FCCLA Advisers

We Can’t Wait to See You in Anaheim!!

2011-07-06T07:49:00.000-07:00

By Jessica Marlow, National Consultant Team

The 2011 FCCLA National Leadership Conference is just around the corner! We would like to take a minute and let you about some of the amazing opportunities available for advisers this year.
Join us on Sunday, July 10th from 4:00 to 5:30 for Adviser Networking! This is an excellent opportunity to meet with advisers from around the country and share ideas about what has worked best for you throughout the school year and within your chapter.

On Monday, July 11th, there will be three Adviser Professional Learning Sessions available that morning: Creating a Leadership Bootcamp, Taking on the New National Outreach Project, and Teaching Using the Planning Process.

On Tuesday, July 12th, the Adviser Professional Learning Sessions available will be: Integrating Core Academics into the FACS Classroom, Personal Growth for Advisers, and The Future of FACS.

All of these workshops have been created especially for you, the advisers. Check out the program for specific locations and exact times. Most workshops will be offered in back to back sessions to provide you the opportunity to attend several.

We will again be having a Media Center available for Conference Attendees. The Media Center will be located in California Ballroom H Foyer in the Hilton.

Last but not least, we are very excited to be able to provide an Adviser Resource Room at NLC this year. This will be a location for you, the adviser, to receive information that will help you succeed this year. It will have handouts, ideas, and will provide you a place to come and relax. It will be located in the Green Room in the Hilton. The Adviser Resource Room will be available on Sunday, July 10th from 6:00-9:00 pm; Monday, July 11th from 11:30am-3:00pm; and Tuesday, July 12th from 8:00am-1:00pm. The Adviser Room is being sponsored by Goodheart-Wilcox and AAFCS.

Again, we are very excited about everything that is planned for NLC this year! We will see you in Anaheim where we will be putting our Imaginations in Action!

Adviser Professional Development at NLC

2011-06-30T10:50:00.000-07:00

FCCLA will welcome over 6,300 members, advisers, and guests to Anaheim, California for the 2011 National Leadership Conference! While there are many things for students to enjoy from Disney tours to STAR Event Competition, FCCLA did not forget about those wonderful advisers who made it possible for their students to attend the National Leadership Conference. This year’s conference will highlight many Adviser Professional Development sessions, trainings, and recognition. Below is a list of Adviser Professional Learning opportunities offered at this year’s National Leadership Conference.

Sunday

• Future FCCLA Adviser Prep 1

• Adviser Academy Track 1

• Adviser Academy Track 4

• Adviser-to-Adviser

Monday

• Creating a Leadership Bootcamp

• Take on the New National Outreach Project

• Teaching Using the Planning Process

Tuesday

• The Future of FACS

• Integrating Core Academics into the FACS Classroom

• Personal Growth for Advisers

Wednesday

• Future FCCLA Adviser Prep 2

Finally, don’t forget to attend the Adviser Recognition Session on Wednesday July 13, 2011 at 8:30 -11:30 a.m. Celebrate advisers receiving special recognition for going above and beyond as master advisers, adviser mentors, spirit of advising, and more. Also hear from speaker, Cheryl Cran, for her keynote address on 3 generations, 1 workplace of choice- 8 ways to keep the generations engaged. Advisers get ready to put your Imagination in Action!

Chaperoning 101

2011-06-08T08:03:00.000-07:00

by Cathe Felz, National Consultant Team, Montana

Congratulations, your chapter has been selected to attend an event that requires extra adults to accompany your group. Whether it is a local event or the National Leadership Conference every chapter adviser needs additional adults to assist with chaperoning chapter events from time to time. Making the trip fun and educational is important but our top priority should always be safety. One of the key factors in providing both a safe and enjoyable trip for members and adults is to select and train adults to serve as chaperones. These adults will be responsible for the well being of students throughout the trip. Selecting chaperones is a daunting task for many, including myself.

Chaperones should be an authority figure that is fair, firm, and consistent. These adults should also be comfortable with the age and abilities of the students they are traveling with and be familiar with school policies and chapter expectations. Some of the best chaperones come from individuals who are actively involved in the everyday operations of the school and know the students on a personal level. Parents are usually eager to volunteer to chaperone for trips their student may be attending. A good rule of thumb is to select chaperones who have worked with the chapter to complete fundraising events, and chapter projects. These individuals know the students on a different level and have a vested interested in the chapter. When students and adults work together to meet a common goal they establish a relationship based on trust and understanding and learn to appreciate the viewpoint of the other person.

If the goal of the trip is to provide opportunities for students to learn and grow as well has have fun it important for the adult chaperones to work together to meet these goals. Chaperones need to be informed of the itinerary and activities prior to signing up to chaperone the trip. Everyone needs to realize when you travel as a group, the majority decides what activities will be attended and the responsibility of each participant is to follow timelines and schedules in order not to inconvenience the entire group.

Once the chaperones for the group have been selected it is important for the adviser to meet with them as a group and cover expectations and the itinerary for the trip. Some topics to cover would include:

A review of school policies so the chaperones are familiar with expectations of the school district. All adult chaperones should make every effort to assure the rules will be firmly supported by other adults in the group.
Review expectations for adult behavior on the trip. Adult chaperones should model the way by being on time for events, being dressed appropriately, and refraining from the use of alcohol and tobacco, stay with the group at all times, and provide a positive role model for students.
Review trip itinerary pointing out the opportunities for students to learn and grow through educational activities and tips for creating a memorable trip. Chaperones need to remember they are responsible for checking in with students regularly and being aware of where the students are and who they are with at all times.
Review with chaperones the types of problems that can arise on school trips, emphasizing which ones chaperones have the authority to deal with and which should be referred to school staff.
Stress the chaperones’ role is to be the authority figure, no a buddy to the students. Let the chaperones know that the adviser will support and guide them throughout the trip.
Review emergency procedures that could occur during the trip. Provide medical release forms and insurance information for parents prior to departure and secure these materials in a binder which is readily available to the adult chaperones. Exchange cell phone numbers with all chaperones and participants.
Review nighttime security procedures at the hotel. Chaperones should check student rooms to make sure everyone is where they are supposed to be before retiring for the evening. They should also check in the morning with each room to make sure everyone is accounted for and ready for the events of the day. During room check, chaperones should physically ID each student assigned to that room.

Selecting and training adult chaperones for chapter travel will prepare them to do their job well, and ensure that the safety and well being of chapter members is a top priority. Safe travels.

When Do I Get Time Off?

2011-05-25T00:48:00.000-07:00

by Jean Clarke, National Executive Council Adviser, South Dakota

Many of us are eagerly anticipating the summer break that has arrived or will be here soon. We often make mental lists about what we’ll do when we get that “time off”. Some of us have even made actual to-do lists; others have our lists leftover from last summer!

During the school year, we feel that we are always on call, so that “time off” rejuvenates us and energizes us. But, every adviser has to encourage the heart year-round. We need to take time off throughout the year in creative ways to keep our energy high and our motivation strong. For example, we need to take time off at the end of the day (perhaps have our favorite form of caffeine) and reflect on what went well during that day, focusing on the positive results of our daily work. We need to e-mail or call a fellow FCCLA adviser and give encouragement during the stressful times in our busy years. Even a short message or conversation can renew our determination. We need to plan time off for 15 minutes in our day to walk, read, or take time for ourselves. Most important, we need to encourage ourselves to try something new. We all need to take time off to challenge ourselves to try something different, attempt something new, or tackle opportunites we might even fear.

Time off can be measured in days or months, but time off to encourage our hearts might only be measured in minutes. Both can be the spark that keeps us active and vital in our personal and professional lives.

Summer Activities for FCCLA Members

2011-05-18T06:33:00.000-07:00

Contributed by Alana Bergeleen, National Executive Council Adviser, South Dakota

School's out for summer! But it is important as an FCCLA Adviser to keep in mind that school is not out forever and therefore it is a great idea to keep your chapter members involved throughout the summer months. Not only will this further develop their leadership skills, but summer activities will provide an opportunity for more "fun in the sun" than they get during the school year. The opportunities for summer activities are endless. Many of the so called activities can also turn into great fundraising activities as well (I'm not sure about other advisers but my mind is constantly churning on how to turn any activity into a money maker!)

