Focus on the National Art Honor Society

In 1978, the National Art Education Association began the National Art Honor Society (NAHS) program specifically for high school students, for the purpose of inspiring and recognizing those students who have shown an outstanding ability in art in grades nine through twelve. Each year, thousands of students are inducted into the organization and in fact, at the end of the 2009-2010 school year; NAHS membership peaked at 43,334 total student participants with 1728 active chapters. The benefits to each school that can boast of a NAHS chapter are many. For starters, students are recognized for their work in the school environment and their success as visual art scholars. Second, the structure of the NAHS promotes student leadership and the opportunity for chapters to encourage volunteerism through the visual arts. The NAHS strives to aid members in working toward the attainment of the highest standards in art areas, and to bring art education to the attention of the school and community.

Membership
The criteria for membership in the National Art Honor Society emphasize outstanding artistic scholarship and service to the school and community through development of artistic endeavors together with a strong moral character. By exemplifying these standards, the members of the society promote an awareness of art and become active participants in the education process at their school and in their community.

The benefits of hosting a NAHS chapter at any school include:

• Recognizing students who have shown outstanding ability in the field of art.
• Serving as an inspiration for students to strive for higher goals in their work.
• Fostering excellence and a dedicated spirit in the pursuit of art.
• Encouraging the creative abilities and talents of the individual student.
• Assisting students in working toward the attainment of their highest potential in the field of art.
• Bringing art to the attention of the school and community.
• Increasing the awareness of art as a viable area within the total school curriculum.
• Advancing aesthetic awareness in all aspects of the total education program.  

The benefits to being a NAHS Sponsor include:

• Networking with other NAHS sponsors within the professional NAEA community. In particular, members can network year-round through the NAEA sponsored secondary .Ning site as part of the NAHS .Ning group at: http://naea-secondary-teachers.ning.com/group/nahs_sponsors.
• A positive and distinguished academic outlet for student members.
• Students are eligible for the Rising Star Secondary Recognition Award. 
• Seniors are eligible to receive the Charles M. Robertson Memorial Scholarship--a special four-year scholarship to Pratt Institute School of Art and Design in New York. 
• Eligibility to apply for the NAEA Standards Award.
• Sponsors can attend NAEA's annual National Convention or the Co-sponsored Academies & Institutes held throughout the country.
• Receiving the now online NAHS News twice a year and learn what other chapters are doing!
• The opportunity to help students improve their college resumes. Institutions of higher education view the NAHS as a mark of accomplishment.

Stay tuned the Focus on National Art Honor Society:  Part Two!

-Rebecca Stone-Danahy