Tailored to the needs of Chapter Advisors and officers, this overview calendar will help you seize every opportunity available to NEHS members. Its year-long outline will help you structure NEHS meetings, organize impactful activities, and ensure active participation.
An active chapter means a thriving community, attracting more students to join, contribute, and passionately participate in our enriching programs.
August
- If fall membership drives and induction are planned, confirm dates, and develop program
- Invite membership applications, making sure criteria for selection are widely distributed, including to parents/guardians. Make use of recruitment materials to help
- Create a yearly calendar of chapter meeting dates
- Begin planning a student-led community service project
- Elect Chapter Officers
- Develop chapter activity ideas with officers and members
- Review NEHS awards, grants, and scholarships yearly calendar, noting application deadlines
- Confirm the anniversary due date for Annual Affiliation Fee with school financial office
- Enroll students and pay membership fees in NEHS Connect
- Order NEHS merchandise (optional) for Induction Ceremony from Shop NEHS
- Begin reading the NEHS Common Readers, and look out for the first round of scholarship questions (Sep 29 – Oct 14)
- Prepare to submit two abstracts for the Convention Preparation Award (Sep 29 – Oct 14)
- Register for NEHS webinar with Marguerite Sheffer (event date: Sep 17)
- Recommend literacy focused nonprofit organizations within your community for the Literacy Initiative Grant
- Consider organizing a special event/bulletin board to celebrate Banned Books Week (Oct 5 – 11)/Latinx Heritage Month (Sep/Oct)—this could provide material for the Bulletin Board Award
September
- Begin chapter meetings
- Review or create chapter bylaws (with new officers and members, if possible) that align with the NEHS Constitution
- Hold Induction Ceremony
- Encourage seniors to read the NEHS Common Readers, and prepare to submit essays (Sep 29 – Oct 14)
- Promote the Literary Artwork Award and Fall Creative Challenge to all members (Sep 29 – Oct 14)
- Ensure that budding poets apply for the Poets Laureate Award (Sep 29 – Oct 14)
- Submit applications for the Chapter Project Grant (Sep 29 – Oct 14)
- Submit two abstracts for the Convention Presentation Award (Sep 29 – Oct 14)
- Chapter Advisors should apply for Professional Support Grants and Classroom Library Grants (Sep 29 – Oct 14)
- Register for NEHS webinar with Angie Cruz (event date: Oct 8)
- Attend NEHS webinar with Marguerite Sheffer (Sep 17)
- Consider organizing a special event/bulletin board to celebrate World Teacher’s Day (Oct 5)—this could provide material for the Bulletin Board Award
October
- Hold chapter meetings
- Meet the deadline for all fall awards (Oct 7)
- Share your Banned Books Week events by tagging NEHS social media (Oct 5 – 11)
- Continue reading the NEHS Common Readers, and look out for the second round of scholarship questions (Nov 1)
- Register for NEHS webinar with Gabrielle Zevin (event date: Nov 12)
- Attend NEHS webinar with Angie Cruz (Oct 8)
- Undertake student-led community service projects and other chapter-organized activities
- Consider organizing a special literary event/bulletin board to recognize Native American Heritage Month (Nov)—this could provide material for the Bulletin Board Award
November
- Hold chapter meetings
- Look out for results of fall awards (Nov 10)
- Continue reading the NEHS Common Readers, and look out for the second round of scholarship questions (Nov 1)
- Undertake student-led community service projects and other chapter-organized activities
- Register for the Annual Convention in New Orleans, LA, (Nov 18 onward) and organize accommodation
- Register for NEHS webinar with Samira Ahmed (event date: Jan 14)
- Attend NEHS webinar with Gabrielle Zevin (Nov 12)
- Encourage all student members to submit work to the Intellectual Freedom Challenge (Dec 8 – Jan 12)
- Plan a community service project for the coming semester
- Consider organizing a special literary event/bulletin board to celebrate winter holidays—this could provide material for the Bulletin Board Award
December
- Hold chapter meetings
- Encourage seniors to read the NEHS Common Readers, and prepare to submit essays (Dec 8 – Jan 12)
- Encourage seniors interested in attending Northern Illinois University to apply for the NIU-NEHS William C. Johnson Scholarship (deadline: Jan 31)
- Promote the Winter Creative Challenge to all members (Dec 8 – Jan 12)
- Submit applications for Chapter Project Grants (Dec 8 – Jan 12)
- Encourage all student members to submit work to the Intellectual Freedom Challenge (Dec 8 – Jan 12)
- Chapter Advisors should apply for Professional Support Grants (Dec 8 – Jan 12)
- Nominate a Chapter Advisor for the John L. Manear Outstanding Advisor Award (Dec 8 – Jan 12)
