Partner Eligibility & Ethics | National High School BBQ Association® (NHSBBQA®)

 Partner Eligibility & Ethics

• Partner Eligibility & Ethics

  The National High School BBQ Association (NHSBBQA®) maintains a formal Partner Eligibility & Ethics Framework to ensure that all partnerships align with our education-first mission, protect students, and uphold the integrity of school-based programs.

  Partnership with NHSBBQA® is a privilege, not a transaction.
  All partners are expected to operate with transparency, accountability, and student-centered intent.

  Our Guiding Principle

  NHSBBQA® exists to serve students, schools, and educators.

  All partnerships must support:

  • Safe, supervised, school-based learning

  • Educational outcomes over entertainment

  • Long-term student pathways, not short-term promotion

  Partner Eligibility Requirements

  To be eligible for partnership consideration, organizations must:

  • Demonstrate alignment with education, workforce, or post-secondary pathways

  • Respect the role of schools, districts, and educators

  • Operate in a manner appropriate for youth-focused environments

  • Agree to NHSBBQA® standards, policies, and brand guidelines

  • Complete the official Partner Application & Review Process

  Partnership titles are role-based and reflect function within the ecosystem, not marketing reach.

  Ethics & Student Protection Standards

  All NHSBBQA® partners must adhere to the following principles:

  Student-First Commitment

  • No exploitation of student participation for commercial gain

  • No direct marketing or solicitation to students without approval

  • No activities that compromise student safety or well-being

  School & District Respect

  • No actions that bypass or undermine school or district authority

  • No representation that suggests control over curriculum or instruction

  • Compliance with school and district policies at all times

  Conflict of Interest Policy

  To preserve clarity and trust, partners must disclose and avoid conflicts of interest, including but not limited to:

  • Affiliation with competing youth or school-based sanctioning bodies

  • Promotion of adult competition organizations to students as an alternative authority

  • Use of NHSBBQA® access to recruit for unrelated or conflicting programs

  NHSBBQA® reserves the right to deny, limit, or revoke partnerships where conflicts exist.

  What Partnerships Do Not Confer

  Partnership with NHSBBQA® does not grant:

  • Sanctioning authority

  • Governance or policy-making rights

  • Control over rules, standards, or certifications

  • Ownership or licensing of NHSBBQA® intellectual property

  • Endorsement of products, services, or events

  NHSBBQA® remains the sole educational sanctioning authority for its programs.

  Brand & Representation Standards

  Approved partners agree to:

  • Use NHSBBQA® name, logos, and titles only as authorized

  • Represent their partnership title accurately and without exaggeration

  • Avoid language that implies ownership, control, or sanctioning power

  • Respect trademark and intellectual property protections

  Misrepresentation may result in immediate review or termination.

  Review, Oversight & Accountability

  All partnerships are subject to:

  • Initial eligibility review

  • Ongoing compliance monitoring

  • Periodic reassessment or renewal

  NHSBBQA® may suspend or revoke partnerships if standards are not maintained or if actions conflict with our mission.

  How to Apply

  Organizations interested in partnership must complete the official application process, which includes:

  1. Eligibility screening

  2. Mission alignment review

  3. Ethics and conflict-of-interest disclosure

  4. Invitation or approval determination

  Apply to Become a Partner

  
  

  NHSBBQA® partnerships are governed by eligibility and ethics standards to protect students, schools, and the educational mission. Partnerships do not confer sanctioning or governance authority.