Statewide Community Service Campaign
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5 Simple Competition Preparation Tips
1) Reach Out - One of the most important things in creating a successful project is networking. Contacting local business owners gives you the advantage of professional feedback and possible tips to ensure your further success!
2) Step Out of Your Comfort Zone - Winning projects are usually those that leave an impact on the judge. While preparing your presentation, think of creative or unconventional ways to capture your judge's attention and incorporate them.
3) Have A Good Partner Dynamic - This is something that is critical when working with a group. Choose partners that will work equally as hard, and will motivate you to win some DECA glass! Learn each other's strengths and weaknesses and utilize them during competition.
4) Don't Stop Preparing - There is always room for improvement in your paper, presentation, visual aids, etc. Ask teachers, industry professionals, or any other adult to critique your project and provide you with feedback. Use the feedback people give you to finetune your project and truly make it ICDC worthy.
5) Envision Yourself Winning DECA Glass - One of the best motivators is to imagine yourself, or your team, on that ICDC podium, grinning from ear to ear because you have just won some sweet DECA Glass! While it is hard, it is not impossible. Envisioning that "moment of glory" will help remind yourself that the work is worth it.
BY: SARAH JOSHI
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DECA Conferences: Expectations And Tips
We all know what’s coming up…. Power Trips and Educational Development Conferences! Hands up if you are ready! DECA provides three types of competitions : Leadership, Career Pathway and Career Development conferences. If this is your first, second, third or even tenth, I suggest you get ready for an extraordinary trip.
Expectations
Explore: Get ready to get out of your comfort zone, meet new people and explore the city! It not very often you have the chance to fly out to a new state, and experience new places and people with your DECA chapter so be #Limitless and take advantage of these opportunities. DECA conferences provide chances to learn new tips, ideas and pivotal information to help you in competition and the business world.
Learn: These conferences are developed to inspire, promote leadership, and educate! Workshops and seminars are going on throughout the conference covering many topics that will help you for the future. From workshops teaching you how to write a business plan, how to prepare for a role play, to helping you speak more eloquently and how to ace professionalism and etc. These seminars have you covered! So don’t feel overwhelmed, choose a development workshop that best fits your needs!
Expect: These conferences are held in some of the most unique cities and atmospheres you will ever encounter. At conference, you will be engaging in all sorts of DECA-tastic activities you may have never thought about being a part of nor ever knew existed. As a student you will be immersed with a lot of information that will help prepare you for your future, but don’t let that scare you! Instead, take advantage of it and expect that you will leave the conference future ready! With a “go-getter” mentality you are destined to take advantage of every moment at conference.
Remember expand your horizons and don’t be shy to be outside of the box. Enjoy yourself and your trip, good luck!
For more information about DECA Conferences go to : https://www.deca.org/high-school-programs/high-school-educational-conferences/
BY: JESSICA GALLARDO
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Scholarships: Another Amazing Benefit of DECA
DECA provides its members with #Limitless opportunities, however many of these unique offerings are merely overlooked. A little-known fact is that DECA Inc. and Texas DECA offer over a combined $300,000 worth of scholarships to members every year, yet so many students do not realize how easy it is to apply. To better help you understand the scholarship application process, check out this article and the attached resources.
Like mentioned above, Texas DECA offers individual scholarships available only to its members. To apply for the Texas DECA scholarships, members must visit www.TexasDECA.org and then visit the “Advisor Resources” page. There, members will click on the “Texas DECA Scholarship Application” tab and complete the application. This application is just a few pages long and asks a handful of short-answer questions regarding the member's involvement with school, DECA, and their community. If selected for an interview, students will be assigned an interview time at their respective District Career Development Conference, and if they are chosen to advance to the next level, they will have a final interview at Texas DECA’s State Career Development Conference. The deadline to submit your application for the Texas DECA Scholarship is Two (2) weeks before your District CDC.
In addition to the scholarships offered by Texas DECA, DECA Inc. provides a plethora of scholarships to all members. To apply for DECA Inc. scholarships, members will create an account on DECA’s scholarship website which can be found here. Once an account has been made, members will fill out a form which collects general information about involvement in school, DECA, and their community. Once this is completed, members will have access to a portal where they can select scholarships which they would like to apply to. From there, applying can be as easy as checking boxes next to interests and hobbies to writing a short essay over career ambitions. After a member has applied for scholarships, DECA Inc. will contact that student with updates on application status. DECA Inc. has provided a neat flowchart that helps students decide which scholarships would be best for them to apply for. The flowchart can be found here. If you have further questions about DECA Inc. Scholarships visit the Frequently Asked Questions page here.
