p>My D is Prez of National Honor Society and is in the same situation. She has spoken to the club sponsor and last year's President. I don't they do much in that club at her school. She too would like to involve her committee and members in some meaningful volunteer work in the community. Any ideas of what other schools are doing would be appreciated.</p>
<p>The NHS group at our HS does a canned food drive in the fall and acts as ushers at most events in the auditorium. They also allow the kids to count hours that they do with other groups such as key club or boy/girl scouts. The key club is very active at the school though so I think NHS has to be careful when they pick out projects. Many of the NHS members are also key club members.</p>
<p>My D established an elementary school tutoring program staffed by the NHS kids. They tutored low income and ESL kids. It was highly successful and is still on-going.</p>
<p>NHS at Ss' school runs the peer tuturing that is offered to all students. S1 was a tutor for several students in Calculus and physics. S2 just got in.</p>
<p>The NHS club at my school sponsors an annual academic competition for private elementary school kids, supports a child in Africa (who we write back & forth to), and volunteers annually at a senior citizen health fair. We do more but I can't remember them all. In addition, each member does an individual volunteer project.</p>
<p>My D's school works with a program in which they adopt senior citizens and shovel them out all winter long (which can be a very big job) and help them in various ways, keep in touch with them, through the year. It's been a great program.</p>
<p>They could also adopt an elementary school class and have contact in various ways throughout the school year. Reading assistance, holiday parties, secret santa, projects involving multiple grade levels.</p>
<p>my nhs always did a blood drive in the fall and another in the spring. (because you can only donate if you are at least 17 and weigh over 110 lbs, open it up to the community)</p>
<p>im historian of my NHS (i do the community services projects) it's pretty easy, all you have to do is become best friends with united way... they have TONS (and i mean TONS) of community service projects that can be found on their site... we require 15hrs a semester (2 of which MUST come from projects we choose)... in addition, members must also participate in tutoring at least once in a semester....we also do blood drives like 5x a year...</p>
<p>Well, lousyanamom: In my school's NHS, members were allowed to participate in any volunteer activity they so pleased as long as they fulfilled a minimum of 20 or 25 hours (can't remember exactly). Most of the kids in my NHS already do volunteer work so that was not very challenging for any of us. I know people who volunteer at their local nature centers, rape crisis centers, libraries, Red Cross, hospitals, etc. There are a ton of opportunities for kids to get involved in so it doesn't have to be limited to just one thing; which is way better b/c NHS members get to reach out to several different parts of the community rather than just one.</p>
<p>here is something my school did(just a random charity thing). We had a dodgeball tournament with teams of 5. All they did was use the school gym, so the costs were insignificant. each team had to pay an entrance fee which went to a charity, I think they raised quite a bit of money.</p>