​We are proud to recognize Mr. Gerry Schwille, Director of Athletics and the entire Athletics Department on receiving the prestigious Exemplary Program Award from the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association. Northern is the only Pennsylvania school to ever receive this award that recognizes and evaluates a school’s interscholastic athletic program in the areas of philosophy, education compatibility, mentoring, risk management, access equity, budget and fund raising, assessment, technology, sports medicine and innovation and creativity. In announcing the award, the NIAAA Director Bruce Whitehead and Mr. Don Bales, Quality Program Award Coordinator wrote: “The NIAAA embraces local school innovation and vision that makes use of suggested best practices in high school athletic programs. The Northern High School athletic programs, its athletic director, principal, superintendent, and school board truly deserve to be congratulated and recognized for implementing and supporting an outstanding athletic program.”

 

The road to earning the award was not easy. “It has taken a lot of hard work over the past seven years for Northern to qualify for this award,” said Mr. Schwille. “Coaches, parents, booster club members, Mrs. Bowers, the Athletic Department Administrative Assistant and Messiah College intern Andi Brubaker all contributed to this award. I wanted Northern High School to be the best we could be and to be a program that the community could be proud of. Our scores in all categories of evaluation were extremely high, but they also show there is room for improvement. We never want to sit back and rest on our laurels”, added Schwille. “We want to continue to get a little bit better each day in what we do.”

 

As a community organization that invests in programs and activities that enhance the athletic as well as the academic, cultural and artistic development of our students, the Polar Bear Foundation congratulates Mr. Schwille and his colleagues for working together to provide the best opportunities for our students and for continuing the tradition of excellence that is Northern.