Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science (PJAS) - Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science is a statewide organization in Pennsylvania founded in 1934. The organization is open to students in grades 7-12 and is designed to stimulate and promote interest in science among its members through the development of research projects and investigations. Each year, HRS holds an in-house Science Fair where students create a project and present it to judges from various fields of work as well as alumni who have participated in these events in the past. From there, students can take their project and enter it into the regional PJAS meet. 1st Award winners from their regional meets are invited to compete at the state meet which is held each year at Penn State University's Main Campus. At the state meet, students are given the opportunity to present their projects again with the chance to win a wide range of awards including scholarships. At HRS, we have had students compete and place in both the regional and state meets, including 1st place and perfect score awards at the state-wide competition. We have also had many of our alumni continue to compete in PJAS in high school and receive scholarship awards, perseverance awards, Perfect First awards, Excellence in Junior High awards, among others.

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National History Day (NHD) - National History Day is a year-long academic program focused on historical research, interpretation, and creative expression for students in grades 6-12. Students in Grade 6 participate in NHD by creating and developing a project idea in any of the following categories: exhibit, performance, paper, website, or documentary. Held as a statewide contest, students research a historical topic, develop a thesis, and create a project to present their research. Each year, HRS holds an in-house History Fair where students present their project to judges from various fields of work as well as alumni who have participated in these events in the past. From there, students can take their project and enter it into the regional NHD competition held each year at the University of Scranton. 1st and 2nd Award winners from their regional meets are invited to compete at the state meet which is held each year at Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA. 1st and 2nd Award winners from the state competition are invited to compete at the national competition held each year at the University of Maryland. At HRS, we have had students compete and place in both the regional and state meets, as well as had students invited to and represented our school at the national competition. We have also had many of our alumni continue to compete in NHD in high school and receive awards at both regional and state competitions. Additionally, HRS has won awards in the past for the most school participants in a regional contest.

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Women Empowered By Science (W.E.B.S.) - This program is hosted by the Wilkes University science, math, and computer science departments. It aims to give young women the opportunity to investigate many areas of science through hands-on laboratories and investigative activities in the areas of biology, chemistry, environmental engineering, pharmacy, physics, robotics, and more. Students will address scientific questions, acquire essential laboratory skills, and develop important critical-thinking skills by working directly with Wilkes University faculty, staff and students on a variety of scientific projects. In addition, students will become familiar with a college campus and have the opportunity to talk with and learn from Wilkes faculty, staff and students as well as professional women from the local area engaged in careers associated with various fields of science. 6th Grade girls participate in this program and travel to Wilkes once a month after-school with their teachers. 

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Junior Achievement (Biztown) - JA BizTown® is an experiential learning laboratory for elementary and middle school students that combines curriculum delivered in lessons in school prior to a visit to JA BizTown®, a fully interactive simulated town that simulates the day-to-day functions of thriving communities. The program helps students connect the dots between what they learned in school with the realities of the business world and everyday life. The journey to JA BizTown® begins in the classroom where students study the basic economic principles at play in every community. This popular program allows elementary school students to operate banks, manage restaurants, write checks, and vote for mayor, among many other things.

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Junior Achievement (Finance Park) - JA Finance Park® is Junior Achievement’s capstone program for personal financial planning and career exploration. This program helps students in grades 7–12 build a foundation on which they can make intelligent financial decisions that last a lifetime, including decisions related to income, expenses, savings, and credit. The topics and concepts track closely with national financial literacy standards and are intended to prompt students to begin thinking about and planning for their financial future. This educator-led classroom curriculum culminates with a visit to JA Finance Park, a realistic on-site or mobile facility, or virtually in the classroom, where students engage with volunteers and put into practice what they’ve learned by developing a personal budget.

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National Geographic GeoBee - The National Geographic GeoBee is an annual competition organized by the National Geographic Society, designed to inspire and reward students’ curiosity about the world. Students in grades four through eight (4-8) from 10,000 schools across the United States will compete in the National Geographic Bee for a chance to win college scholarships and the glory of being the National Geographic Bee Champion. At HRS, we begin with an in-classroom preliminary round with all students in grades 4-8. The top 2 scorers from each grade go on to compete against each other in an in-house competition. The overall winner has the opportunity to take an online test in order to qualify for the state competition which takes place each year at The State Museum of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg, PA and state winners . HRS has had students represent our school at the state level.

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Scripps National Spelling Bee - The Scripps National Spelling Bee is an annual competition organized by the E.W. Scripps company and has been held every year since 1925. At HRS, we begin with an in-classroom preliminary round with all students in grades 1-8. In grades 1-3, the top 3 winners are awarded with ribbons and certificates. The top 2 scorers from grades 4-8 go on to compete against each other in an in-house competition. The overall winner has the opportunity to participate in the regional competition and regional winners are invited to the National competition which is held each year in National Harbor, MD. HRS has had students represent our school at the regional level.