A few ideas for some FCCLA fun in the sun!

Town Clean Up - When the snow melts all the winter litter emerges. Arrange for your chapter to do a clean up in your community. Take pictures and turn into the paper for great publicity.
Turtle Races - Once a week for a month in summer schedule community turtle races. We received permission from our town to hold the races on main street and then charged a $1.00 entry fee per turtle. Bottles of pop were the prizes. FCCLA members were the judges and also sold concessions. Much fun!
-Wild Water Family Fun Night - sell hotdogs in the park or at your local swimming pool and then work with the pool to arrange a family night.
FCCLA Movie Night - We are fortunate to have an outdoor movie theater within a 20 mile radius. Plan a night where families and FCCLA Members in your community can caravan to a movie.
Bonfire Party - I like to do this right before school starts to get the members excited about FCCLA. Everyone brings their own hot dog and Marshmallows for smores.
Softball Game - It would be fun to have a "FFA vs. FCCLA" Softball Game.
Bike Riding Clinic - Bike Safety is often overlooked. Have your FCCLA Chapter host a Bike Clinic. After you could have a bike rodeo and give prizes, etc.

These are just a few ideas and all can be adapted to fit your and your chapters needs. I live in a rural South Dakota Community so things that work here may not work every where but with a little FCCLA Adviser creativity you will think of many things to keep your chapter fired up through the summer months. In the meantime enjoy the fact that SCHOOL'S OUT FOR SUMMER!

Team Building and Leadership Retreats

2011-05-11T07:32:00.000-07:00

Contributed by Collyn Wright, National Executive Council Adviser, Texas

When working with your local officer team, it seems to work best to give them clear expectations of the role they will play in planning and implementing FCCLA in action for the school year. We like to begin with a meeting of out going officers to review the last year’s action plan and things that went well and things we can improve upon. Then we meet with prospective officer candidates and go over duties for each office so that they can decide what office they would like to run for. After officer candidate interviews, the fun and work begins!

We plan a joint “retreat” with FFA officers for fun, year planning, and teambuilding. We provide a place to stay, either a lock-in at the school, a hotel, or other lodging and meals for 2 days. Our officers compete with the FFA officers on a ropes course we build, team building games, obstacle courses, minute to win it games, and leadership activities. After all of the fun and silly bonding time, we get down to business and go over expectations and goals for the year. Once we have a clear picture of what we want to accomplish as a chapter, we plan each month including programs and projects, meeting dates, and deadlines for project completions. It is a lot of fun and a lot of work, but our officers meld together during that two days of bonding and competing with FFA and our year is completely planned in the process. What ever avenue you choose to develop a leadership team at your school, just remember to set clear expectations, work hard, and play harder!

Creating a 2011-2012 Program of Work

2011-05-04T07:09:00.000-07:00

Contributed by Nicole Ruge, National Consultant Team, Georgia

As this time of each school year, we hold our end of the year banquets and elect officers for next school term- this is also the time we need to start thinking about our Program of Work. The Program of Work is not something that should be a burden for you as the adviser; one way of ensuring this is to sit down with your newly elected officers and come up with an outline or plan for the direction the students would like to see the chapter go next year. If they are having a hard time doing this, you may consider taking a poll of all members to learn about their needs and passions.

Your students, especially those leaders in high school, are very capable of setting up their own outline for what they want to accomplish in the next year. You may want to break it down with a few guidelines to help make the process easier for them. Here is a list of how we work out our Program of Work:

1. I give my students an outline of the year with State and National Meetings and Deadlines. This way we don’t overscheduled the deadline times.

2. Add in any items you already know you will be required to do or activities you always do (examples: Valentine Dance or hosting dinners).

3. Come up with the school’s top concerns for the year. What National Programs help address these concerns? What time of year would it be best to address the concerns?

4. Add in any membership drive and membership retention activities.

This will be a great start to your program of work. Enjoy planning for next year.

Helpful Fundraising

2011-04-27T11:16:00.000-07:00

By Nicole Perez, National Executive Council Adviser, New Jersey

Across the USA, FCCLA advisers hit the ground running in an attempt to help students fund raise for various conferences. With the lack of funding from our school districts, it is important for everyone to be active in fundraising efforts. This is where school and home partnerships come in handy. Parents, teachers and students can all work together to create fundraising ideas.

Here are a few helpful fundraising ideas to try out in your school:

The students can organize a bake sale for faculty and staff. It’s more than the experience of fundraising. The students are engaging in a cooperative learning environment, handling a budget and public relations.
Students can also host a car wash. Posting fliers around town will help ensure community involvement.
Host a function at your school or community center such as a carnival or family fun night. Students can sell tickets at school as well as to the community members. Students can donate goods to be served at the event.

FCCLA Fundraising Ideas and Resources

2011-04-20T07:30:00.000-07:00

FCCLA offers many options for fundraising ideas and professional development. Currently, National FCCLA is accepting fundraising ideas on the national website. Visit the website for free ideas and to share your fundraiser!

Also, in February, National FCCLA hosted a webinar on Fundraising for Advisers. Click here to view it free. The next free adviser webinar is on May 4th at 3 pm on Technology - registration is still open!

Finally, check out our publication The Handbook to Ultimate Leadership which offers many resources an adviser needs to be successful in FCCLA. There is a whole chapter on Fundraising and additional resources on the cd that is included in the book. Visit the FCCLA store to purchase!

Adviser Academy: Accepting Application for 2011-2012

2011-04-13T06:05:00.000-07:00

FCCLA is proud to offer the Adviser Academy—a five track certificate program open to any adviser with fewer than five years of experience including recent university graduates. Adviser Academy is divided
into five tracks to be completed in a one- or two- year cycle. Participants are eligible for postbaccalaureate credits through Northwest Missouri State University. Graduates from Adviser Academy are recognized at the National Leadership Conference during the Adviser Recognition Session and will receive an FCCLA certificate of completion. Please visit http://www.fcclainc.org/content/adviser-academy-home/ for more infomation or download the application. Applications for the 2011-2012 class are due by May 1.

Spring into Fundraising!

2011-04-06T07:10:00.000-07:00

Contributed by Cathe Felz, National Consultant Team, Montana

Fundraising seems to be an important topic for FCCLA advisers all year round but by spring our energy level for fundraising may be waning a bit. The question on all our minds is: how do I keep my enthusiasm and hold the interest of my students?

Many chapters are raising money to attend the national leadership conference. If your chapter raises their own funds for students to attend national conference this may be a daunting task after a year of hard work and competitions. Those attending may be very motivated to raise money because of the opportunity to attend NLC. Community backing is one of the most important things you can get when doing a big Fundraising push. Be sure to inform your community of the great leadership opportunities students will have while attending the national leadership conference and the benefits the community will see. One way to let the community know what the chapter has accomplished is to showcase the students and their projects a community event, set up displays in local business, or write an article for the local paper, contact local media outlets such as radio and television about successful projects. When preparing for a fundraiser put student projects on display. If you school has a spring election set up a display of student projects and sell pie and coffee.

THINK SPRING! Everyone loves to get out and be active after a long (and sometimes cold) winter trapped in doors. Host a community carnival, a picnic in the park or family water games. Spring is also the season for proms and school formals. Many students like to class up their rides for the night with a limo. Ask a local car dealership to donate a car and driver for a raffle for the ultimate prom date include dinner for two, a photo shoot, and flowers. Sell tickets to students for the ultimate worry free prom date.

As the weather warms, snow melts, roads become muddy and cars become dirty. Use this as an opportunity to raise some money and get the word out about FCCLA by hosting a car wash. Be sure members have lots of sun screen, snacks, and water.

For those of us in the north getting out helps relieve cabin fever, sponsor a golf or Frisbee golf tournament at a local course or park. If you are still waiting for the weather to clear how about an indoor event such as dodge ball, volleyball, or basket tournament and don’t forget there is always donkey basketball complete with thrills and spills. Be sure to provide concessions!

