Texas DECA - What is DECA?

DECA, a national association of marketing education students, provides teachers and members with educational and leadership development activities to merge with the education classroom instructional program. DECA is not extracurricular; it is an integral part of the classroom instructional program. DECA chapters attract students who are interested in preparing for entrepreneurial, marketing or management careers. While DECA membership consists primarily of students in marketing programs, membership extends also to alumni and to professionals in marketing education and in marketing teacher education. Working hand-in-hand with the education and business communities, DECA’s goal is for its student members to develop a "career success kit" to carry into their business and personal lives after graduation; one that includes:

Occupational competencies needed for career in marketing, management and entrepreneurship
Leadership abilities
Social and business etiquette
Understanding and appreciation of civic responsibility
Ethical behavior in personal and business relationships
Understanding the role of our free enterprise system in the global economy

To accomplish this, DECA utilizes on-the-job experience, chapter projects, and a program of competency-based competitive events in specific marketing occupational areas. These events emphasize academic and vocational excellence as building blocks for successful marketing and management careers and demonstrate the direct relationship between marketing education and the real needs of business and industry. Each year more than 110,000 students participate in the competitions on the local, state and national levels.
A non-profit organization, DECA is governed by an elected Board of Directors. The National Advisory Board made up of representatives of major U.S. corporations and businesses who support DECA’s mission, and the Congressional Advisory Board made up of members of the U.S. Congress, offer members support and guidance. Since July 1991, the organization is known by its commonly recognized acronym, DECA, accompanied by the tag line, "An Association of Marketing Students". The familiar diamond DECA logo has been updated; newly designed to suggest the strength, stability, and forward-looking attitude of the association and its 180,000 student members.

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What We Stand For

In 1946, the Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) organized around an ambitions goal: to improve educational and career opportunities in marketing, management and entrepreneurship for students. In the years since, DECA has remained on the cutting edge of educational innovation, working with the business community to integrate academic achievement with vocational and career skills.

Over time, the needs of our membership have changed, and we have changed to meet them. Yet the fundamental reasons we formed remain at our core: First, effective marketing education gives young people the tools and aptitudes they need to pursue their dreams. Second, marketing education works best when it's part of an integrated education program linking classroom instruction with internship experience for career success.

With 180,000 student members and faculty advisors, we function as the companion student organization to over 5,000 marketing education programs in secondary and postsecondary schools across the U.S., its territories and Canada. Our once-revolutionary ideas have become models for effective educational alternatives. DECA remains committed to the advocacy of marketing education and the growth of business and education partnerships.

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DECA's Mission

The mission of DECA is to enhance the co-curricular education of students with interests in marketing, management and entrepreneurship.

DECA helps students develop skills and competence for marketing careers, build self-esteem, experience leadership and practice community service.

DECA is committed to the advocacy of marketing education and the growth of business and education partnerships.

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Goals of DECA

To prepare marketing education students to take their proper places in the business world
To develop leadership characteristics
To develop self-confidence and self-acceptance
To develop a greater understanding of our competitive, free enterprise system
To further develop occupational competencies needed for careers in marketing, management and entrepreneurship
To develop high ethical standards in personal and business relationships
To develop effective international relationships
To develop a greater awareness of career opportunities in marketing
To develop greater proficiency in communication
To develop greater appreciation of the responsibilities of citizenship
To develop a healthy competitive spirit
To develop social and business etiquette

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More Of What DECA Does

National DECA Provides Member Recognition and Awards

More than $125,000 in cash and stock are awarded annually to national competitive event winners from more than 110,000 DECA members who compete each year.
Scholarships in excess of $250,000 are awarded annually.
More than $40,000 in travel scholarships to the National Career Development Conference are awarded each year.
National officer elections provide member recognition.

National DECA Provides Leadership Training

Leadership materials from DECA Images
Leadership Development Academies and specialized leadership training for state and national officers.
The New Advisor Academy, Advisor Trainer Academy and New Chapter Academy for training professionals.

National DECA Is An Advocate for the Local Program in All Important National Forums

With DECA's Congressional Advisory Board
With government agencies such as the Small Business Administration (DECA is an official sponsor of SBA's Young Entrepreneur Seminars) and the Industry Skill Standards Project Grant Management Committee of the U.S. Department of Labor.
The National Association of Secondary School Principals
With allied education groups such as the Council on Economic Education, Junior Achievement, the Foundation for Teaching Economics and the National Federation of Independent Business.

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DECA Business Partners

NAB - Essential to DECA programs is the National Advisory Board, business and corporate executives from the more than 65 major companies, associations and colleges that support DECA and its members. NAB works with DECA's board of directors, program advisory councils and the national staff to keep DECA activities current with changing business trends. They know that the kind of preparation DECA helps provide is good business and, because it produces a quality work force, it's cost effective and helps business compete. They have a stake in helping schools educate qualified marketing professionals.

DECA's Sales and Marketing Companies - Make sure you investigate the use of one of these outstanding companies when planning your next fund-raiser. Their projects are fun, profitable and DECA approved.

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Recognition Programs

The National Marketing Education Honor Award - If you're a senior, you may qualify for this prestigious award recognizing members for academic excellence and their leadership and involvement in DECA. Application is due by February 1, 2001. Ask your advisor to check the DECA GUIDE for details.

The 2000-2001 Chapter Awards Program - Three levels of chapter winners-bronze, silver and gold. The number and type of activities a chapter completes in each of six categories determine the level: membership, chapter standards, promotion/public relations, chapter activities and DECA Week. Gather your members and go for the gold!

