National Junior Honor Society
Rancho Milpitas Chapter
Spring 2025 Membership Application now OPEN! Apply by 8 pm, March 14, 2025!
Rancho Milpitas Chapter
The National Honor Society is a high school honor society established in 1921 in Pittsburgh, PA. It was seen as a concrete way to promote high school academic standards, a means of fostering democracy, and an instrument for the betterment of individuals and the school.
In 1930, the idea of a junior high level honor society was realized when the first charter was granted to Clarinda Junior High School in Clarinda, Iowa. Merle Prunty, president of the National Association of Secondary School Principals in the early 1920’s, commented, “The Society is not just a glorified honor role. It makes a contribution that will elevate school spirit to the status where students are willing not only to lead, but also to follow the right kind of leadership in service to other pupils, and [is a place] where students grow in character and citizenship.
Today there are more than 6,000 NJHS chapters and 15,000 NHS chapters across the United States and around the world. Every year over 200,000 students become members.
The Rancho Chapter was introduced in the fall of 2007. To date, over 400 members have been inducted into our chapter.
The main goal of NJHS is to build leaders and give back to our community and school. Service projects are all up to members. In the past, we have held book drives for the Milpitas Food Pantry and Ice Cream and Root Beer Floats Fundraisers to help raise money for people affected by Hurricane Dorian.
At Rancho Milpitas Middle School, along with standards set by NJHS, students will first qualify for membership through their demonstration of success in the area of Scholarship. This means that students in 8th grade with a cumulative GPA of 3.2 are eligible to fill out an application to give examples of their accomplishments in the remaining areas of Leadership, Service, Character, and Citizenship.
Keep up with us on Instagram!