It seems facebook is everywhere people are taking about what they posted on facebook. Use this media to invite friends and community members to your event using social media. It is surprising how many people are connected these days and the goal of any fundraiser is to draw a crowd and make a profit.

Happy money making!

Adviser Academy: A Graduate's Perspective

2011-03-30T00:00:00.000-07:00

Contributed by Jenny Demczyk, Adviser, Ohio

My experience in the FCCLA Adviser Academy was a rewarding one. Not only did I network and make friends with many advisers from across the country (many of which I see at national FCCLA events), but I also learned many skills to help my FCCLA chapter succeed at school and in the community. By completing the activities in the program, I was challenged to put into action my job and responsibilities as an adviser for my students. Actually building a program of work, filling out a national award application, and working with the other adviser academy candidate from my state helped me to become a more well-rounded adviser and teacher.

Attending national events for the first time through adviser academy helped me to see the meaning behind the steps in the program, and helped me to get a birds eye view of the organization without the responsibility of chaperoning students. I attended my first national conference by myself for adviser academy, and fortunately had a great state adviser (Paulette Farago) that let me tag along with her and her state officers. By looking at what the state officers accomplished at national events, I was able to see that I too, could actively pursue a job at the state level.

The year I graduated from the adviser academy, I had a student interested in running for state office, so I took the next step to support a student with this wonderful organization. I also seen an improvement in my class numbers, FCCLA membership numbers (up 15 students in membership from the year before), and noticed that I was less stressed after acquiring the skills learned in Adviser Academy. Overall, it was a rewarding experience and really helped me to grow professionally.

New Information About FCCLA Lesson Plans

2011-03-25T12:27:00.001-07:00

The Lesson Plans and Activities webpage is now only accessible to affiliated chapters. To obtain the login information, please email progawards@fcclainc.org.

The Other CTSO: Connecting Teachers and Students to Operate

2011-03-23T00:38:00.000-07:00

Contributed by Allison Kreifels, National Consultant Team,

For most of us, in just a few short weeks we will be sending our students out for another summer. Even though we’re teachers, I don’t think you can find another teacher, especially a Family and Consumer Sciences teacher who really believes they have the summer “off”. Summer is filled with National Leadership Conference, cleaning up from this year, and preparing for another year.

Most likely, part of that preparation is getting a Program of Work started with your chapter leadership. Now It is also the perfect time to connect with other Career and Technical Student Organizations. We all know that FCCLA is one of the most dynamic student organizations but we also know that not every student is going to join FCCLA. By connecting with other CTSOs we can encourage more students to get involved in larger activities, have a united front when it comes to the importance of CTE education, and get great ideas from each other. Instead of seeing FBLA, FFA, or DECA as our enemy, we should see them as another resource to build our chapter by recruiting new members and involve our members in more activities.

Consider some of the following ideas to start you on the road to Connecting Teachers and Students to Operate:

· Plan a back-to-school night for all CTSO members. By diving the cost between multiple organizations you can save money and begin recruitment right there

· Plan a “friendly” challenge during CTE week. Challenge other CTSOs with fun games during CTE week. For the extra creative, connect the games with something that each organization does.

· Work together to knock a community service project out of the park. Using the power of word-of-mouth and the power of sheer numbers can be valuable when you are trying to do a community service project. Getting more than one organization involved during a Habitat for Humanity build or to help clean the highway can make a task more fun for students as they interact and will help you get more accomplished in less time.

Let’s team up with other CTSOs this year and get going!

Building an Advisory Board

2011-03-16T07:23:00.000-07:00

Contributed by Lori Henry, National Executive Council Advisers, Minnesota

Advisory boards are so vital to Family and Consumer Sciences and our FCCLA chapters. But how do you start or build a local advisory board?

When I recruited members to serve on my local advisory board, I began with people I have connections and networks with already. The members who have served on my advisory board have been from our food service department at my high school, local grocery manager that I do business with, parents of students in my classes, parents of FCCLA members, 1 administrator, 2 student members, county extension person, restaurant manager and community youth service director. I have found that a good number for an advisory board is about ten members, more than that it gets difficult to manage and may not be a productive as you need it to be. They are asked to serve two years, except the student members, some of them have only served one year.

When deciding how often to meet, I have found that two times a year is adequate. Once you have your advisory board set up, connect with them and tell them why they are so important to your program. The local advisory is important for many reasons:

they help provide excellent feedback of your courses that you offer or may wish to offer
they will look over curriculum and curriculum materials and provide input
they provide valuable resources (material, networks and connections with other services, businesses, etc.) to enhance your program
they have current information in regards to the workforce and areas that relate to Family and Consumer Sciences that are helpful to share with your classes
they support your program and when you need a positive voice for what you have done or what you plan to do
they are there to support you in your efforts.

The advisory board serves as your Family and Consumer Sciences foundation of support and your cheering partner.

Being Active in FCCLA

2011-03-09T07:16:00.000-08:00

Contributed by Jean Clarke, National Executive Council Advisers, South Dakota

Becoming active in your state and region is one of the best personal and professional development steps an adviser—whether a “newbie” or “seasoned” adviser--can take. How do you become more involved in the organization beyond your local chapter? The first step is to find a mentor. This can be either a structured or an informal contact, but there are always advisers around that you look up to and can use role models. As a beginning teacher I admired a seasoned adviser who encouraged me to volunteer for this committee, go to that meeting, apply for this award—it seemed like she had an endless supply of activities she was sure were necessary for my professional growth and development! That encouragement and advice helped me look at the bigger picture of involvement in my state and region.

The second step to foster involvement is to set personal goals. Look at the positions and opportunities available to members at the state, region and national levels. Talk to state officer advisers and your state adviser. They all have connections and insight to help you find ways to help and become involved. Start small and choose one activity or position to get involved in or volunteer for each year. As you gain experience and confidence, you realize how you’ve grown and matured as an adviser.

One of the biggest benefits of FCCLA for advisers is the positive networking opportunities we have. Make use of those connections to search out ways to challenge yourself to become involved at all levels of our organization. It’s a great way to grow as a person and professional!

Mentoring New Advisers in FCCLA

2011-03-02T07:10:00.000-08:00

Contributed by Nicole Ruge, National Consultant Team, Georgia

What is a mentor?

If you think back to the path you have taken to get to this point with FCCLA, is there a person or a few people who were there for you along the way? A mentor is someone who is there to guide you, give advice, listen and encourage you.

As we close in on this year and look forward to next year, be on the look out for the new adviser who is in need of someone to take him/her under your wing. Perhaps you are one of those advisers who are looking for a mentor. Please contact your region, district or state advisers and, they will connect you with someone who can guide you along the way.

As an organization we need to stand together to keep FCCLA going strong! So, do you have what it takes?

House Passes H.R. 1, Action Shifts to Senate

2011-03-02T00:00:00.000-08:00

On February 19, the House passed its FY 2011 appropriations bill, H.R. 1, by a vote of 235-189. The bill cuts the Perkins Career and Technical Education Act by $102.9 million by completely eliminating the Tech Prep program, and makes deep cuts to other education and workforce development programs as well. However, there is still hope for stopping these cuts!

The Senate is expected to begin working on the bill this week, and Senate leaders are in the process of developing their own funding proposal for the rest of the fiscal year. While the Senate proposal will contain spending cuts, the cuts will likely not be as deep as those proposed by the House in H.R. 1. Negotiations will then be required to work out differences between the House and Senate FY 2011 funding bills. Continued advocacy is needed to ensure the Senate bill does not include a cut to Perkins.

The debate around the short-term extension has the potential to cloud work on a year-long bill, but we must remain vigilant on the broader legislation. It is crucial that you continue to fight for a restoration of funds to Perkins! Although the process has moved to the Senate, the House will still be involved because both chambers have to agree on the final bill. Please continue to contact your congressman. Visit www.acteonline.org/saveCTEfunding.aspx for more information about what you can do and encourage others to join your advocacy efforts!

