Each year, NJHS recognizes 500 middle level students for their commitment to the five pillars of scholarship, service, leadership, character, and citizenship through the Outstanding Achievement Award (OAA). The students selected receive a $500 college savings plan to support their educational aspirations.
I teach English language arts. I love the pillars of NJHS so much that I also teach a leadership class to eighth graders who are NJHS members.
Each year, I have about 60 students who apply for the award. Last year, 14 were recognized. Since the OAA application opened last week, I want to share my top five tips to encourage your NJHS students to apply:
1. Instill confidence.
As an NJHS adviser, anything you can do to increase confidence in the application process will incentivize your students to apply for an OAA. Use meeting times to walk through the application, provide the basics of writing a short essay, and reassure them that you will provide them with an adviser certification.
2. Find leadership work they are already doing.
Students in NJHS are already high-achieving kids. Remind them of work they are already doing, either on campus or in their communities. Maybe they volunteer in their church or participate in a charity run or walk. Perhaps they tutor or help out in school. I like to tell my students that people should be aware of all the amazing things they are doing at such a young age—and the OAA is a way to celebrate that.
3. Remind them that leadership doesn’t have to be grand.
In my leadership class, I always remind the students that we don’t have to perform grand acts of service to be of worth. We watch Drew Dudley’s “Lollipop Moments” on YouTube, which is about the importance of small gestures. I also like to reinforce that leadership isn’t a title but an action. Once they realize that, it’s easier for them to start listing all the leadership work they have already accomplished. They start to recognize, that yes, they have collected goods, delegated jobs, planned meetings, or checked in on their teammates.
4. Offer opportunities to be of service.
I encourage all my students to start a passion project. What is it they love and how can they be of service toward that thing that drives them? Maybe they want to help their classmates. Or clean up the environment. Maybe they want to do something in the medical field. Some of my kids can speak multiple languages, which opens opportunities for them to be translators on campus, which is huge.
Our school also has fall festivals, winter festivals, and spring events. Our NJHS students run the booths for that. They also have opportunities to help with Tier 2 mentoring, participate in seventh-grade orientations, and partner with any new student on campus. If we have career fairs, I encourage my students to research companies that are coming and assist the presenters.
5. Dedicate their scholarship to someone else.
One way I motivate my kids is prior to even opening the application, I ask them to dedicate their scholarship efforts to someone. My reasoning behind this is that when students take the time to think about a person who has helped them get to where they need to be, that person will continue to motivate their future leadership efforts.
Students at this age may be challenging to guide because they are still young and exploring all of their interests and options. However, it’s incredibly rewarding to point them in the right direction because they are so enthusiastic.
Learn more about the 2026 NJHS Outstanding Achievement Award.
