DECA Insight January/February 2012

PROMOTE DECA

Learn how to advocate for DECA — just in time for CTE Month > PAGE 3

COMPETITION PREP

Learn about the many resources available through DECA Images > PAGE 7

ICDC TOURS

Start planning your trip to Salt Lake City now by reviewing the official DECA tours > PAGE 2

INSIGHT QUICK NOTES

“Be a Hero” with advisor professional development

Register now to attend the four-day Chapter Advisor Summer Institute in June that will help you make DECA an integral part of your students’ learning experience. Choose your city – Providence or Denver – and register by March 1 for the early bird rate! <www.deca.org/events/institute

Competitive events preparation resource

Check out a publication designed to help student members excel in DECA’s competitive events. Learn role-play techniques, presentation tips and more! <www.deca.org/issues/24

JULY 5-21, 2012 • OPPORTUNITY FOR STUDENTS AND ADVISORS

Go to China with DECA this summer This summer, you and your incoming, current and potential DECA members have an opportunity of a lifetime — to visit China for a 17-day learning rendezvous from July 5-21, 2012. Partnering with People to People Ambassador Programs, the trip will blend education, adventure, culture and DECA. The list of experiences that you and your student delegates can enjoy is amazing!

Feel the heartbeat of Chinese finance on Shanghai’s Wall Street. Observe traditional businesses like a silk factory and a tea farm.

Hear from experts in international business.

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Hike along the majestic Great Wall of China. Come face to face with the commanding terra-cotta warriors of Xi’an, and talk with the villager who unearthed them. Pet a panda in the Beijing Zoo. Find new friends and visit schools across the country. Interact with DECA members from across the United States in a new territory!

A special website has been designed to provide you with specific information including the itinerary, cost and other important details. <www.decapeopletopeopletravels.com

Celebrate CTE Month with DECA’s Advocacy Campaign

Promote the impact of DECA during Career and Technical Education Month in February by participating in DECA’s new Advocacy Campaign. <www.deca.org/events/ctemonth

Regional conference dates and locations for 2012

Western Region Leadership Conference (Seattle, Wa.) ­— Nov. 15-17 Central Region Leadership Conference (Dearborn, Mi.) — Nov. 16-18 The Ultimate DECA Power Trip for North Atlantic and Southern Regions (Washington, D.C.) — Nov. 16-18 1

TOUR INFORMATION

PLACE YOUR ORDER AT www.deca.org/events/icdc Visit www.deca.org/events/icdc for complete tour information.

All tours are subject to change or cancellation at any time.

DECA DASH WITH THE DIAMONDS 5K RUN/WALK

SATURDAY, APRIL 28 – 7:30 AM DECA’s second annual 5K Run/Walk will be even better than the first. Your participation will benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association and DECA’s scholarship fund. Awesome prizes will be awarded to runners and walkers in different categories.

WWW.DECA.ORG/EVENTS/5K

LAGOON

SATURDAY, APRIL 28 – 10 AM TO 5 PM With over 50 exhilarating rides and attractions, Lagoon has grown into the largest amusement park in the Mountain West. You’ll be able to enjoy historic Pioneer Village, entertainment, games, food, fun and more! There’s 125 years of unforgettable FUN just waiting for you! The last busses will leave the park at 5:00 PM. WWW.LAGOONPARK.COM

SALT LAKE CITY BEES vs. RENO ACES

SUNDAY, APRIL 29 – 6:35 PM The Salt Lake City Bees (Triple A team for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim) take on the Reno Aces (Triple A team for the Arizona Diamondbacks) during DECA Night at Spring Mobile Ballpark.

DECA PRESENTS

THE ELI YOUNG BAND CONCERT

MONDAY, APRIL 30 – 8:30 P.M. You won’t want to miss a DECA-clusive concert featuring the Eli Young Band, best known for certified platinum “Crazy Girl,” which was number one on Billboard’s year-end most popular country songs chart.

WWW.ELIYOUNGBAND.COM

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GAIN SUPPORT BY ADVOCATING FOR DECA

DECA provides the visibility and support your program and profession deserve. As school boards and state agencies cut funding for education, DECA is an important tool in the advocacy of your program and highlighting student achievement and success.