More on Service Learning

2011-02-23T10:36:00.000-08:00

Contributed by Nicole Ruge, National Consultant Team, Georgia

Service learning often gets confused with community service so let’s define it further. Service Learning is a multi-step process; students will have the opportunities to engage in problem-solving while they are gaining knowledge of a specific topic related to their service learning project and the challenges that the community face.

Service Learning should be cooperative not competitive. We, as teachers, should promote the use of their teamwork and citizenship skills. The students will have more immediate results which will promote deeper learning. There will be no “right” answers and everyone will feel success from this type of project.

Furthermore, service learning is a way for students to take the knowledge they learn from the textbook and apply it to the needs of the community. Service learning is a great way to build bridges between students and their local community.

Service Learning or Community Service: What is the difference?

2011-02-16T06:12:00.000-08:00

Contributed by Brenda Wuebker, National Consultant Team, Ohio

Service Learning and Community Service are very important to our communities but what is the difference?

Community service is typically a service project that is completed one time. It usually doesn’t involve learning objectives. On the other hand, Service Learning is a culminating project. The project lasts for at least 1 full semester or even an entire school year. It has specific learning objects and usually involves core academic learning. In addition, it requires the student to reflect throughout the project so continuous learning evolves.

Service Learning has become part of today’s education because of its comprehensive learning. In order for it to be true Service Learning it must contain the following stages:

1. Investigation

2. Preparation and Planning

3. Action

4. Reflection

5. Demonstration/Celebration

Not only are these projects important to our communities they are important to our students. Students want to address and solve real life problems involving our communities but too often they lack the opportunities to participate. As Family and Consumer Science teachers and FCCLA advisers we can provide those opportunities for our students through service learning by participating in FCCLA National Programs. Together we can make a difference.

Legislative Alert! House Slashes CTE Funding

2011-02-16T00:00:00.000-08:00

Last week, the House Appropriations Committee released an appropriations bill, H.R. 1., for the 2011 fiscal year. The legislation completely eliminates funding for the Perkins Tech Prep program for the 2011-2012 school year, an 8 percent reduction in overall Perkins funds, and makes drastic cuts across other education and workforce development programs. This bill is separate from the president's budget proposal, released today for the following year, FY 2012, which suggests even deeper cuts to Perkins.

This cut will be felt in all states, regardless of whether your state has consolidated Tech Prep funding with Basic State Grants. In short, this bill slashes funding across many education and labor programs and poses the most serious threat to our funding in years! It is extremely important that you notify as many advocates as possible - FCCLA members and advisers, ACTE members, CTSO advisers, business leaders and anyone else who will contact their Member of Congress to oppose this bill. In addition to the elimination of Tech Prep and the other cuts included in the legislation, we expect an open rule on the House floor as the bill is debated. This means that other amendments are expected to be offered with additional cuts to non-defense discretionary programs. Basic State grants, labor programs and any other discretionary program used by CTE are at risk.

Act now and call your legislator! Visithttp://www.acteonline.org/legalert_020711.aspx#more for more information, and resources.

Celebrate FCCLA Week!

2011-02-09T20:03:00.000-08:00

Contributed by Jessica Marlow, National Consultant Team, Oklahoma

February 7th-13th, 2011 is National FCCLA Week. National FCCLA Week gives each chapter an opportunity to showcase their organization to their school and community. Use this as a time to show off projects your students have been working on and to show the community what you’re all about! It is your time to shine!

There are many things that your chapter can do to celebrate National FCCLA Week.

Create a Theme for the Week or use the National Theme “To Be Continued…”
Have a small activity planned for each day for the members to participate in.

Community Service Project After School
Donuts and Juice with Teachers
Wear your FCCLA T-shirt Day
Pizza for lunch for all members

Utilize the Proclamation from the National FCCLA Website and have your Mayor or Elected Official proclaim National FCCLA Week in your town.
Make Bulletin Boards to highlight your members.
Have members set up an information booth during lunch to give students more information about your organization.
Get your local newspaper involved to highlight all of your activities.

The activities do not have to be extravagant or cost a lot of money. This is a special week to celebrate your members and their accomplishments and to show everyone how great FCCLA is in your school and community!

After FCCLA week is over, don’t forget to share your pictures and activities with Teen Times, teentimes@fcclainc.org.

Have fun celebrating with your members and HAPPY FCCLA WEEK!

Working with Community Leaders

2011-02-02T07:13:00.000-08:00

By: Allison Kreifels, National Consultant Team

Many times, community leaders are the forgotten component of the stakeholders of our organization and classroom. However, when thinking about the needs of our chapters, community members can be a valuable asset for both ideas and finances. Many times our community and business leaders will be willing to help the school but are unsure of how to do so. Here are a few ideas on how to connect with and approach community members.

Know what you want. If you have an end goal in mind, it will be more clear to community leaders how they can help. It also makes your chapter look more organized and responsible.
Make it applicable. After you know what you want, connect those needs to specific community leaders. By making it applicable to a specific group they would be more willing to assist. For example, if you have a student completing an Entrepreneurship STAR Event, connect them with your local Chamber of Commerce. Since the entire purpose of a Chamber of Commerce is to support local business and community growth, assisting a youth with business development skills only makes sense for them.
Invite them to be on your Advisory Board. Rather than just asking every time you need money, get community members involved with sharing ideas. If the leaders of your community can contribute ideas to your chapter and department you can have a better, more complete, picture of what you and your students need. And, you never know what resources they may have as well. For example, banks get rid of old computers relatively often. For the price of a new hard drive or memory chip, you can get a gently used system for a fraction of the cost.

Learning by Heart...

2011-01-26T00:00:00.000-08:00

by Lori Henry, National Executive Council Adviser, Minnesota

This is the time of year when all of “us” (FCCLA Advisers) are really busy, maybe just a little stressed, and trying to find some “free” time for ourselves. Amidst all the things going on in our home and school lives, we need to take time to reflect. As we look back it’s probably easy to pick out the people who have made a positive impact on our lives and the lives of others, just like our FCCLA members.

It always amazes me the growth I see in my FCCLA members. It’s such a great feeling to see this shy, timid member, come up and tell you that their STAR event is going well, they are going to run for office or they can’t wait to go and help out in the community. What has made this member come out of their shell? It’s you, the local FCCLA adviser! You’ve taken the extra time to help someone after school. You’ve helped be there just to listen when something isn’t going to well. Your few kind words make a big difference to so many members.

As you take time to reflect, also think about your past members and where they are today. I have a former student that took all my foods classes, was a region and state FCCLA officer and now is in her second year at the Culinary Arts Institute in Hyde Park, New York. Every time she writes me or sees me she always tells me of how FCCLA has helped her in so many aspects of her life. She tells me that if I hadn’t encouraged her to join FCCLA she wouldn’t have had so many wonderful experiences. I know all of you have similar stories to share. Take this unique opportunity and post your stories.

Recognition: It isn’t just an Award Ceremony Thing

2011-01-19T10:32:00.000-08:00

By: Allison Kreifels, National Consultant Team

If you’re like most teachers you can’t believe that we’re already underway with the second half of the year. Before you know it, the end of the year will be creeping up and many of you will be planning end of the year recognition ceremonies and events.

While these events are great, we need to take time out to recognize those that help our organization throughout the year. Parents, administrators, faculty, staff, and members all play a vital role in the success of the organization and should be recognized more than just once. Here are a few ideas for recognizing individuals throughout the year:

1 Piggy-back on important holidays to show appreciation to staff, faculty, and administration by offering goodie bags put together by your members. Or even, go simpler and celebrate the first day back from a snow-day with hot chocolate mixes and a note that says “FCCLA hopes you stay warm today! Thanks for always being there for your students”

2 Writing a thank-you note to the parents who help your students is always valuable but what about writing a thank you note to their boss? Consider writing a note thanking their employer for allowing them to take time off and to help with FCCLA activities. Be sure to let them know what FCCLA does and how that individual makes the organization possible with their contributions. Chances are your parent will not only be recognized but will appreciate the extra mile you went in recognizing them.

