National Student Council: When Students Speak Up, Adults Listen
NSC is giving young Texans the tools to lead, advocate, and make a difference in their schools and communities. Discover how student leadership is driving change and amplifying voices statewide.
In a world where the voices of young people are often overlooked, the National Association of Student Councils (NASC) and the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) stand as powerful allies for students across Texas and the country. These organizations provide more than just leadership training—they also give students and educators the tools and support to create real change in their schools and communities.
NASC is the oldest and largest national organization dedicated to supporting middle and high school student councils and the educators who guide them. Local student council programs serve as the foundation for the National Student Council (NSC) program presented by The Allstate Foundation, creating a direct pipeline for student leaders to grow and develop their skills on a larger scale. By fostering leadership, responsibility, and teamwork at the local level, these councils prepare students to take on more significant roles within NSC, where they can collaborate with peers nationwide and tackle issues that affect students across the country.
The impact of these programs extends beyond the students themselves, influencing educators and school communities by promoting a culture of student engagement and empowerment. As students progress from local councils to the national stage, they carry with them valuable experiences that enhance their educational journey and foster leadership skills that will serve them long into the future.
Speaking Up
Tyler Dashner serves as the managing director of growth strategy at NASSP, as well as co-advisor for NSC. He oversees the membership, marketing, and communications departments and is a former middle school history teacher both in Houston and in Washington, D.C. He additionally works closely with both principals and student leaders to manage the National Honor Society (NHS), National Junior Honor Society (NJHS), National Elementary Honor Society (NEHS), and the NASC.
Dashner’s ties to student council stretch back to the seventh grade when he first ran for a position in his school’s’ program.
“I often share that student council saved my life,” Dashner says. “Student council is where I found my people. It’s where I found my purpose. It was the thing I loved, and it’s where I found who I was.”
While attending Oklahoma Baptist University, Dashner served in the student senate, as class president, and as chief of staff for their Student Government Association.
“For me, this was a very personal thing because I’ve seen this with so many kids. Student council is where they learn how to be a leader and to advocate for change. It’s where they find their voice.”
When Dashner first joined NASSP three years ago, he was surprised to learn that the NASC didn’t have a group of student leaders acting as a student council at the national level, so he proposed the creation of a program that brings together students from across the country to do what local student councils do— just on a larger scale.
After an organizational year, the first assembled National Student Council launched in January 2024. It held its first elections in May, and its initial 10 officers were selected for the 2024-25 school year. Two exceptional Texas students were accepted into the NSC program: Isabella Schmit, NSC’s junior vice president of membership, from Tuloso-Midway Middle School in Corpus Christi, and Jaycee Lang, junior vice president of communications and a sixth grader at Mexia Junior High School.
Now in her eighth grade year, Schmit’s focus is on building lines of communication in schools.
“Kids aren’t often heard much by adults,” Schmit says. “I’m not saying that they don’t listen or anything, but kids also don’t speak up because they can be intimidated. So I want to try and help fix that problem and get kids to speak their minds.”
Schmit earned her first spot in student council as a sixth grader, and she says it really helped her open up and make friends.
“I was so quiet before joining student council, but now I am exactly the opposite,” Schmit says. “I’ve also got involved with theater and speech and debate, and these have been really helpful in meeting new people and learning how to talk to them.”
In addition, Schmit wants to work more closely with educators and school administrators to implement programs that could benefit Texas schools.
“You know middle schoolers and food—they are always hungry,” Schmit jokes. “So we helped put together attendance incentives at our school so that every week, if you had 98% or above attendance excluding excused absences, then you would get a treat on Friday. It felt really rewarding because it had a positive effect on attendance and grades.”
Tackling Issues
The aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic left a significant impact on the mental health of both students and teachers across the country. Many students, having navigated disruptions to their education, face increased feelings of isolation, anxiety, and uncertainty about their futures. Teachers, too, have been affected, grappling with the stress of adapting to new teaching methods and supporting students through emotional and academic challenges.
“We had about 250 students apply for officer positions in NSC, and it was interesting and alarming that around 90% of those applications and their essays wrote about the mental health crisis happening in our schools,” Dashner says. “I would be shocked if mental health isn’t a major focus for them this year.”
Schmit, who spent the two years before middle school in virtual classes, understands the need for students and educators to connect and support each other through tough times.
“As student council officers, we would try and do things for the teachers in our school,” Schmit recalls. “Especially during Teacher Appreciation Week, where we would knock on every classroom door in eighth period and give each teacher a treat with a note attached telling them how much we appreciate them.”
NASSP lobbyists actively advocate for educators and students at the federal level, regularly meeting with members of Congress and the administration. Part of their role is to monitor any bills or agency changes that have the potential to impact K-12 education. In monthly meetings with the NSC, the advocacy team briefs the student leaders on what’s happening on Capitol Hill and in the U.S. Department of Education.
Ultimately, these briefings are designed to help the students develop the necessary skills to start putting together their own views and policy positions on these issues. The program also includes an advocacy trip to Washington, D.C., in March.
“We want them to put together a fully fleshed-out legislative agenda,” Dashner says. “So that when they meet with a congressperson or someone from the Department of Education or White House, they have very succinct asks. They can walk in and say, ‛We need more funding for mental health or for Title I.’”