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avvy DECA advisors understand that having the support of people outside their program in the school and in the local community can make their jobs easier and take their program to a higher level. Your chapter’s public relations and advocacy goals should include: • Positioning your program relative to DECA’s varied target markets • Positioning DECA as a critical cocurricular aspect of your program spanning four career clusters • Communicating the value promise within the context of the contemporary education environment • Developing strategies to communicate the brand promise

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ith DECA’s rebranding, our new mission statement, guiding principles and attributes and values are key in communicating our message.

They express our mission, what we do and our intended result. However, as an organization, we must use them along with data and metrics to effectively explain the

impact DECA has in preparing emerging leaders and entrepreneurs. To begin, gather data that reflects your chapter and its members. This information may include: • A profile of your members including their average GPA, attendance, etc.

• Competitive events success at all levels, including data from DECA Transcripts • DECA scholarships earned by members • Community service outcomes • Wages earned/hours worked through work-based learning program • Data from DECA’s partnership study with NRCCUA • Alumni success stories Be as quantitative as possible with numbers and data as your goal is to show the impact that DECA makes on your students, school and community.

Use this data to create a flyer that promotes your chapter through a series of “pride points” using statistics and data from the previous or current school year. You may also include your chapter’s customized DECA logo, a description of your chapter,

mission statement and chapter activities that support each guiding principle. Be sure to champion the brand and develop a strong message to create a great overall impression and impact. Distribute it regularly and often to all target audiences.

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hile you are taking steps to build your program internally, don’t forget to cultivate support within the school community as well as beyond the school.

WITHIN THE SCHOOL There are three groups within the school whose support should be cultivated: administrators, faculty and staff members, and parents.

ADMINISTRATION One of your top priorities as a DECA advisor should be to develop a supportive relationship with your administration, making sure your principal, counselor, superintendent and school board understand that DECA is integral to helping achieve academic and other school 3

THE 5 W’S WHO ARE DECA’S TARGET AUDIENCES? • Students • Parents • Counselors, Administrators, Faculty • Business Partners • Community and Governmental Leaders • Alumni • Postsecondary Groups WHY IS COMMUNICATING YOUR MESSAGE IMPORTANT? • Ensure the longevity of your program • Demonstrate the value of DECA • Show the importance of your program • Secure funding and support WHAT MESSAGES SHOULD YOU BE COMMUNICATING? • Mission Statement • Guiding Principles • Attributes and Values • Tailored messages that support the goals of each target audience • Localized impact statements • Personified success stories WHEN SHOULD YOU BE COMMUNICATING? • Be a brand champion.

• Promote at every opportunity.

• Be proactive rather than reactive.

• Repetition and top-of-mind awareness are important.

WHERE SHOULD YOU COMMUNICATE YOUR MESSAGE? • Everywhere!

• Print Media • Electronic Media • Engage your champions through events and activities

RESOURCES DECA ANNUAL REPORT <www.deca.org/about DECA FACT SHEET <www.deca.org/about DECA PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT (VIDEO AND AUDIO) <www.deca.org/pages/psa LET’S TALK ABOUT DECA VIDEO <www.deca.org/pages/partner Ask your association advisor for a video customized with information specific to your association.

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goals. Use these tips to help ensure support for your program: • Show how your program supports the principal’s goals. Whether it’s enhancing student achievement, creating a positive school climate, or some other goal, chances are that your DECA program supports what the principal is trying to accomplish in myriad ways. At the start of each school year, develop a short presentation highlighting all the ways your program supports the principal’s goals and together with your chapter leadership team request a meeting to give the presentation. As the year proceeds, be sure to reiterate how the activities and accomplishments of your chapter tie in with the principal’s goals.

• Keep administrators informed.

Communicate regularly about your chapter’s activities with administrators, whether through casual conversations or detailed memos highlighting achievements. Keep your program on administrators’ radar screens so they will associate your organization with vibrant, vital activities.

• Stress the link between DECA participation and student achievement.

DECA activities provide authentic, experiential learning methods to prepare members for college and careers.

Highlight the academic activities of your members and the ways DECA’s curriculum aligns with state and national standards. Point out how DECA activities support and enhance other curriculum areas by providing real-life opportunities for members to practice what they have learned.

• Make personal connections. Invite principals, counselors, the superintendent and school board members to attend your events and involve them whenever possible in such things as judging a competitive event or giving greetings at an event. Let them see members engaged in meaningful activities.

