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.

National Gold Council of Excellence 2025

For its exemplary record of leadership, service, and activities that serve to improve the school and community, the Kaohao School student council has been recognized as a 2025 National Gold Council of Excellence by National of Student Council (NatStuCo) for the 11th year in a row. “Receiving a National Gold Council of Excellence Award reflects the highest dedication on thepart of the school to providing a strong, well-rounded student council program,” said Nara Lee,National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) Director of Student Leadership.“NatStuCo applauds the work of the National Gold Councils of Excellence and challenges themto continue their leadership and service to their schools and communities.” Mr. White, Highlands Intermediate Student Council Advisor said "I've been Student Council Advisor for going on 18 years and this was the best year ever in terms of the amount, variety and quality of student activities! I couldn't be more proud of this year's council in their commitment to achieve our Student Council Mission of making our school the best place to learn through quality student activities!" To meet the requirements for the National Council of Excellence Award, a student council must meet a variety of criteria. In addition to basic requirements such as a written constitution, regular meetings, a democratic election process, the councils have demonstrated successful sponsorship and participation in activities such as leadership development and service to the school and community. Councils awarded the gold level of the award have successfully demonstrated the highest levels of leadership.

 

2022 National Gold Council of Excellence by the National Student Council

On behalf of the Hawaiʻi State Student Council, we would like to congratulate you and your student council on earning the distinction of 2022 National Gold Council of Excellence by the National Student Council (NatStuCo). We are proud of your accomplishments as a student council at your respective school. Your school is only one of 14 public schools recognized for this outstanding national achievement. The National Student Council applauds the work of each council and challenges them to continue their efforts to improve their schools and communities through their leadership and service. The National Student Council is proud to honor these student councils for implementing a strong leadership program that meets council goals; functioning in an ethical and responsible way; and engaging others in leadership, spirit, civic, and service activities. Your student council will be recognized on the evening of the 2022 Student Leadership Conference (SLC) on Friday, June 10, 2022 at Moanalua High School. We will be presenting your honorary banner and plaque, which is being provided by the State Student Activities Program and Hawaiʻi State Student Council. More details will be provided, as we approach SLC next month. We have attached a copy of the 2022 NGCOE Seal, which was provided by the National Student Council. The logo is available for use, in compliance with any rules set forth by the National Student Council. There are guidelines to the use of the logo, so please refer to a letter that your student council received with more information or contact NatStuCo directly. Once again, congratulations and best wishes!  Enjl M. Himoya - Hawai'i State Student Council Chairperson

Highlands Student Council Is A National Gold Council of Excellence 2021!

On behalf of National Student Council, it is our pleasure to recognize the Highlands Intermediate School Student Council as a 2021 National Gold Council of Excellence. Winning the National Gold Council of Excellence Award is testament to the highest standards of quality that your council consistently demonstrates in its operation, and its projects and activities. NatStuCo Gold Councils of Excellence are the models of quality for which other student councils should strive to become. Congratulations again on winning ‘Gold’. You can be justifiably proud of the outstanding contributions that you and your student leaders make in your school and community.

Highlands Intermediate Student Council Is a National Gold Council of Excellence 2019!

On behalf of National Student Council, I want to congratulate you on the occasion of the Highlands Intermediate Student Council being recognized as a 2019 National Gold Council of Excellence. Earning the award was no small task and your students’ success is a testament to the leadership and support you give to them and their adviser, and to the value placed on student council as an integral part of your school and its educational mission.

To further recognize their achievement of earning this national award, please accept the NatStuCo National Gold Council of Excellence seal found below. I hope that you will display it proudly on your school’s website. The seal is in PNG format and pre-sized for easy placement on the web and in electronic media such as school newsletters and emails. To extract the seal, right click on it and save to your desktop. A list of all 2019 winners is available on the NatStuCo Website. When sharing this good news on your social media pages we encourage you to tag the posts or tweets with @NatStuCo and #NCOE.

Again, congratulations and best wishes for continued excellence in your student council program!

Jeff R. Sherrill

Associate Director, National Student Council
NASSP | National Association of Secondary School Principals