Career
Development & Occupational Studies
CAREER & TECHNICAL STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS
Career and technical student organizations serve over 25,000 young adults in New York State. Within the context of the career and technical education instructional program, student leadership organizations bring together students interested in careers in specific career and technical fields, providing them with a range of individual, cooperative, and competitive activities. The United States Department of Education recognizes the career and technical student organizations in a policy statement signed by the Secretary of Education and each organization is chartered by the New York State Board of Regents. Legislative support for these co-curricular and integral activities is included in current career and technical educational legislation.
| Association of Marketing & Management Students (DECA) | DECA, formerly Distributive Education Clubs of America, provides
activities and classroom tools that promote the learning of competency-based skills in
marketing, management and entrepreneurial career fields, and develop leadership and civic
consciousness. DECA serves more than 160,000 students (over 5,600 students in New
York State) enrolled in
secondary and postsecondary marketing education programs. DECA is co-curricular; it is an
integrated part of the classroom instructional program. Marketing education programs, with
DECA, meet the requirements of a school-to-work program. Contact
person: |
| Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) | HOSA's mission is to provide compassionate and
technically qualified health care workers for the health care delivery system. HOSA's
National Competitive Events Program is designed to recognize health care specific and
leadership competencies of both secondary and post-secondary students. The Educational
Symposium, which is the core of the National Leadership Conference, provides healthcare
related workshops for the 3,500 delegates that attend the annual event. HOSA members are
provided numerous opportunities to develop practice and refine their skills in local
chapter activities as well as state and national elected leadership opportunities. Nearly
60,000 health occupation students (600 members in NYS) in approximately 1,700 chapters in
35 States are affiliated with HOSA. Contact person: |
| Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) | FBLA prepares students by promoting business
leadership, understanding of private enterprise, establishing career goals, and developing
character and self-confidence in its members. FBLA serves 300,000 members and teachers
(5,600 students in New York State) in 13,000 chartered chapters worldwide. Contact
person: |
| Family, Career & Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) | FCCLA helps young men and women become leaders and
address important personal, family, work, and societal issues through family and consumer
sciences education. FCCLA chapter projects focus on such topics as teen pregnancy,
parenting, family relationships, substance abuse, peer pressure, environment, nutrition
and fitness, intergenerational communication and career exploration. FCCLA chapters
emphasize family and consumer science education. There are currently about 255,000 members
(2,800 members in New York State) in nearly 10,000 chapters. Contact
Person: |
| NYS Association of FFA | The National FFA Organization is dedicated to making a
positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier
leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. FFA is an
integral, intracurricular part of the agricultural education program, providing leadership
training to supplement classroom education and hands-on career exploration. FFA programs
and activities help members develop public speaking skills, conduct and participate in
meetings, manage financial matters, strengthen problem solving abilities and assume civic
responsibilities. Nearly 450,000 members -- students aged 12-21 enrolled in agricultural
education programs -- participate on local, state and national levels in approximately
7,275 chapters throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands.
(New York State has 4500 members.) Contact Person: |
| Technology Student Association (TSA) | TSA, the national organization for technology
education students, promotes student achievement through co-curricular classroom
activities, competitive events, and community services. It encourages the development of
leadership, organizational, and problem solving skills. Programs at the middle and high
school levels revolve around a variety of national competitive events that are designed to
encourage students to be creative within specified design constraints. TSA also offers
technology education curriculum for the elementary level. TSA's membership
continues to grow and grow, and now numbers 150,000 in 1,500 schools. Contact person: |
| SkillsUSA | SkillsUSA main goal is to develop employability, participatory
and quality skills to compliment the occupational skills developed by students in trade
and technical education classrooms or work-based learning sites. SkillsUSA programs and
activities help members develop public speaking skills, conduct and participate in
meetings, manage financial matters, strengthen problem solving abilities and assume civic
responsibilities. Students participate in State, National and International skill
competition each year. The organization's 250,000 nationwide members (11,189
New York State student
members) strive to become world-class workers and responsible American citizens in the
trade, industrial, technical and health occupations.
Contact:
|
For more information on Career and Technical Student Organizations at the national level, contact:
U.S. Department of Education
Office of Vocational and Adult Education
Washington, DC 20202
(202) 205-5440 National Website Address: http://www.ed.gov/offices/OVAE
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http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/cte/cdleader.html
updated on 01/04/2007
(b.mci)