• Focus on the school board. Breathe some fresh air into the routine of school board meetings by putting yourself or your chapter leaders on the speakers’ list to report on DECA activities to the board and those in attendance. Being able to hear the successful stories of students will boost the morale of school board members and ensure that they are aware of the vitality of your program.

FACULTY AND STAFF Another key group whose support will help make your job easier is the faculty and staff. Without knowing what DECA is all about, other teachers can become resentful when DECA activities take members out of class or come into conflict with other things on the school calendar. As you do with administrators, take time to ensure that faculty and staff members understand the ways DECA activities support and enhance other curriculum areas and help members achieve academically. Use some of the following tips to cultivate the support of faculty and staff members: • Organize a breakfast or luncheon for teachers and counselors during one of their in-service days before school starts.

Introduce your chapter leadership team and have members set-up for the event, serve the food, and provide clean-up.

Give a report about your chapter’s annual business plan for the year, highlighting ways DECA activities support school goals.

• Let faculty members know of chapter plans such as trips for competitions well in advance so they can plan their schedules accordingly.

• Get staff members involved in your program as subject-area resources, judges for events, chaperones, etc.

• Prepare an audio-visual presentation highlighting your chapter’s accomplishments and show it at a faculty meeting.

• Be sure to acknowledge the contributions faculty and staff members make to your successes with appreciation gestures during DECA Week in October, Teacher Appreciation Week in May and at your chapter’s end-of-year banquet.

PARENTS Parents who are aware of DECA and the opportunities it offers to members can be one of your best recruiting tools. They will want their students to take advantage of what your chapter offers. Once members are involved, parents become one of your main sources of support. Cultivate parental support in these ways: • Prepare an audio-visual presentation highlighting DECA activities and opportunities. Stress the benefits to members of participation. Play it at open house, parents’ nights or at a PTA meeting.

MISSION + GUIDING PRINCIPLES MISSION STATEMENT DECA prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in marketing, finance, hospitality and management.

GUIDING PRINCIPLES DECA’S COMPREHENSIVE LEARNING PROGRAM > INTEGRATES INTO CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION An integral component of classroom instruction, DECA activities provide authentic, experiential learning methods to prepare members for college and careers. > APPLIES LEARNING DECA members put their knowledge into action through rigorous project-based activities that require creative solutions with practical outcomes. > CONNECTS TO BUSINESS Partnerships with businesses at local and broader levels provide DECA members realistic insight into industry and promote meaningful, relevant learning. > PROMOTES COMPETITION As in the global economy, a spark of competition drives DECA members to excel and improve their performance.

DECA PREPARES THE NEXT GENERATION TO BE > ACADEMICALLY PREPARED DECA members are ambitious, high-achieving leaders equipped to conquer the challenges of their aspirations. > COMMUNITY ORIENTED Recognizing the benefit of service and responsibility to the community, DECA members continually impact and improve their local and broader communities. > PROFESSIONALLY RESPONSIBLE DECA members are poised professionals with ethics, integrity and high standards. > EXPERIENCED LEADERS DECA members are empowered through experience to provide effective leadership through goal setting, consensus building and project implementation.

• Tap into parental talents. Conduct a survey of members to find out what their parents are good at and where they work.

Which parents have skills and access to resources that could help with DECA projects and presentations? Send a letter to parents asking if they would be willing to share their time and talents and give them options for doing so. Then use the information gathered to get parents to serve as resources for the various projects members are working on.

• Include information in parent newsletters and on the school’s website about upcoming events and accomplishments of chapter members.

• Recognize parent contributions. Be sure to thank parents who have been involved with notes that specify how their contribution helped your project. Small tokens of appreciation and recognition

at PTA and other appropriate meetings also usually are appreciated. A “Parent of the Year” award for the most supportive parent could be awarded at the end-ofyear banquet.

BEYOND THE SCHOOL Members of the community will be supportive of your chapter when they realize that DECA has prepared its members to be college and career ready and contributing members of the community.

The community service activities your members participate in will also build support for your program. Some ways to cultivate awareness of your program and the support of community members include: • Write newspaper articles and send media releases about events.

• Deliver a presentation about DECA by 5

SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT DECA A carefully planned public relations program should be an integral part of your plan to build support for your DECA program. Keeping people informed of your chapter activities and member accomplishments builds a positive image within the school and local community, helps make the purpose and role of the chapter more apparent to the public, and brings you well-deserved goodwill, recognition and future opportunities.

