Highlands Intermediate Student Activities

May 14, 2026

Student Council Earns National Gold Council of Excellence Award 2026

For its exemplary record of leadership, service, and activities that improve the school and community, the Highlands Intermediate Student Council has been recognized as a 2026 National Gold Council of Excellence by the National Association of Student Councils (NASC). The NASC program is supported by its parent organization, the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP).

The 2025–2026 school year exceeded expectations because of the fun and memorable activities the Student Council provided for the nearly 900 students at Highlands Intermediate! The council was able to accomplish this by implementing the "Livin’ the Dream!!" theme to the maximum in all student activities and school events. Starting with the amazing Welcome Back Assembly 2025, the momentum continued through dozens of other themed events like Highlands Haunted House 13: "It!" and the recent Valentine's Dance 2026, "Love In The Multiverse." The Highlands Intermediate Student Council has now received this prestigious award for 12 consecutive years. This year's Student Council is the biggest in its history standing at 41members!

“The student council at Highlands Intermediate just pulled off something extraordinary,” said NASSP CEO Ronn Nozoe. “Their student-driven change has earned them national recognition as a National Gold Council of Excellence, proving that when young people are given the chance to lead, they turn their vision into real-world impact.”

“In my 19 years as Student Activities Coordinator at Highlands Intermediate, I find myself asking every year: ‘How can we possibly top this?’ Yet, somehow, this council didn't just meet the bar—they cleared it by leaps and bounds,” said Mr. White, Highlands Intermediate Student Activities Coordinator. “This has been, without a doubt, the most incredible school year yet. I am so proud of this group's tireless work ethic and their dedication to making our program the absolute best it could be for our students and community.”A student council must meet a variety of criteria to earn the National Gold Council of Excellence Award. In addition to basic requirements such as a written constitution, regular meetings, and a democratic election process, the councils must have demonstrated successful sponsorship and participation in activities such as leadership development and service to the school and community.

Kona Low Relief Fundraiser Raised Nearly $3,000!

On Friday, April 17, the students of Highlands Intermediate School organized a campus-wide fundraiser to support those impacted by the recent Kona Low disaster. Developed within Mr. Eric White’s Leadership Class, our initial goal was to raise $2,000 for the Kona Low Relief (Stronger Hawai’i Fund) to assist our North Shore neighbors. The energy at the Campus Center was incredible as teams faced off in a "ferocious" Penny War. While the competition was fierce, the true winner was our community. We are thrilled to announce that we exceeded our expectations, raising a total of $2,723.14.We would like to extend a special mahalo to our community partner, Bank of Hawai'i – Pearlridge (VP Susan Marciel). They were instrumental in this endeavor, graciously handling the monumental task of counting every coin and cutting the final check for this donation.After more than 60 years of service to the Pearl City community, we remain committed to helping our islands persevere through challenging times. We are honored to entrust these funds to the Hawai’i Community Foundation to aid in the recovery efforts.