Rho Kappa - High School Social Studies Honor Society!

Way back in the last century when I was involved with the TOPSS board, several folks in that organization did quite a bit of work to get a high school psychology honor society started. There are active 2 and 4 year psych. honor societies (Psi Beta and Psi Chi). These organizations sponsor conferences, awards, and Psi Chi's Journal of Undergraduate Research is a well respected, peer reviewed publishing opportunity for undergraduate research.

The idea of a high school psychology honor society (the working code name was "psi alpha") never gained traction within the structure of the APA. However, NCSS recently announced a high school social studies honor society: Rho Kappa. There aren't many details on the website yet, but it sounds to me like this could definitely be an "umbrella" organization that a high school psychology honor society could fit under.

Anyone out there interested in starting a psych. honor society? Does anyone have one already? If you're interested, I'm pretty sure the folks in charge of the NCSS Psychology Community would be VERY interested in talking to you about Rho Kappa!

posted by Rob McEntarffer

Share

Psychology Clubs

Recently on one of the psych teacher listservs, questions about and interest in psychology clubs have manifested themselves.  Images in this post are from various university psychology clubs.  

I went back into my files and found these ideas from an old Chicagoland Teachers of Psychology (ChiTOPSS) conference from the 90s). 

• Create "Did You Know?" posters are place around campus (words and graphics) during a "Psychology Awareness Week"
• social facilitation
• speed of neurons
• sleep disorders
• vision tricks
• positive psychology
• pets and learning principles
• developmental info about children and teens
• bystander apathy and helping behavior
• etc.
• Create bookmarks or placeholders on card stock with an optical illusion on one side and psych info on the other
• Publish a campus-wide newsletter or short info sheets about major topics (depression, stress, suicide prevention, etc., anything to increase visibility of psychology)
• Host speakers on topics relevant to teens
• Host seminars and discussions on relevant topics to teens
• Conduct demonstrations to members of the student body to increase interest
• Organize field trips
• Show videos that you do not have time to show in class
• Keep a question box near your classroom (or use an internet based questionnaire) and students in the club can research the answers and display them)
• Design club t-shirts
• Organize a psychology fair
• Create "psychology passes" for use when sending students from your class

One overall goal was to "a club dedicated to enhancing the experience and appreciation of psychology to all students through a variety of social and educational activities." (from TCNJ)

With this kind of overall goal in mind, one can do quite a variety of activities.  Just examine the list above and check out what kinds of awareness activities are already done in your community on any activity.  

If you have additional ideas, please post in the comments section. 

A quick search of google for "psychology club" yielded hundreds of results, mostly at the university level.

posted by Chuck Schallhorn

Share