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December 22, 2018

California DECA October Online Press Kit

Author: California DECA

Message From the President

By Emily Zhang, State President
This October, the State Officer Team has been traveling around California, visiting BASIS Independent and Amador Valley for chapter visits to discuss DECA’s many opportunities and help out with a mock conference. We also strengthened California DECA’s relationship with the National Association of Women Business Owners of Silicon Valley to recruit judges and partner on joint events. With WRLC coming up in November, we can’t wait to see California DECA represent in Anaheim!


DVHS DECA “BOOSTs” Chapter Involvement

By Anika Sumush
This month, DVHS DECA launched the third year of its BOOST program. Designed to get students involved in DECA from a young age, this middle school program takes outreach to the next level. Ever since its introduction in 2016, DVHS DECA’s BOOST has attracted hundreds of students from local middle schools. Training sessions and mini-conferences mirror those attended by high school chapter members, giving middle schoolers the opportunity to get a head start on their DECA journey. As demonstrated by Dougherty Valley DECA, BOOST is an incredible opportunity for not only younger students, but for your school’s DECA chapter as well, providing advantages such as:

  1. Leadership opportunities for officers and chapter members

A unique aspect of the BOOST Program, and one which makes it sustainable, is the involvement of chapter members. While many events require effort from hard-working DECA officers, this program provides an opportunity for dedicated chapter members to become leaders. After completing the application process and training, any DECA member able to lead and communicate can become an instructor. For both the chapter officer leading the program and the instructors, BOOST is a real-life opportunity to apply the communication and marketing skills learned in DECA.

  1. Increased chapter membership

Arguably the most valuable feature of BOOST is the potential for recruiting new members. The appeal of this program is the chance to be involved in an organization like DECA from a young age. Students begin training for competition years before their first DECA conference, greatly increasing their potential for success. By inspiring business-minded students even before they enter high school, traditional obstacles for chapter enrollment – such as the CTE requirement or time commitment – are easily overcome by BOOST students looking to succeed.

  1. Reinforcement of business knowledge

As anyone who has tried studying in a group knows, teaching others is the best way to learn. Before presenting your knowledge to a judge at your next conference, try presenting to middle schoolers! The BOOST curriculum covers business basics, such as types of business ownership or marketing techniques, further preparing instructors for competition. After all, if you can answer students’ endless questions, you are well on your way to impressing any judge.

  1. Community involvement

Being a positive influence in your local community is a part of your success as a DECA chapter. Programs like BOOST allow DECA members to directly communicate with leaders and people outside of high school. The BOOST Program creates a better image for your club and creates a community to support your chapter in the future.
For information on how to get a BOOST program started in your school contact Anika Sumush at akinasumush@gmail.com .
 
 

About California DECA
California DECA is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) Career and Technical Student Organization, endorsed by the California Department of Education. With over 4,500 members in 59 schools throughout California, California DECA works to prepare emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in four fields of business: marketing, finance, hospitality, and management. For more information about California DECA, visit www.californiadeca.org.

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Contact Information
To learn more about this story, please contact:
California DECA
info@californiadeca.org
1-888-605-DECA