3 All across America, seniors will be graduating soon and the yearbook of another year will be ending. One of those common rites of passage is the voting of “Most Likely To.” Now while these awards are often for fun, they still have a way to recognize many different individuals with different talents and futures. We all know what every member is valuable so why not make them feel that way. Have some fun awards for your members as well. Examples could include, “Best Packer,” “Most Energetic,” “Most Likely to Return as an Excellent Member,” or “Best Professional Dress.” Keep it light and fun but include EVERY member.

Hopefully, you've gotten a few more ideas on how you can recognize these vital components of your chapters. Best wishes and don't wait too long - we will be ushering in summer vacation in the blink of an eye.

Looking for a Name

2011-01-14T11:48:00.000-08:00

Please read a special post from FCCLA Executive Director Michael Benjamin.

Welcome to 2011 and Happy New Year to all! So what’s new on the education front for 2011? From a legislative perspective, it appears that the Obama Administration will be moving to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act or as we have known it since 2002 as the No Child Left Behind Act. According to The Washington Post, both the Administration and the Congress is ready to deal with reauthorization. One of the problems at this point in the process according to the Post and U.S. Department of Education Secretary Arne Duncan “no one has come up with a better idea than the formal name since 1965: the Elementary and Secondary Education Act” other than the No Child Left Behind and few like that name. So Secretary Duncan is asking for “suggestions. We’re wide open.”

On behalf of FCCLA, I would like to present suggested names to the Secretary for the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. So please send me your suggestions and I’ll forward them to the Secretary. I will need your ideas by Monday, January 31, 2011. My email is mbenjamin@fcclainc.org.

Recruiting New (and Keeping) Members

2011-01-12T05:00:00.000-08:00

Today's entry is from Alana Bergeleen, National Executive Council Adviser, South Dakota.

We work so hard to “get” new members in our chapters, but it is often important for us to stop and think of new ways to retain the members that we already have. This is my fourth year advising the Highmore FCCLA Chapter. I started with approximately 40 members and this year we are up to about 72 (give or take a few seniors who can’t seem to make up their minds. ;)

I stopped to think about what it is that we do that seems to be working to keep the membership up. I believe that for anything, (school, work, sports,) there must be a certain level of FUN. We try to incorporate fun through the activities in which we participate. For example, the kids have a blast planning our Halloween Carnival/Haunted House and Trick or Treating for a Cause (local food Pantry). It gives them the opportunity to have fun with their friends while at the same time doing something that makes them feel good about themselves. I continuously look for ways to involve and recognize current members. We have a welcome party for all new junior high members, make locker signs for all members with their names on them, we have a member of the month, and I make it a priority to put our accomplishments in the paper.

It is so great that FCCLA allows the opportunity to recognize those students who don’t always make the paper for their athletic or academic abilities. I have also found that being a member of FCCLA has a trickle effect. Usually if you can get one member of a “clique” interested, you can get the rest of them. Furthermore, I have to admit that I feel there is no shame in bribery. Bribing the students with the great experience of attending a district, state, or national meeting in order for them to get their STAR Event completed well and on time is sometimes just what it takes

Finally, YOU are one of the best ways to retain members in your chapter. Students will know by all of the hours that you put in how much you care and they will want to give back. Good luck retaining those members and go FCCLA!

Below are three ideas from Nicole Perez, National Executive Council Adviser, New Jersey

1. Ice cream social

Chapter officers provide icebreaker activities for members to mingle and become friendly with others. Officers set up an ice cream bar for students. Icebreaker activities can include finding a partner with the same birth month and then sharing 2 interesting facts. Officers should discuss FCCLA’s purpose, upcoming activities and ways to be active in the organization.

2. Recognize outstanding efforts

Recognize current members for outstanding efforts such as volunteering for chair and leading a committee. At a chapter meeting provide the outstanding member with a certificate, post name and picture (if allowed) on the chapter website or provide member with an FCCLA give-a-way such as a travel mug or tee shirt. Have the chapter president explain to the chapter why this member received an “Outstanding Efforts Award”.

3. Hold a summer get together

If someone is willing to host, holding a summer get together for either the officer team or active members is a great way for the students to make better connections with each other. Each student can bring something to contribute to the gathering or they can bring a canned food item, which can be donated to a local food pantry. At the gathering students can discuss plans for the upcoming school year regarding community service, activities and fundraising.

CTE: Making the Difference

2011-01-05T04:55:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! We begin 2011 with an entry from the CTE State Directors.

As we in the CTE community know, CTE is making a positive impact all across the nation. Our job is to share that important message and encourage others to join us in our mission to prepare all students for college and career. NASDCTEc recently has created a video, CTE: Making the Difference, which underscores CTE’s achievements and potential to help our nation in this global economy.

We hope that you will:

Use the video in your presentations
Share it with your members
Feature it on your website

We truly feel that this is a tool that everyone in the CTE community could find use to share the great happenings about CTE. Attached is a brief video fact sheet, which includes references for the facts featured in the video.

Check out the video and great resources at www.careertech.org/makingthedifference now!

The CTE Video: Get the Word Out!
Whatever outlet you use, tell people why they should watch this video. Also, let them know that not only is there a video, there are also important fact sheets and issue briefs exploring the principles of the vision for CTE on our website.

Share the video during your presentations by using it as an introductory piece. It’s a great way to kick off discussions.
Post a link or embed the video on your home page.
Do you have a blog? Write a post about the video, or a topic in the video and link to it.
You have e-mail. E-mail the link to the video to your colleagues and friends.
Do you have/are you part of a listserv? Send an e-mail out about the video and include the link.
Use your voice. Tell people about the video. It’s easy to visit www.careertech.org
Do you have Facebook? Say something about the video and post the link as your status and post the link on your profile.
Do you have Twitter? Tweet: Check out the CTE video: http://careertech.org/makingthedifference

Download the video and a Vision Toolkit created for the CTE community at http://www.careertech.org/sharethevision/

Questions, comments, suggestions? Please contact Erin Uy, NASDCTEc Communications & Marketing Manager, at euy@careertech.org or 301-588-9630.

Vote now! No, really right now!

2010-12-29T05:41:00.000-08:00

Update! The contest voting link was not posted on our website as it should have been, but is available now. Please visit http://www.fccla.com/contests/ to vote for your favorite entries. We apologize for the oversight.

This post was contributed by Allison Kreifels, National Consultant Team, Nebraska

While you're enjoying the holiday season, take a minute to influence the future of FCCLA by voting for your favorite ideas in the Fall 2010 FCCLA Contests.

Contests that are open for voting include:

What to Wear? Contest
National Cluster Meeting Theme Contest
FCCLA T-shirt Design Contest

We have some excellent entries this year so take a minute and go vote at www.fcclainc.org. Voting is available until January 15. Good luck to all of our contestants!

FACS Knowledge Bowl: Motivating Students

2010-12-22T00:00:00.000-08:00

This week's entry is from Tricia DiGioia-Laird, State Adviser, New Jersey.

My members gravitate to competitions. I think of the sports journalist who anchored ABC’s Wide World of Sports. During the introduction to the program, Jim McCay would say the following:

"Spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of sport… the thrill of victory… and the agony of defeat… the human drama of athletic competition… This is ABC's Wide World of Sports!”

I think competition is also part of the “wide world of FCCLA”; the excitement of competition motivates students to reach beyond what they thought was possible and achieve the impossible. My students achieve what we thought was the impossible and became the 2010 National Knowledge Bowl Champions.

Knowledge Bowl is part of the constant variety of competitive opportunities in FCCLA. If your students like game shows and enjoy facts, then this is the competition for them. My students think they are “in it to win it” but I want them involved because it stimulates learning and teamwork. Knowledge Bowl motivates students to become “experts” in the diverse areas of Family and Consumer Sciences. They see the scope and sequence of the subject matter and develop respect for the discipline. One of the students commented to me, “FCS teachers need to know so much about so much.” The team members also tell me that the information they are learning is extremely relevant to all aspects of their life.

