Reston, VA—The National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) today announced it has adopted the No Kid Hungry campaign as its national student leadership initiative for the 2020–21 academic year. Together with its Student Leadership Advisory (SLA) Committee, a group of 14 student and school leaders—along with Share Our Strength, the parent organization that facilitates the No Kid Hungry campaign—NASSP will leverage student participation and voice to effect great change on the issue of childhood hunger in America.

“For all the kids across the country who live with hunger, school meals can be the only food they can depend on each day,” said Tom Nelson, President and CEO of Share Our Strength, the organization behind the No Kid Hungry campaign. “It’s up to all of us to make sure America’s kids – our future leaders – aren’t left behind. Together with the National Association of Secondary School Principals, we are working together to ensure kids get the nutrition they need and reach their full potential.”

NASSP and the SLA Committee will collaborate with Share Our Strength to raise awareness, engage in advocacy efforts, and take action through volunteerism to combat childhood hunger.

“We are proud to partner with Share Our Strength on the No Kid Hungry campaign to leverage student voice through our Student Leadership Advisory Committee,” stated JoAnn Bartoletti, executive director of NASSP. “This group of incredibly bright, engaged, and forward-thinking students, advisers, and principals represents diverse perspectives from across the country. They will use their voice to promote service and leadership within their peer groups in the areas of empowerment, engagement, and equity.”

NASSP’s SLA Committee supports the association’s efforts to build student engagement, service, leadership, and voice. The 2020–21 roster includes:

  • Penelope Allen, adviser, Lafayette Middle School, Oxford, MS
  • Dean Brendle, student, Central Cabarrus High School, Concord, NC
  • Pamela Charleston-Lyons, adviser, Avondale Senior High School, Auburn Hills, MI
  • Elliott Clark, student, Lafayette Middle School, Oxford, MS
  • Phillip D’Amico, principal, Watson B. Duncan Middle School, Palm Beach Gardens, FL
  • Sam Dickerson, student, Hardin-Jefferson High School, Sour Lake, TX
  • Evelyn Edney, principal, Early College High School, Dover, DE
  • Gillian Grimm, student, Las Vegas Academy of the Arts, Las Vegas
  • Mitchell Howard, student, South Fayette High School, Oakdale, PA
  • Abdul-Aziz Khanfar, student, Watson B. Duncan Middle School, Palm Beach Gardens, FL
  • Carmelli Leal, student, Eastern Technical High School, Essex, MD
  • Mark Skowron, adviser, Lancaster Central High School, Lancaster, NY
  • Ramya Subramaniam, student, Pleasant Valley High School, Riverdale, IA
  • Jonathan Tallamy, principal, High Point Regional High School, Sussex, NJ

“Living in a large city like Las Vegas, the issue of food scarcity is not difficult to identify,” said Gillian Grimm. “After seeing the need over this time, I thought there was no better time than now to have an initiative around childhood hunger. Going forward I want to promote those programs in my school.”

Ramya Subramaniam added, “NASSP and No Kid Hungry have given me a voice, and I want to use it to put an end to childhood hunger in America.”

Follow the conversation on Twitter at #NASSPStudentVoice or visit nassp.org/nationalinitiative for more information.

About No Kid Hungry

No child should go hungry in America. But 1 in 7 kids will face hunger his year. No Kid Hungry is ending childhood hunger through effective programs that provide kids with the food they need. This is a problem we know how to solve. No Kid Hungry is a campaign of Share Our Strength, an organization working to end hunger and poverty.

About Share Our Strength

At Share Our Strength, we’re ending hunger and poverty – in the United States and abroad. Through proven, effective campaigns like No Kid Hungry and Cooking Matters, we connect people who care to ideas that work.

About NASSP

The National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) is the leading organization of and voice for principals and other school leaders across the United States. NASSP seeks to transform education through school leadership, recognizing that the fulfillment of each student’s potential relies on great leaders in every school committed to the success of each student. Reflecting its long-standing commitment to student leadership development, NASSP administers the National Honor Society, National Junior Honor Society, National Elementary Honor Society, and National Student Council.

About the NASSP Student Leadership Advisory Committee

The first Student Leadership Advisory Committee was formed during the 2016–2017 school year with the goal of uniting students from National Honor Society, National Junior Honor Society, and National Student Council around a shared initiative. The Student Leadership Advisory Committee was chosen by NASSP through an application process. Members were selected by the NASSP student programs staff and approved by the NASSP Board of Directors for a two-year term that runs through October 2021.