There are so many opportunities to take advantage of in DECA. Applying for DECA scholarships is a great way to earn money for college continue to pursue your goals and dreams after high school.
BY: LUCIOUS MCDANIEL
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Fall Community Service Activities
The new DECA season is now beginning! As fall begins and Thanksgiving approaches, it's a great time to participate in some community service with your chapter. Here are five Fall Community Service Activities:
1) Thanksgiving Food Drive - Many families aren't able to afford wholesome meals on Thanksgiving. Host a food drive at your school and rally your DECA chapter to help collect various canned goods to help families who need it.
2) Hurricane Help Silent Auction - Hurricanes have devastated our country during the past month. Talk to various clubs within your school and ask people to donate items for a silent auction raffle.
3) Book & Toy Drive - As the holiday season approaches, there are many kids who could use an extra smile. Everyone has old toys and books lying around. Host a book and toy drive at your school by leaving collection boxes around your school and asking people to donate.
4) Blanket Drive - Making blankets is always a good way to bring a little joy to the lives of those who need it. Project Linus is an organization dedicated to helping children in hospitals feel safer and more comfortable. Purchase low-priced fabric from any craft store and challenge your DECA chapter to see who can make the most blankets!
5) Sock Drive - I love socks. Everyone loves socks. Where would we be without them? There are many people who have never felt the joy of fuzzy socks. Ask friends, family, and people at school to donate socks. It can even be a part of your chapter's community service campaign! Let everyone feel the joy of fuzzy socks.
BY: SARAH JOSHI
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How to Make Your Mock Conference a Success
As we all know, conference season doesn’t start until January – but that’s no excuse to put off practicing your events in a competitive environment! Chapters that host mock conferences often do better at ICDC (looking at you, Ontario) and have members who end up more prepared for the business world. The benefits of mock conferences can’t be overstated, so we’ve come up with 3 steps to help your chapter host one:
1. Plan out a date and location ahead of time.
This sounds obvious, but many times a conference has failed because officers didn’t coordinate a place and time for the practice proactively. A common misconception that prevents many chapters from hosting practices is that the conference needs to be as formal as a District CDC, when in reality the cafeteria works just fine! Dates for conferences should be announced at least 4 weeks ahead of time and confirmed with school administration. This way, the few hours of commitment on a weekend can be scheduled off for members, and scheduling conflicts can be avoided.
2. Find volunteer judges.
Judges don’t need to be business professionals – parents, teachers, and even upperclassmen with experience in competitive events are perfectly valid judges for a mock conference. Most parents and teachers are more than willing to help out, but it’s always a good idea to do something nice (i.e. buying coffee or providing snacks) for volunteers. Again, make sure to ask for judges ahead of time to make sure that there will be enough to judge all of the necessary events.
3. Make sure competitors are familiar with their events before the conference.
Although a mock conference is a great place for competitors to get accustomed to a competitive environment, it’s not the time for members to be familiarizing themselves with their events for the first time. At the general chapter meeting leading up to the conference, encourage members to check this to go over their event guidelines and performance indicators.
Bonus: Set up meetings to go over feedback forms.
After your judges have filled out an evaluation form, members might not know how to interpret their scores or improve in certain areas. Officers and upperclassmen can be put in charge of competitive clusters based on their experience in competitive events and go over evaluation sheets with members after the mock conference. This way, your members will know how to improve their performance before the next conference.
BY: EMILY GAO
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TEXAS DECA MEMBERSHIP CAMPAIGN
TEXAS DECA MEMBERSHIP CAMPAIGN
MORE MEMBERS = MORE OPPORTUNITIES
Texas DECA continues to promote and encourage membership growth on the basis that increased membership leads to increased opportunities. Not only are our new members getting to experience the world of DECA, but returning members now earn additional opportunities as well.
We have created three campaigns for this year, inviting your chapter to #Experience the Difference and earn more rewards for your chapters!
To see your membership campaign goals, click on the link to the right.