Knowledge Bowl team members need to be willing to knuckle down and study the material. Reading and research are important in preparing for the competition. Members need to be quick at the buzzer and tenacious. Most importantly, they must be will to blow off the “agony of defeat” when they miss a question and keep their head in the game. The competition is fast paced and exciting.

This year I have another Knowledge Bowl team who is excited about this competitive opportunity. We traveled to St. Louis, Missouri, to participate. They are all excited that they made it through the third level of competition. They all plan to move on and face their fellow competitors in Anaheim, California.

Guiding Students to the Future Through Career STAR Events

2010-12-15T05:36:00.000-08:00

This week's entry is from Lori Henry, National Executive Council Adviser, Minnesota.

If you have members interested in competing in one of the Career Star Events, here are some things that might help you as you guide your students through the process. Students in these events probably have a strong background and interest in one of these areas and may even be thinking of pursuing this as their career choice. Sometimes the STAR Event process in these topics can be overwhelming to students, so one good thing to do is to meet with the student and dialogue with them. Find out what interests them in doing the STAR Event, what school and community things have they done, personal accomplishments, etc. that would enhance this project. What knowledge did they gain from being in the Family and Consumer Sciences classes, and taking this information and knowledge that they have gained and developing all these things into a strong STAR Event? These skills may be helpful in the oral presentation, display or portfolio.

If the STAR Event involves a portfolio, have the student look at the different requirements and many times the students have done things in their Family and Consumer Sciences classes or other related courses that they can use in their portfolio. Encourage the student to find these papers, projects, etc. and then see how they will fit in or work with their STAR Event to make it stronger and perhaps more professional. Another helpful thing is to have students collaborate with other professionals in the career.

Two years ago I had a student compete in Interior Design and she took classes at a local college that offered mini-sessions related to principles and elements of design. She not only strengthened her skills, but she met people that served as excellent resources. The student was able to connect with a gentleman that owned his own design business. The student spent a morning with this gentleman to share her plans for the color scheme, textiles, wall coverings, etc. The gentleman was able to offer suggestions and swatches that she was able to use on her design boards. This was an exciting experience for the student and it gave her help that she never expected.

Last year I had a member compete and advance to national competition in Fashion Construction. Since I don’t teach a fashion course, the student took an independent study course to fulfill the course of study requirement. If this opportunity is possible in your school it is another great way for students to compete in something they have a passion for. For the independent study course, supply the student with a variety of resources for them to succeed and guidelines for them as they work alone to achieve their goal.

It’s helpful to set deadlines for the student, so you can see what process they are making in learning about the topic and provide useful assessments that will help them create their final project. For your members who have chosen a STAR Event in the Career category, I encourage you to help provide reliable and valid resources for them and guide them to success!

“Don’t tell students what you want them to do, but encourage them to do their best!”

Anonymous

Practice Leadership Skills through Leadership STAR Events

2010-12-08T05:24:00.000-08:00

This week's post has been contributed by Juanelle Garretson, National Executive Council Adviser from Kansas.

Margaret Mead, said” A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.” This is my belief about how important our role is as FCCLA advisers. We share the passion for our field with our students and help show them that they are an inspiration for change and hope in a time in education that is filled with test scores as one of the only measure of success.

Not only does Chapter Service Project fall into the Leadership Category of STAR Events first alphabetically, I believe it’s the true base for all FCCLA projects. Without service to others, a person cannot truly grow to their full potential. In each of my comprehensive classrooms, students use the FCCLA planning process at the beginning of the semester to identify concerns in our school and community that can be addressed through our coursework and a group project goal is set. Students then form a plan to act out their project and when it is complete, the students follow up with a discussion to share their highs and lows about what happened. Students at both the junior and senior level carry out service projects and can enter them in the display or manual event annually. The community recognizes the importance of FCCLA by its giving spirit as well.

National Programs in Action is also a natural fit for so many service projects as you can incorporate specific themed projects from foods and nutrition to traffic safety to families through this STAR Event.

For your students who have a difficult time, narrowing down their options because they love everything about FCCLA, Chapter Showcase Display and Manual are the perfect events for them, as they get to share their personal FCCLA story with a clever theme from the entire year. I have found that my officer teams, usually make the best Showcase members.

Leadership STAR Events are the most general for the comprehensive FACS program. Your students will pick up on your dedication to FCCLA and will without a doubt want to compete in.

Creating a Foundation for STAR Events

2010-12-01T05:58:00.000-08:00

This entry has been contributed by Kaye Bluntzer, National Executive Council Adviser, Texas.

Using STAR Events in class sure is a great way to get students involved and motivated to become an active member in FCCLA. All of the STAR Events can be used as a project within any of the Family and Consumer Sciences courses. I assign my entire class one of the Foundational STAR Events to complete as a project. One of my favorite Foundational STAR Events to use in any of my classes is Illustrated Talk. I hold class in the computer room or library in order for students to be able to research and type up their documents for the project. This is a wonderful way to become familiar with the planning process and how to use it for its intended purpose. Students are also allowed to help each other and ask questions about any part of the project which allows for great peer-to-peer interaction. Once projects are complete there is a rubric to help make grading easy and precise.

The Foundational STAR Events, as stated earlier, seem to me as the basics. Focus Children, Interpersonal Communication, Job Interview, Life Event Planning to name a few are the core of most FACS courses and can be used as a class project. As teacher and adviser, using these events as a class project promotes a great way for members and advisers to learn and understand the events better. I use the Foundational STAR Events as a way to model to the students how they can complete and be successful in any one of the events.

2010 National Cluster Meeting in Review

2010-11-24T07:35:00.000-08:00

FCCLA thanks the advisers who joined us in Albuquerque, St. Louis, and Charlotte for National Cluster Meetings (NCM) this month. We know that there is a lot of work that goes into planning and preparing to take students to these conferences and appreciate your effort. We also recognize that while many advisers benefited from the adviser professional development sessions at NCM, others were unable to attend. While it isn't the same as an in person session, we have posted the materials from our adviser professional development sessions on the FCCLA website for your convenience.

The sessions listed below were developed and written by the National Consultant Team and presented by advisers from across the country. Please contact Amy Doane at adoane@fcclainc.org, to indicate an interest in presenting or to recommend a topic you think advisers would find helpful.

Building Dynamic Leaders

Leadership is everyone’s business. Learn how FCCLA’s national program Dynamic Leadership and The Student Leadership Challenge can help build effective leaders in the classroom and out. Engage leaders through these programs and the tools they offer to integrate leadership into any classroom.

Engaging Families with Families First

FCCLA is the only CTSO with family as its central focus. The national program Families First can help engage and reconnect with families in the community. Learn how to involve parents, grandparents, siblings, and others as FCCLA works to build strong, healthy families.

Making the Most of Travel with Students

Whether it’s a field trip across town or a plane trip to another country, teachers put a lot of work into preparing effective travel opportunities for students. Find out what others do to make the most of travel opportunities that provide students with amazing, life-changing experiences.

Public Relations: Developing Your Chapter Story

Effective public relations can be as simple as sharing your story. But what story should you tell and who is the audience? This interactive session will guide attendees as they develop a chapter story and discover public relations basics.

In addition to the professional development sessions listed above, FCCLA also offers Adviser Networking (formerly Adviser Roundtables) to foster that collaborative, cooperative involvement FACS teachers are known for. Each networking session features guided discussion and opportunities to share and glean ideas from fellow advisers. Look for these sessions at every national conference.

On a final note, this has been a busy semester and FCCLA encourages all advisers to take advantage of the long holiday weekend. You have worked hard the past few months and your contributions to FCCLA and your classroom have not gone unnoticed. Enjoy a relaxing, fun, and possibly food-filled time with friends and family this Thanksgiving.

Teaching with Teen Times

2010-11-17T12:16:00.000-08:00

Teen Times can be a great resource for your classroom. FCCLA provides Teaching with Teen Times as an adviser resource to support classroom integration. Not only do FCCLA members benefit but the resource can be used to recruit new members and energize inactive members. Try out some of the below methods for Teaching with Teen Times:

Let FCCLA officers use Teaching with Teen Times to energize your classroom.
Activities can be used to connect your chapter to the FACS classroom.
Leave the Teaching with Teen Times for a substitute when you're away from school.

