Photos and information from recent years:

• 2000: "Team Leadership: United We Stand"
  
  
• 2001: "R-E-S-P-E-C-T, find out what it means to me"
  
  
• 2002: "Celebrating Our Heroes"
  
  
• 2003: "Who Says You Can't Change the World?"
  
  
• 2004: "Stand Up and Be Counted"
  
  
• 2005: "Life's Journey Starts Now!"

• 2006: "Activities for All"

• 2007: "Find Your Voice" (no additional resources for this year)
  
  
• 2008: "Step Up" April 13 - 19, 2008
  
  This year's theme, "Step Up!," provides an excellent opportunity to recognize student leaders for their outstanding efforts and achievements in representing their peers and giving voice to student concerns. Check out the helpful resources (posters, activity suggestions, assembly planning, sample press release, proclaimation, etc). on the NASC web site to help plan your activities for April 13-19, 2008! (NASC web)
  

Each year during the third week in April, National Association of Student Councils (NASC), National Honor Society (NHS), and National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) invite schools to recognize and celebrate their student leaders during National Student Leadership Week. This year's theme was "Activities for All."

This year’s theme, “Activities for All,” provided an excellent opportunity to recognize student leaders for the outstanding efforts, honorable achievement, and their leadership in creating a positive school climate in which all students are welcome and invited to participate in student activities. Schools planned their recognition activities for April 16 – 22, 2006. Ideas to help celebrate the week were found in the April issue of Leadership for Student Activities magazine, or during March, 2006, on-line at www.nasc.us.

This year, Montgomery County Public Schools recognized the diversity of the student activities that our schools offer. Schools were invited to submit pictures and/or descriptive text of their school activities. Submissions are posted on the 2006 Student Leadership Week web site (see above link)

Significant Dates
> The First National Student Government Day was September 26, 1972
> Nation Student Government Day was changed to April in 1976
> The name was changed to National Student Leadership Day in 1979
> National Student Leadership Week became a week long celebration in 1983

History
National Student Leadership Week began as a single day of recognition of student council leaders on September 26, 1972. Praising student councils for offering young people "early and vital experience in exercising a voice in matters of common concern, recognizing diverse interests, and selecting leaders to express representative views," President Richard M. Nixon paid tribute to the nation’s student councils and their leaders when he signed a Presidential Proclamation officially declaring National Student Government Day.

"One of the clearest lessons of the past decade in America," the official statement begins, "is that students want and deserve an appropriate voice in their own affairs, and that education can be better when they have such a voice." The President closed the Proclamation by urging "all students to acquaint themselves fully with the activities and programs of the student governments and to take full and constructive part in that government."

This Proclamation was announced following nearly a year of negotiations between the National Association of Student Councils (NASC) and the White House. In the fall of 1971, then Assistant Director of Student Activities, Terry Giroux approached White House aides regarding the need to direct national attention to the remarkable efforts of the nation’s student councils and their role in involving young people directly in participatory democracy.

NASC asked its members to strengthen the message by initiating projects and programs focusing on the organization of student councils in their individual schools and communities. According to an article in the September 1972 issue of Student Life Highlights (a predecessor of Leadership for Student Activities), the "NASC staff members view the celebration of National Student Government Day as a substantial shot in the arm for the nation’s student councils." "Our hope," said then Director of Student Activities Robert Gaut, "is that honoring America’s youth leaders in this way will spark renewed interest in the concept of student government and will point the way to increased student participation in the workings of this country’s schools."

National Student Government Day recurred each fall over the next two years, then was switched to the month of April beginning in 1976. In 1979 the name was changed to National Student Leadership Day following a suggestion to expand the recognition to all student leaders, including participants in student council, National Honor Society, and clubs. The day of recognition was held each year in April through 1982. The following year, Secretary of Education Terrel Bell declared April 25-29 National Student Leadership Week. A week-long celebration has occurred every year since then.

(Information from Leadership for Student Activities, February 2000)

Updated March 18, 2008| Maintained by Karen Crawford