The National Conference on Student Activities

Setting the Sails for Leadership

Nevada State High School’s Student Engagement Coordinator, Mrs. Cristal V. Porter, had the pleasure of attending the National Conference on Student Activities (NCSA) this fall. Sponsored by NA4SA (the National Association for Student Activity Advisors), the 2022 NCSA Conference took place in Boston, Massachusetts from Dec. 2^nd through Dec. 4^th. The conference theme was ‘Setting the Sails for Leadership’ and included exciting keynote speakers, informative workshops, Meet the Experts roundtables, and so much more. Read on to learn about NCSA’s exciting itinerary, Mrs. Porter’s experience, and how student activities at Nevada State High School foster a culture of learning and social development on our campuses.

The NCSA Experience

NCSA kicked off with pre-conference workshops presented by student engagement organizations including Beanstalk Academy and Envolve. Throughout the day, conference goers were also able to enjoy the Hall of Exhibitors, which featured guest speakers, scholarship opportunities, edtech companies, and activity resources. Keynote speakers included Joel Hilchey, Ed Gerety, Michael Ivanov, and author-illustrator Peter H. Reynolds. There were a plethora of workshops and presentations to participate in over the course of the weekend for activity advisors, administration, and leadership teachers. Topics included diversity and inclusion, innovation, student engagement activities, leadership lessons, and more. All of this took place at the beautiful Westin Boston Seaport District hotel.

Mrs. Porter had a wonderful time teaching and learning at NCSA as well as exploring the wonders of the Boston Seaport. Mrs. Porter was selected to be a Workshop Presenter at NCSA, teaching goal setting techniques to activity advisors from all over the nation. Mrs. Porter was also a Meet the Experts presenter and shared a leadership lesson on purposeful planning for four rotations of conference attendees.  

“NCSA was truly an amazing experience! I learned from the best in the business and brought back some energizing ideas to implement at Nevada State High School. From practicing simple activities that could infuse more school spirit into our Transitions course to learning how other high schools have built communication pipelines to enhance student advocacy and agency, my brain is full of new ideas for improving our student events and activities.” – Mrs. Porter

At the conference, Mrs. Porter was also recognized as one of the winners of the Barrie E. Finnemeyer Scholarship—a memorial scholarship offered to first time attendees of the NCSA conference.

The Importance of Student Activities at NSHS

At Nevada State High School, we educate the whole child to ensure students are not only academically prepared for college and careers, but also socially and emotionally prepared.  Our curriculum is designed to build students’ emotional intelligence, leadership skills, and social skills. As Student Engagement Coordinator, Mrs. Porter plans, organizes, and oversees over 100 social events and engagement activities each year. These activities encourage students to socialize, work as a team with their peers, give back to the community, try new things, and ultimately develop as a well-rounded student.

Are you interested in learning more about Nevada State High School’s engaging activities and wraparound approach to education? Join us for an Open House!