The November/December edition of Teaching with Teen Times is online now. The issue focuses on leadership. We encourage you to help your students develop their leadership skills with Teen Times activities. Look for the January/February issue of Teen Times which is built for student input and interaction on environmental concerns.

Planning Successful Chapter Activities

2010-11-10T05:43:00.000-08:00

This week's blog contribution has come from Cathe Felz, National Consultant Team member from Montana.

Activity planning is an important part of any FCCLA chapter. Activities promote teamwork and provide opportunities for chapter members to learn about each other, spend time together, and enjoy themselves while developing a sense of belonging. FCCLA members have the opportunity to learn leadership, teamwork, and communication skills through participation in and planning of chapter activities. Chapter activities also provide opportunities for young people to learn responsibility and provide meaningful service to their schools and communities. Sometimes, all the adviser needs to do is encourage students to plan and organize an event. Other times the adviser’s role is to initiate the activity and even convince chapter members that the activity will be a positive experience.

Use the KISS method when planning events. “Keep It Simple Silly!” Stop, look, and listen to chapter members, you will become aware of programming opportunities. Learn to take advantage of situations in your community, current events, television programs, informal discussions, and other events that facilitate activities and programs. Keep programming in mind at all times, network with other advisers, attend youth sessions, have a conversation with FACS classes about current issues, and encourage your officers to think outside the box.

First and foremost, an effective activity must be appropriate to the needs of the students. If chapter officers are involved with their chapter members, activity ideas will create themselves. All that is required from this point is planning the event and acquiring the necessary resources. Use the FCCLA planning process to coordinate the activity, resources, scheduling, checking for conflicts on the school calendar, and publicity, and shopping for supplies. If chapter officers are able to coordinate these things successfully, a program has a good chance of being effective.

Set goals for each month or semester, involve as many members and non-members as possible. Develop a chapter program of work that includes fun activities in addition to chapter projects and fundraising events. Invite students from the general school population to become involved with activities. This may help promote member participation as well as opportunities to recruit new members.

By using both formal and informal assessment, activity planning can better meet the needs and stimulate the interests of students. If a chapter builds community through activities and other techniques, chances are membership will increase and students will view FCCLA as a positive, students focused organization.

Take Time for You!

2010-11-03T05:28:00.000-07:00

This week's post is contributed by Nicole Ruge, National Consultant Team, Georgia.

The school year is off to a great start, most of us are into our second quarter. If your time is like mine it is filled with FCCLA activities, sporting events, lesson plans, papers and projects to grade and spending time with my family. The frustration often sets in as to how we are to balance everything.

I often forget to take time out of each day for myself, how about you? We need to take time for ourselves even if it is just 2 minutes. Below you will find a few ideas on how to spend your time if you have 2 minutes, 5 minutes, 15 minutes or an hour.

If you have 2 minutes:

Take deep breaths and think peaceful thoughts
Play or cuddle with your pet. They will love this time and it will let you forget about everything for a bit.
Remember the last time you had a good laugh and it will bring a smile to your face.

If you have 5 minutes:

Reflect on all the things for which you are grateful.
Express your thoughts or feeling in a journal.
Go for a short walk around the building.

If you have 15 minutes:

Go for a walk in the park, by the lake or by the ocean.
Take a nap.
Drive or walk out of your way to find something beautiful in your everyday routine.

If you have an hour:

Volunteer at your favorite charity.
Go to a bookstore by yourself so that you can browse to your heart’s content and maybe have a cup of coffee.
Go to bed an hour early: put on your favorite pajamas, make some hot tea and crawl into bed.

We will all be more focused and driven in our families and careers if we remember to recharge our batteries. The only way we can do this is to take time out focus on ourselves.

The Students that Inspire Us

2010-10-27T07:45:00.000-07:00

Two National Consultant Team members share their experiences with students who have inspired and encouraged them as advisers.

Last year when I began teaching at a new school, I was starting from scratch with FCCLA Officers. There were two girls that were interested, but hesitant to fill out the application. After much encouragement, they finally filled it out—one of them becoming the Chapter President. After being selected for the officer team, these two girls really came out of their shell. They began seeking out projects for us to participate in and actively working towards increasing membership. Our first year, we increased our membership from 25-54—all with the motivation and support of an outstanding officer team.

As the year continued, these two girls—my Ashley's—continued to be more involved. They both applied and interviewed for State Office and when they didn't make it, decided it was great practice for District. In the spring of 2010, they were both selected to be on the District Officer Team. I couldn't have been more proud! Watching the two of them grow and develop as leaders has been one of my proudest moments as an FCCLA Adviser. Having the opportunity to watch a student go from shy and quiet to speaking eloquently in front of 500 of their peers is amazing.

I have come to realize that there are times that you have to encourage students to take the leap into leadership, and once they do—it is amazing to see the results!
Contributed by Jessica Marlow, National Consultant Team, Oklahoma

Students who inspire me are the ones who always keep me guessing. The student who most comes to mind as an inspiration is one who stepped up and led an entire chapter event. She had helped with the event in the past but she took the event, worked extra hard, got outside sponsorship, and made it more popular than ever. She's the kind of student who is always busy with other activities and athletics but she saw the importance of educating our students about the dangers of unprotected sun exposure. With her leadership and the help of the chapter, our small school raised over $700 for the Skin Cancer Foundation. I'll never forget her hard work and determination to educate our students and make the event a success.
Contributed by Allison Kreifels, National Consultant Team, Nebraska

Taking Small Steps to Make a Big Impact

2010-10-20T14:22:00.000-07:00

This week's blog post in contributed by Jessica Marlow a National Consultant Team member from Oklahoma.

As an FCCLA Adviser you hold a very powerful role with your students. You have the opportunity to influence them on a daily basis. What you chose to do with this influence is completely up to you. If you are an adviser that is enthusiastic about the organization, you will have students and members that follow suit. Students follow your example.

If you currently have a chapter that is stagnate and needing a little ‘spice,’ take a look in the mirror. Are you an FCCLA Adviser that is contributing to positive changes within your organization?

Work with your officer team to set goals geared toward the changes you would like to see and then create a time line to accomplish those goals. Positive changes could include increasing membership, awareness in the community, or something as small as increasing attendance at meetings. The goals you select need to reflect the positive changes that you want to see.

By selecting a few small goals to achieve, you could see amazing results within your chapter. Start small, changes don’t happen overnight.

Increasing Chapter Membership

2010-10-15T12:16:00.000-07:00

The below entry was meant to be posted on October 13, but due to Capitol Leadership activities it is being posted following the conference. This post was contributed by Cathe Felz, National Consultant Team and Chapter Adviser from Montana.

Increasing membership and competing with the wide variety of extra-curricular activities, after school jobs, and social activities is a challenge all advisers have in common. How do you encourage students to get involved, hold their interest, and maintain a quality program which provides opportunities for a wide range of students? There is no right or wrong answer to this question. In small schools the same students are involved in everything from sports to speech and drama, in large schools the number of activities available decrease the number of members who want to join any particular organization. Some kids will not or cannot participate in extracurricular activities because of finances, lack of motivation, or transportation issues.

Two things must happen for membership recruitment to be successful: first students must see membership in any group as a place they could belong and second they must see the benefits of belonging. For example, student athletes may have letter jackets or team shirts that identify them as part of the group and receive recognition from the community for their membership on the team. Not everyone can be a successful athlete but everyone likes to feel that they are part of a group who accepts and appreciates them. Young people will join FCCLA they know what the organization is and how it can benefit them personally. Likewise, parents who see FCCLA as an opportunity for their student to develop a résumé, receive a scholarship, or gain positive recognition will encourage their child to participate.