January
- Hold chapter meetings
- Register for the Annual Convention in New Orleans, LA (Nov 18 – Jan 31)
- Meet the deadline for all winter awards (Jan 12)
- Attend NEHS webinar with Samira Ahmed (Jan 14)
- Register for NEHS webinar with TJ Klune (event date: Feb 11)
- Seniors interested in attending Northern Illinois University should apply for the NIU-NEHS William C. Johnson Scholarship (deadline: Jan 31)
- If spring induction is the tradition, begin planning induction dates and membership campaigns using recruitment materials
- Enroll students and pay membership fees in NEHS Connect
- Order NEHS merchandise (optional) for Induction Ceremony from Shop NEHS
- Consider organizing a special literary event/bulletin board to recognize Black History Month (Feb)—this could provide material for the Bulletin Board Award
February
- Hold chapter meetings
- Look out for results of winter awards (Feb 16)
- Finalize chapter trip to the Annual Convention in New Orleans, LA (Mar 29 – Apr 1)
- Attend NEHS webinar with TJ Klune (Feb 11)
- Begin to prepare work to submit to the Lambda Ampersand Award for LGBTQIA+ Writing (Mar 23 – Apr 6), the NEHS Triangle journal (Mar 23 – Apr 6), and the Hebestreit Award for Adventure Writing (Mar 23 – Apr 6)
- Undertake student-led community service projects and other chapter-organized activities
- Consider organizing a special literary event/bulletin board to recognize Women’s History Month (Mar)—this could provide material for the Bulletin Board Award
- Attend the Annual Convention in New Orleans, LA (Mar 29 – Apr 1)
March
- Hold chapter meetings
- Share your World Book Day (Mar 5) by tagging NEHS social media
- Purchase graduation regalia from Shop NEHS
- Begin preparing work for the Spring Creative Challenge (Mar 23 – Apr 6)
- Begin drafting artwork for the Literary Artwork Award (Mar 23 – Apr 6)
- Prepare for submissions of best publication and best article to the NEHS-Harvard Crimson Student Journalism Awards (Mar 23 – Apr 6)
- Select work that meets requirements for publication to the NEHS Triangle journal of student work (Mar 23 – Apr 6)
- Submit creative writing submissions to the Lambda Ampersand Award for LGBTQIA+ Writing (Mar 23 – Apr 6) and the Hebestreit Award for Adventure Writing (Mar 23 – Apr 6)
- Begin to document student-led community service projects and chapter-organized activities for the Chapter Impact Award (Mar 23 – Apr 6)
- Submit evidence to the Bulletin Board Award (Mar 23 – Apr 6)
- Chapter Advisors should apply for the Chapter Advisor Enrichment Grant, the Hebestreit Award for Adventure Writing, and the NCTE-NEHS ELA Innovation Award (Mar 23 – Apr 6)
- Register for NEHS webinar with Bonnie Garmus (event date: Apr 29)
- Consider organizing a special literary event/bulletin board to recognize Arab American Heritage Month/National Poetry Month/School Library Month/World Book Day (Apr)—this could provide material for the Bulletin Board Award (for 2026 – 2027)
April
- Hold chapter meetings
- Meet the deadline for all spring awards (Apr 6)
- Register for NEHS webinar with Ruta Sepetys (event date: May 13)
- Attend NEHS webinar with Bonnie Garmus (Apr 29)
- Purchase graduation regalia from Shop NEHS
- Consider organizing a special literary event/bulletin board to recognize Asian American Heritage Month/Jewish American Heritage Month/Mental Health Awareness Month (May)—this could provide material for the Bulletin Board Award (for 2026-2027)
May
- Hold chapter meetings
- Look out for results of spring awards (May 11)
- Attend NEHS webinar with Ruta Sepetys (May 13)
- Chapter Advisors should complete the Chapter Annual Report (emailed to Advisors)
- If spring induction is the tradition, begin planning induction dates and membership campaigns using recruitment materials
- Enroll students and pay membership fees in NEHS Connect
- Order NEHS merchandise (optional) for Induction Ceremony from Shop NEHS
- Consider organizing a special literary event/bulletin board to recognize LGBTQIA+ Pride Month (June)—this could provide material for the Bulletin Board Award (for 2026-2027)
- Share NEHS graduation photos by tagging NEHS social media
- Review chapter bylaws that align with the NEHS Constitution in preparation for the coming year
- Lay out a general plan for the coming school year and plan Chapter Officer elections
- Send out invitations to potential new student members using recruitment materials
June
- If spring induction is the tradition, begin planning induction dates and membership campaigns using recruitment materials
- Share NEHS graduation photos by tagging NEHS social media
- Review chapter bylaws that align with the NEHS Constitution in preparation for the coming year
- Lay out a general plan for the coming school year and plan Chapter Officer elections
- Send out invitations to potential new student members using recruitment materials