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Publications

DECA publications are packed with informative, entertaining reading. They bring you the latest in what's happening in marketing education and in your association. Check out each one for an all-around picture of the advantages your association offers.

DECA DIMENSIONS
The official DECA membership magazine is filled with business and association news, and features on job skills, leadership development and civic consciousness. Every one of DECAís 180,000 members receives a copy delivered in the classroom. Dimensions is also placed in high school and college libraries and used in promotion and recruitment.

The ADVISOR
This DECA newsletter is focused on the needs and concerns of the chapter advisor. Published six times during the school year, it delivers news and teaching tools to more than 5,500 marketing education teachers across the country.

The DECA GUIDE
The Guide is an annual publication containing the official DECA Competitive Events Program guidelines. As such it is referred to repeatedly during the year by the classroom teachers receiving it and their students. Included with the GUIDE is the annual IMAGES catalog packed with identity items and teaching/learning aides of use to DECA chapters.

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Programs

DECA has a host of programs and special events to add to their DECA experience. Here is a brief description of a few of the programs. Click on the links to the left to see more detailed information.

DECA's Competitve Events Program - Event selections include more than 30 occupational areas. Win recognition, trophies, scholarships, cash and travel at the local, state and national levels while experiencing the challenge of bettering yourself and testing your skills.

DECA's Leadership Development Programs - DECA puts special emphasis on preparing its members for leadership roles in business and in the community. Today's society requires teamwork, consensus building, interpersonal skills and goal realization, but still demands individual thinking … it requires leaders. DECA activities, like its Leadership Education Action Program (LEAP), stress these components as management essentials.

Special Projects - The Seven Up Challenge-Win cash and scholarships! This online DECA project, sponsored by Dr Pepper/Seven Up, Inc., encourages you to go beyond advertising's traditional media to market your ideas. See what innovative themes and messages you can develop to promote the Seven Up product. Guidelines will be up for viewing on September 1, 2000. Take The Challenge!

Operation Holiday Help - Need Christmas cash? Sponsored by DECA and Best Buy Co., Inc., this program provides basic job training and an introduction to local businesses for any student in your school who wants to work during the holiday season. This is a great way to reinforce your own management skills and earn money for the chapter.

State Business Partnerships (SBP) - Task forces of marketing education/DECA/business representatives who work to invigorate corporate involvement and chapter support on the state level.

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The Future of DECA Leadership

What Is Leadership?

We must assume that leadership is a set of skills that can be learned, developed and applied to organizational involvement and everyday life. Leadership is not an inherent trait. Leadership is for everyone. If this is true, an effective leadership program will help members develop essential skills and give them an opportunity to put these skills to use.
One of the challenges we face in developing a leadership development program is that there are as many definitions of leadership as there are people to give definitions. In order to face this challenge, we formed a focus group composed of professionals who deal with leadership development as a major part of their job. This group was familiar with DECA, yet was diverse enough to give an outside perspective on the topic of leadership. Our group developed a list of characteristics or skills associated with effective leadership. Six major areas were identified.

The ability to communicate effectively was one of the six skill areas identified. Effective communication allows leaders to share their vision for the organization they are working with. It is essential for the successful completion of goals and objectives. Effective communication was further broken down into the areas of written, verbal and nonverbal.
Effective problem solving was also identified as an essential leadership skill. Leaders must be able to make decisions that will have a positive impact their organization when it faces a challenge.
Being an effective team player was also identified as an essential leadership skill. This area includes the leader’s appreciation of service and citizenship. An effective leader values the strength of the team and uses this strength to better the organization and achieve its goals.
Managing resources was the fourth essential leadership skill identified by our focus group. This area includes analyzing information and systems thinking. An effective leader is able to identify all his/her resources and use them in the most efficient manner to achieve the goals of the organization.
The ability to acquire knowledge was also identified as an essential leadership skill. An effective leader has an excellent understanding of self and of his/her environment. This environment includes all aspects of his/her responsibilities as a leader of an organization. Leaders use the knowledge they acquire to benefit those they are serving
Finally, we identified an appreciation and understanding of ethics as an essential leadership skill. Like any other skill, the practice of ethical behavior must be learned. This skill may be less substantive than the other five, but it influences all others. In other words, it should be put to practice in all that an effective leader does.

We are confident that a leadership program that develops these six essential leadership skills will greatly enhance the quality of a DECA member’s experience with the organization and with life in general.

A program that focuses on these six areas will increase the involvement of DECA members within their school and community. While developing their personal skills and preparing for their future, they will be benefiting everyone around them. Thus the program will create a win-win situation for all involved.

A student who develops these six essential skills will increase his or her personal confidence. For many teenagers, lack of confidence is a major factor in their seemingly complacent attitude. Increasing confidence will improve their performance in almost everything they do.

An effective young leader will lay the groundwork for many future successes. By developing leadership skills at a young age, students will have a head start on their careers. Professional success is often a result of the development of leadership skills early in life.

If students master the six essential leadership skills, they will be more effective in performing their duties for their current employers. Thus, improving DECA’s current on-the-job training program.

Last, students who develop these skills will perform more effectively in the classroom. They will be more focused and better able to manage their time. They will understand the importance of acquiring knowledge, and they will apply the knowledge they gain in the classroom to the rest of their lives.

With this in mind, we hope to move forward and develop a leadership development program that will fit the needs of all DECA members. Check back to this site for more information in the future.

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