As the school year is officially underway and students are settling into their classes, the NASH staff is promoting extracurricular activities or clubs for students to join. It is a great way to get involved with the community, try new things, and meet new people! Outside of school involvement is also a good addition to add when writing out college applications. 

One of the more popular clubs at NASH is Best Buddies, an international organization that promotes creating bonds and friendships between students with IDD (intellectual developmental disabilities) and others throughout the course of the school year.

At North Allegheny, the main purpose of Best Buddies is “about creating and maintaining friendships with your peers,” said Rachel Tengowski, one of the club’s faculty sponsors. 

The NASH club meets often throughout the school year and participates in various activities that allow students to connect and build relationships. 

At NASH, the club is led by Mrs. Tengowski and Ms. Melinda Beck.

“The chapter officially opened during the 2012-13 school year,” Beck said, “so we are starting our 11th year!”

The Best Buddies club is also offered at NAI, led by two other teachers who help coordinate with Tengowski and Beck. Together, they plan out hands-on activities that get their members involved and working with one another. 

Both Tengowski and Beck have been around from the very beginning when Best Buddies was introduced at NASH. 

“Several years ago, a parent of one of our students with IDD brought the idea of Best Buddies to one of her son’s teachers, Ms. Kruze,” Beck explained. “At the time, Best Buddies actually had a waitlist to open new chapters. However, Ms. Kruze still wanted to start a club to start working on inclusion and creating friendships. She recruited both of us to help out with the club as we both also worked with students with IDD, and later that year, we were able to become an official Best Buddies chapter.” 

The club has continued to grow within NASH and around the world since then and still presents many opportunities for kids to connect and bond over shared interests and hobbies while participating in enjoyable activities. 

“I love watching the students create relationships and have the opportunity to get together outside of school,” Tengowski said. 

Beck noted that her favorite part of being involved with Best Buddies is “just watching everyone interact and have fun.”

Interested students can see either Beck or Tengowski to get involved. The deadline to sign up to participate in Best Buddies is Friday, October 6, 2023.