Guiding Principles

This guide offers a description of the NHD program as well as detailed suggestions for organizing Affiliate contests, creating a program, and achieving best practices in service to students and teachers. Some variations are inevitable, given the diversity of sponsoring organizations, the range of available financial and human resources, and the geographic and population size of some states and territories. 

It is reasonable to expect all Affiliates to cooperate with the National Office and to run programs that treat all students fairly, apply rules consistently, use the NHD brand and materials responsibly, and, to the greatest extent possible, seek to broaden participation. Within that framework, you will make decisions about many things, such as:

• The amount of staff time that you or other team members have to dedicate to the program

• The specific logistics of your contests

• Outreach you may want to do for students and teachers

• Your capacity to run teacher workshops

• Partnerships you may want to develop with other educational organizations

The materials in this guide will offer you many ideas about what you may want to do, but it is up to you to determine your own goals and know the capacity of your program within the parameters of your sponsoring institution while meeting the expectations of the annual Affiliate agreement with NHD.

While you may be the only - or one of a few - people responsible for NHD in your organization, you are not alone. Many resources are available to you, including the vital network of other coordinators you can tap into for help. 

NHD Coordinators List-Serv includes current Affiliate coordinators and is moderated by the National Office. If you want to cast a wide net for support, send a message. People can reply to you directly or with the list.

• • NHDCOORDINATORS@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU (All Affiliate coordinators)

  • NHDCHAT@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU (Affiliate and Regional coordinators)

  • Listserv Guidelines

Your Regional ECC Representative has been elected to the Executive Council of Coordinators to represent your program. You can reach out to your representative -  or either of the at-large members - with questions or to bring concerns to the council.

• ECC Roster

The Coordinator Portal is a Google Drive folder that can be accessed through your Affiliate Gmail login. It contains a wide variety of resources from past coordinator conferences, online training, and samples from other Affiliates. Many of the materials linked to this website are hosted on the portal. When logged in to your Affiliate Gmail account, you may add content for other coordinators.

• Email Alaina in the National Office if you need your Affiliate Gmail login

• Portal Link

Expertise from NHD. The National Office staff can train, re-train, and assist wherever needed. For example, if you want a national presence at a meeting of your advisory committee or with your executive director/ agency head, these can be arranged easily.  If you want direct hands-on assistance with managing the headquarters at your contest, someone will come to your aid. If your financial support could use a boost or is in danger of collapse, please call for help.

• Email Kim in the National Office.

• See who does what here.