In short, student leaders are learning to operate just as a professional lobbyist would. They have their agenda, data, and talking points ready so they can sit down and have those conversations at the highest level of government.
“I feel like we say this a lot, but everyone needs to be heard,” Schmit explains. “All students, all officers, teachers, etc. There are so many more things we could change in the world for the better if we had more input. And this is our opportunity to get our thoughts together and speak up.”
Coming Together
NASSP has affiliates in each state, including the Texas Association of School Councils (TASC). Each affiliate nominates two students, and a panel in NASSP selects from those two who will go on to serve as the state representative.
“That’s a really important role because they’re kind of experts on what’s happening in this in their own state,” Dashner explains. “And it’s the role of the state rep to bring that local experience to the national level so that we can connect issues happening across the country and perhaps identify them as a national concern.”
Each year since 1948 (postponed during the COVID-19 pandemic), NASC, as a part of NASSP, has held a national conference. Even before the creation of the NSC, it was called the National Student Council Conference, and it is intended for any student council in the country.
“If teachers are looking for an opportunity to bring their students to something that is truly transformative, the NSC conference is that place,” Dashner says. “There, students can learn the necessary skills and begin networking nationally to take them far beyond their high school years. It also offers hands-on service activities and brings in nationally acclaimed speakers.”
The conference offers workshops on all sorts of topics, including fundraising, service projects, advocacy, and encouraging students to join school boards. The 2025 National Student Council Conference is scheduled for later this month in Chicago. Khalil Green, the first Black student to serve as president of the Yale University Student Body Association, will be a keynote speaker.
Additionally, TASC hosts an annual state conference as well. This March, it will be held in Arlington and includes a night at Six Flags Over Texas, speakers, exhibits, elections, and other activities designed to benefit young leaders.
“I was able to attend last year’s TASC conference, and I got a lot out of it,” Schmit says. “I picked up service ideas, learned ways to communicate better, and was able to network and get some feedback that I can take back to my school. I also am planning on attending the national conference in Chicago.”
A Brief History
Just over a century ago, Edward Rynearson, a school principal in Pittsburgh, had the idea for the National Honor Society (NHS) program when he observed how sports dominated the budgets and attention of high schools in his area. He wanted to do something supportive for academics, so he laid the groundwork for the NHS. As an active member of NASSP at the time, Rynearson brought the idea to the NASSP board, and in 1921, the program was launched.
A huge success, the program is now in roughly 80% of all US high schools, and in 1928, the National Junior Honor Society was created as well for middle schools. In 2008, the National Elementary Honor Society was conceived, and it’s less of a scholarship-based program and more focused on citizenship, being responsible, and volunteerism.
“The NASC was actually started by a student in Oklahoma, Warren Shull,” Dashner explains. “And I love this story because he grew up probably 30 minutes from where I grew up right outside of Tulsa. In 1931, student government or the idea of student council was new, and not many schools had it. Shull imagined a national organization that would unite student body presidents across the nation and ended up hitchhiking from Sapulpa, Oklahoma, all the way to Los Angeles to pitch the president of NEA to create this group.”
The president of the National Education Association (NEA) endorsed Shull’s idea, and NEA became the original parent organization to NASC. In 1943, NASSP stepped in as the parent organization, and it has grown significantly, going from a few hundred chapters to now thousands across the country.
The Roadmap to Success
Educators are always looking for ways to invest in their school’s success and culture, creating learning environments that champion positive outcomes and stronger voices for students. The NASC presents unique options for teachers and administrators to foster student leadership programs that fit this framework and engage with their students in new and productive ways.
“We have a program that’s part of NASC called Raising Student Voice and Participation (RSVP), and we’ve actually had schools in Nevada and California adopt it and create a whole course based on this program,” Dashner says. “It teaches kids how to identify problems in their schools and how to generate and share solutions with their principal, faculty council, or even their superintendent or school board.”
NASC also offers the National Council of Excellence (NCOE) Award to recognize middle and high school student councils that meet high standards of student service, leadership, voice, and engagement.
“Yes, it’s a designation, and yes, you get a certificate and all that,” Dashner says. “But if you look closely, you will see a framework or a roadmap for a teacher serving as a student council advisor to take their student council from what can tend to be a popularity contest to this force of student leadership where they’re driving community service projects and they’re advising the principal on student issues.”
At $95 per year, NCOE is less than the cost of a textbook and could have a massive impact on school culture, behavior, academics, engagement, and especially elevating student voice. NASC is also offering a scholarship for students involved in student council at the local level, rewarding $100,000 to 80 students. For this inaugural year, the program is only open to juniors or seniors, but Dashner is hopeful that by bringing in additional partners and sponsors, it could grow.
As we’ve seen, programs such as NSC are giving Texas students the power to lead, advocate, and make real change in their schools and communities. These young voices are not only driving progress, but also they’re shaping a future where student input is valued and addressed. For educators, embracing these student-centered leadership programs provides a roadmap to building stronger school cultures, enhancing engagement, and amplifying student voice—keys to success in any classroom. When students speak up, adults listen, and together, they create lasting impact.
David George
Managing Editor
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