When student voices are heard by leaders or when youth-led community projects transform neighborhoods, it’s often the result of deliberate investment in student leadership.
The National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) recently announced an expanded $1,050,000 grant from the Allstate Foundation that will empower youth-led service and amplify the voices and community impact of more than one million student members of the National Honor Society (NHS) and National Association of Student Councils (NASC).
The multi-year partnership positions students not just as leaders within their schools, but as community changemakers, leaders, and scholarship recipients who are making a difference in their communities and the entire country.
“We know that young people have incredible ideas, energy, and passion, and when we provide them with the resources and opportunities to serve, we unlock their potential for community impact,” said Alex Quian, head of youth empowerment for the Allstate Foundation. “We are proud to partner with NASSP to support youth-led initiatives that are creating meaningful change in communities across the country.”
As part of this partnership, 34 new student representatives from 26 different states and territories joined the National Student Council, an assembly of student leaders representing their peers at a national level. This program ensures that students’ voices are amplified in national discussions on education and the future.
“This partnership is about truly celebrating secondary students—their leadership, ideas, and drive to make the world better,” said NASSP CEO Ronn Nozoe. “The Allstate Foundation deeply aligns with our vision, helping us nurture and lift up the next generation of changemakers at the nation’s middle and high schools.”
The $1,050,000 grant will fund four of NASSP’s youth-focused initiatives:
- National Student Council (NSC): The grant will support the newly expanded Council’s efforts to represent student voices in national conversations about education.
- NASC Scholarship: The grant will provide $212,500 in scholarships for high school juniors and seniors involved in student council, supporting the next chapter of their leadership journey.
- NASSP Student Service Grant Program: $215,000 will be allocated to provide grants directly to youth-led service projects addressing community needs, with grants ranging from $200 to $1,000.
- National Student Leadership Week (NSLW): The grant will support this annual celebration of student leaders, hosted every April, which empowers young leaders and highlights their contributions to their schools, communities and beyond.
The continued partnership builds on remarkable achievements from last year’s grant from the Allstate Foundation that demonstrated the power of investing in student-led service and student leadership. Through the collaboration, NASSP provided funding for 177 youth-led projects across the country, enabling students to address challenges ranging from food insecurity to mental health awareness in their local communities.
The partnership also launched the National Association of Student Councils scholarship program, distributing $100,000 to 80 deserving students who exemplified leadership in their schools and communities.
Learn more about the partnership and NASSP Student Service Grants here.
Feature image photo credit: Allyssa Hynes/NASSP
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