To develop your PR plan, consider the key audiences you want to reach and identify the channels you can utilize to reach them. You likely don’t have the time or resources to influence everyone, so determine the people whom you most need to inform and influence to create better understanding of and support for your chapter. Prioritize your list of key audiences and select a few to target. Some possibilities for reaching various groups include: • Schedule regular meetings with administrators for your chapter leadership team to give updates about the chapter’s work.

• Send media alerts or press releases to local media outlets and the school newspaper. Be sure to let them know in advance of events your chapter is sponsoring, but if they don’t attend the event, write an article detailing the highlights and accomplishments and send it with photos within a few days of the event.

• Keep your page on the school website up-to-date. Instead of generic wording on the school website about what your organization does, why not post a calendar of upcoming activities and recent news with photos?

• Include DECA articles in parent newsletters. Provide whoever does your school’s parent newsletter with information about your program and articles about student accomplishments at competitions.

• Keep local government officials informed. Local leaders such as mayors and aldermen love to hear good news about students. Get in touch with them whenever you have a victory to share and ask if they can give a mention of it on their website or perhaps issue a courtesy resolution to congratulate the students on a job well done.

• Update community groups. If you worked with a particular charity, group, or business on an activity, be sure to send them an update on the success of the project and offer to deliver a presentation at a meeting so their members can see the benefits of the involvement. Write a short article that they can include in their member newsletters or on their website.

• Use social media to broadcast your successes. Blog, tweet, post, or share about your positive DECA experiences. You’ll reach a whole new audience of people who can help continue sharing the good news about your DECA chapter.

• Don’t overlook the school yearbook. Be sure to provide the yearbook staff with information about your organization’s highlights and accomplishments so they can include some specifics about your year in their copy.

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the chapter leadership team at a business or community meeting.

• Seek exhibit space at local malls or other businesses to inform the general public of your activities and accomplishments.

• Participate in a local parade with a DECA float or decorated car.

• Conduct a letter writing campaign where your chapter members write letters to the editor or elected officials explaining DECA and how they have benefited from their participation in it.

• Ask local businesses to display supportive messages on their marquees and outdoor billboards wishing members well before competitions or congratulating them on their accomplishments afterwards.

• Partner with adult service organizations such as Kiwanis or Optimists whose goals include supporting the youth of the community. By offering these groups a chance to support a project designed by members, they fulfill their group’s mission without having to create their own activity or worry that a project they plan will not attract local youth.

• Organize a community service activity such as a blood drive, a food drive, or a park clean-up and call it “DECA Serve Day.” • Get senior citizens into the school and interacting with members by sponsoring a senior citizens prom or a computer class taught by members where they can learn how to use e-mail and the Internet.

• Invite members of the community to serve as judges for competitive events.

• Utilize local cable access to broadcast videos about your program and highlights from activities and competitions.

• Conduct a letter writing campaign to local policy makers explaining DECA and the impact it makes in your school and community.

BUSINESS CONNECTIONS Businesspeople in your community can play a crucial role in the success of your chapter. They provide real-life resources and perspective through opportunities for members to test their knowledge and projects against real industry standards.

Business partners can read projects as they evolve, spotting weaknesses and pointing members in more useful directions. They can be classroom speakers and sources for work-based learning, employment, internships, job shadowing, and mentoring—and much more!

COMPETITION PREP COMPETITION BELL RINGER ACTIVITIES DSCBR $25.00

BELL RINGER ACTIVITIES Business Administration Career Cluster Finance Career Cluster Hospitality Career Cluster Marketing Career Cluster

BRAB $25.00 BRAF $25.00 BRAH $25.00 BRAM $25.00

COMPETITION FLASH CARDS DSCFC $25.00

VOCABULARY FLASH CARDS DSVFC $25.00

EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT THE PRINCIPLES OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION EVENTS, AN INSTRUCTOR’S GUIDE PBAIG $19.95

EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT TEAM DECISION MAKING EVENTS, AN INSTRUCTOR’S GUIDE TDMIG $19.95

EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT INDIVIDUAL SERIES EVENTS AN INSTRUCTOR’S GUIDE | NEW! ISEIG $19.95

FOR MORE INFORMATION

EMAIL US | DECA_IMAGES@DECA.ORG GIVE US A CALL | 703-860-5006 7

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