NEHS is excited to announce a variety of spring awards and opportunities for student members, chapters, and Chapter Advisors, all designed to celebrate creativity, community engagement, and educational excellence.
Between April 7 and April 21, 2025, there will be numerous ways for the NEHS community to make its voice heard. However, some of our awards and opportunities will require preparation time, so it is best to get started now! Read on to find out more about what is on offer.
Opportunities for Student Members
Civil Rights Podcast Creative Challenge:
NEHS students will honor the 60th anniversary of Malcolm X’s assassination by producing podcast episodes featuring interviews with individuals who have experiences of the civil rights era and beyond. This Creative Challenge offers students an opportunity to document community stories, develop skills in research, communication, and media production, and engage deeply with history and the ongoing pursuit of justice. Through this project, students will amplify voices, reflect on social change, and contribute to a meaningful audio archive. Learn more.
Embracing Our Differences Artwork Contest:
NEHS is celebrating individuality and promoting inclusivity through the transformative power of art and literature. This contest encourages NEHS student members to use their creativity to inspire social change by submitting original artworks that connect literature with the theme of “embracing our differences.” By participating, members can help build a world that values diversity, rejects prejudice, and amplifies voices that enrich our shared humanity. Read more.
NEHS-Harvard Crimson Student Journalism Award:
NEHS continues its partnership with The Harvard Crimson, offering student members a platform to showcase their journalistic talents to a global audience. This competition celebrates high school journalists who have made meaningful contributions to their schools and communities through digital or print media. It aims to inspire NEHS members to create vibrant student publications while encouraging educators to integrate journalism into their curricula, fostering creativity and critical thinking. Continue reading.
Lambda Ampersand Award for LGBTQIA+ Writing:
Lambda Ampersand Award for LGBTQIA+ Writing is the result of a new partnership between NEHS and Lambda Literary. The award recognizes and celebrates exceptional creative writing by NEHS student members representing or honoring the LGBTQIA+ community. Lambda Literary, known for its advocacy and programs supporting LGBTQIA+ writers, is working with NEHS to highlight diverse, and often overlooked, voices. This award amplifies LGBTQIA+ stories, celebrating their impact and fostering a vibrant, inclusive literary community. Find out more.
NEHS Triangle Submissions:
The NEHS Triangle journal showcases student members’ critical and analytical writing, with each edition focusing on a specific theme. For 2025, submissions should critically analyze texts from outside the traditional high school literary canon or works by, and about, underrepresented communities. Essays must be 1,000–2,000 words and adhere to the latest MLA style guidelines. Learn more.
Opportunities for Chapters
Best Bulletin Board Award:
The NEHS Best Bulletin Board Award focuses on community representation and fostering a sense of belonging. Chapters are invited to submit creative bulletin board designs that highlight diverse voices in literature, connect literature to heritage months or identity appreciation days, and promote inclusion. This contest highlights student creativity while emphasizing the importance of visual storytelling in creating welcoming and educational school environments. Read more.
Chapter Impact Award:
The Chapter Impact Award honors NEHS chapters for designing and undertaking exceptional literacy-focused service projects that positively impact their communities. This award celebrates the creativity and dedication of NEHS members in promoting literacy, building empathy, and strengthening community connections. Continue reading.
Opportunities for Chapter Advisors
Chapter Advisor Enrichment Fund:
The NEHS Chapter Advisor Enrichment Fund provides Chapter Advisors with opportunities to enhance their teaching through immersive literary experiences aligned with their curriculum. This fund focuses on improving English Language Arts education by deepening Advisors’ subject expertise and encouraging innovative teaching methods. Advisors can create personalized academic experiences that engage with the texts and authors they will teach, fostering diverse perspectives and inclusive strategies. Find out more.
NCTE-NEHS ELA Innovation Award:
The NCTE-NEHS English Language Arts Innovation Award honors visionary educators transforming high school English language arts education through innovative teaching practices. Teachers are invited to share their creative lesson plans and classroom resources, demonstrating their commitment to engaging students. This award celebrates the dedication of educators who inspire creativity and make a lasting impact in the field of English language arts. Learn more.
More from NEHSXpress: April 8, 2025
Upcoming Author Webinar with Bradley Sides
Graduating Student Member Survey and Chapter Annual Report
Social Media Reel Challenge: NEHS 20th Anniversary
The Hebestreit Award for Adventure Writing for Students and Chapter Advisors