STUDENT MEMBERSHIP CAMPAIGN - DUE OCTOBER 15
GROW +10 STUDENT MEMBERS (from 22-23 membership)
Earn DECA+ for FREE + recognition ribbons at the Texas DECA State Career Development ConferenceGROW +30 STUDENT MEMBERS (from 22-23 membership)
Earn DECA+ for FREE + recognition ribbons at the Texas DECA State Career Development Conference + a DECA BlazerGROW +50 STUDENT MEMBERS (from 22-23 membership)
Earn DECA+ for FREE + recognition ribbons at the Texas DECA State Career Development Conference + a DECA Blazer + $150 Shop DECA Gift Card
ALUMNI & PROFESSIONAL CAMPAIGN - DUE DECEMBER 1
20 Alumni Members OR 20 Professional Members
Earn recognition ribbons at the Texas DECA State Career Development Conference20 Alumni Members AND 20 Professional Members
Earn recognition ribbons at the Texas DECA State Career Development Conference + a DECA Blazer + you’ll meet the national membership requirements to receive two(2) Thrive Academy spots at ICDC
NEW CHAPTER MEMBERSHIP CAMPAIGNS - DUE OCTOBER 15
20 Total Members
Earn DECA+ for FREE35 Total Members
Earn DECA+ for FREE + a DECA Blazer
Advisor Emails from Texas DECA Staff
Forgot or Misplaced an Email?
Find a copy below!
2022-2023 deca year
Welcome Back Advisors! - August Newsletter
Original Sent Date: 8/3/2022
Meet the Staff, Advisor Resource Center, Texas DECA Fact Sheet & Scavenger Hunt, Escape Room, Case Study of the Week + Question of the Day, Case Study Challenge, Chapter Campaigns, Editable Resources, Chapter of the Year, Statewide Advisor Training
Check out what Texas DECA has coming up in October!
Original Sent Date: 10//2022
Check out what Texas DECA has coming up in September!
Original Sent Date: 9/1/2022
Meet the State Officers, Texas Talks - Student Newsletters, Submit your T-Shirt Designs, Chapter Packet Request, Let’s Talk About DECA Recording, 21-22 Event Data, Advisor Training, Bring a Friend Challenge, Case Study & Entrepreneurship Challenge, Advisor Resource Center, Chapter of the Year, Resources
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Texas DECA Dress Code Policy
See the Texas DECA Dress Code Policy below or click the button to download.
Official Dress Code
When appearing on stage, as a voting delegate, or in front of a judge, Texas DECA’s Official Dress Code is required.
Texas DECA Official Dress Code Females must wear dress slacks with a dress shirt, an official DECA blazer or blazer, and dress shoes.
Accommodations for religious or cultural reasons will be taken under consideration on a conference by conference basis. The student’s advisor must submit an accommodation request on or before the published advanced notice deadline for the conference. Advisors who receive a student accommodation approval will be give detailed compliance guidelines they must adhere to.
Males must be in a suit, official DECA blazer or sport coat with dress slacks, collared dress shirt, necktie, dress shoes and dress socks.
Business Casual for gentlemen means a collared shirt and dress slacks / khakis. For ladies, it includes slacks and a dress polo or button-down blouse. No baseball caps/fashionable headwear, sweats/athletic gear, jeans, carpenter pants, shorts, excessively tight/revealing clothing, or flipflops may be worn.
Casual attire should follow school dress code. Jeans are acceptable. No strapless, backless or spaghetti straps. Appropriate shoes must be worn.
What to wear for each session or event during the State Career Development Conference:
Opening Session: All members attending the Opening Session are recommended to follow Texas DECA’s Official Dress Code. Students receiving an award or recognition on stage are required to be in Texas DECA’s Official Dress Code. The minimum attire expectation for all attendees is business casual.
Exhibit Area: The minimum attire expectation for all attendees is business casual.
Competitive Event Area: All members are required to be in Texas DECA’s Official Dress Code.
Election Session and Business Meeting: Voting delegates are required to be in Texas DECA’s Official Dress Code. Business casual is recommended for all other attendees. School-appropriate casual attire is acceptable. No strapless, backless or spaghetti straps.
Entertainment: School-appropriate casual attire is acceptable. No strapless, backless or spaghetti straps.
Grand Awards Session: All members are required to be in Texas DECA’s Official Dress Code. If you are out of dress code, you will not be allowed on stage to accept your award.
VIOLATIONS WILL BE HANDLED AS FOLLOWS:
1. Student will appear before Board Member for dress code review.
2. If violation occurs, student will be asked to change clothing to adhere to dress code rules.
3. Student can return to compete in the allotted time remaining in their event or return to the function in which they are attending.
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Texas DECA Calendar
Take a look at what Texas DECA has planned for the year! Click the button below to download the calendar.
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