In some cases the key may be to make FCCLA available during school hours. Students who cannot participate because of transportation issues can participate if the activities are integrated into the classroom. Once the student has had the opportunity to participate in a class project they may decide being a member of FCCLA is something they would really like to do. Many projects can be completed as class assignments and graded for everyone in the class. Students who are members of FCCLA may be able to refine their class projects for participation at the district, state, or national level. Integrating FCCLA into the classroom will also benefit advisers freeing more of your after school time for your family, hobbies, or to work on extra-curricular FCCLA projects.

Capitol Leadership Day 4 - Final Day

2010-10-13T15:21:00.000-07:00

Students and advisers wrapped up Capitol Leadership with some excellent sharing and reflection on the conference. Advisers spent time sharing advocacy activities they could take home, writing new advocacy based lesson plans, and finally enjoying a (all too brief) rejuvenation session to prepare for the trip home. Below are a few pictures of the students in action. Check out this enthusiasm!

If you liked what you read about, but weren't able to be part of 2010 Capitol Leadership Training, add next year's conference to your calendar to start preparing today. Join us October 9-12, 2011!

Capitol Leadership Day 3

2010-10-12T19:30:00.000-07:00

Students and advisers walked all over Capitol Hill today in their red jackets talking to everyone from staffers to government officials to people on the Metro about FCCLA and the leadership opportunities it offers.

After the trip to the Hill, students and advisers came back to the hotel to participate in debriefing, think tanks, and follow up to their visits with the officials.

Advisers also had their own sessions following the trips. They spent time networking on topics such as working with alumni, community service ideas, public relations, gaining support from administrators, and new professional learning ideas for national and state meetings.

Capitol Leadership Day 2

2010-10-11T12:33:00.000-07:00

Prepping for the trip to Capitol Hill was today's focus at Capitol Leadership Training. Advisers met with ACTE to go over advocacy tools, topics important to Congress right now, and how they can work with their students to share stories and follow up on their visits. In the afternoon advisers and students came together to plan and prepare for Tuesday. Students inspired us all with their stories of how they've become leaders through FCCLA and FACS education.

Even if you're not at Capitol Leadership in Washington, D.C., you can still be part of FCCLA's advocacy efforts. Find out where your Representative or Senator will be campaigning or making town hall stops to check in, say hi, and schedule appointments at their state offices. Have your students share their stories and take the lead for FCCLA, CTE and FACS education.

Capitol Leadership Day 1

2010-10-10T18:29:00.000-07:00

Day one of Capitol Leadership is almost over and already we have done a lot together! Youth have been working in teams to develop and share ideas, studying professionalism and enjoying a wonderful etiquette dinner sponsored by The Art Institutes.

Advisers have been working together on new fundraising ideas, grant opportunities, sharing leadership tools and learning about the Student Leadership Challenge. One idea advisers shared was teaching to the heart. The more interested they were in a topic, the better the students did. Not only was this a good example, but it leaves a lasting legacy.

Tomorrow we'll prep for Hill visits, learn about navigating Washington, DC, and participate in a community service project.

Follow us on Twitter by searching @NationalFCCLA and #FCCLADC.

L is for Leaders

2010-10-06T14:57:00.001-07:00

On Sunday FCCLA will begin its Capitol Leadership Training for the first time. This conference which used to be a phase of state officer training has been revamped, updated and is now open to any and all students and advisers who want to learn more about leading through advocacy.

This will be an exciting time for attendees to visit Capitol Hill to meet with legislators and decision makers on education including nutrition and childhood obesity, traffic safety, financial education, bullying, and other issues important in our communities today.

Attendees will also work together to develop leadership skills that can be used in school and beyond. Professionalism, teamwork, community service, networking, and public speaking are just a few of the topics covered during the conference.

Read about what attendees are doing on Twitter by following us at "NationalFCCLA." Check back here for tips from advisers during the week.

In addition to the new conference, FCCLA has also launched the new Advocacy STAR Event to help students better understand, use, and respond to our system of government.

Professional Learning Opportunities

2010-09-29T14:46:00.000-07:00

There are several upcoming opportunities for professional learning. FCCLA hosted its first webinar today on Membership development. Watch the playback of the first Adviser Essentials Webinar Series: Membership Development for free. Additional webinars in this series are being held throughout the year. Visit the Chapter Adviser section of the website for more information on topics and dates.

Additionally, AAFCS has offered FCCLA advisers a discount on their webinars. FCCLA advisers can register for $50 ($65 Regular price). Enter Promotional Code “FCCLA” when prompted. Two upcoming opportunities from AAFCS inlcude:

Creating and Using Digital Movies in the Classroom and Beyond

Presented by Tina Shank

90-minute program including Q & A

September 30, 4pm ET

Food Psychology: Why We Eat More Than We Think

Presented by Dr. Jim Painter

90-minute program including Q & A

October 6, 4pm ET

We hope you take advantage of these professional learning options. As always, feedback is appreciated. We look forward to hearing from you.

STAR Events Manual Now Online!

2010-09-22T20:56:00.000-07:00

The 2010-2011 STAR Events Manual is now available online. Use the updated manual to plan for your year in competitive events and integrate STAR Events into your classroom. FCCLA is proud to offer three new events this year: Advocacy, Nutrition and Wellness, and Leadership. In addition to the new events we now offer a new take on the hospitality industry with the Hospitality, Tourism and Recreation STAR Event.

You'll see several technological updates to the events this year. As you scroll through the manual you'll find everything from an electronic portfolio option to web design. We hope your students enjoy putting their FACS and FCCLA knowledge into action during the 2010-2011 competition. For more information about how your state is using STAR Events to recognize members, please contact your state adviser. We look forward to your feedback on the new events and updates.

Updates, Changes and New Projects

2010-09-15T05:00:00.000-07:00

As with the beginning of any school year, we have hit the ground running with updates, changes and new projects at the national office. Over the course of the next several months you’ll find things aren’t exactly the way they were last year.

One of the changes you may have already noticed is a change in the day we publish this blog. We’ve moved from Mondays to Wednesdays in hope of increasing readership and reporting in a more timely way. Additionally, you’ll be hearing from more advisers throughout the year. This blog was intended to be for advisers, by advisers and we’d like to keep moving in that direction. If you are interested in contributing to the blog, please let us know at adoane@fcclainc.org.

Updates are part of every new year. We are working diligently to continue updating the membership database with accurate and helpful tools. As you go through the affiliation process, you’ll note some of these updates. Others may not be seen right away, but will make a difference in our office. One of the new projects we had this year involved creating a “how to” webinar for affiliation and using the database. That is now online and can be accessed through our homepage.

Another new project this year is a 10-year membership survey. We are beginning the exciting challenge of asking our membership what is good, what is bad, what can be improved, and what opportunities there are for the future. There has been a lot of change in the education system since our last survey and we look forward to hearing what members and advisers have to say.

Advisers are skilled at adapting to change and we thank you for putting up with changes at the national office. We think we are, with your input, headed in the right direction and hope that you feel the same way. We encourage you to contact us with questions, concerns, and suggestions for improvement. Your feedback only makes us better!

Two Heads Are Better Than One

2010-09-08T07:45:00.000-07:00

The official close to summer comes with the passing of Labor Day. The long holiday weekend is always a bittersweet reminder that seasons are changing and new things are right around the corner. Not only new seasons, but new students, new meeting experiences, new opportunities for involvement, and new areas for improvement—not to mention all the surprises along the way!

As you have these new experiences, we encourage you to find a fellow adviser to share them with as a mentor. Finding a mentor, even for experienced advisers can provide an opportunity to generate new ideas, change something that doesn’t work quite right, and build a stronger and more vibrant chapter. It always helps to have someone cheering you on, so link up with another adviser to start a partnership that will reward and refresh you!

Tip: Attending district, regional and state meetings are an excellent way to meet fellow advisers. If you would like help finding a mentor or connecting with another adviser, contact your state adviser for assistance.

Join Us for an Affiliation Webinar

2010-08-30T13:04:00.000-07:00

In order to help advisers walk through the affiliation database, FCCLA will be holding a how-to webinar. This free 60 minute session will walk through the different pages of the database and show advisers how to fill out and look up information. It will demonstrate the new database's method of pulling information from formerly affiliated member lists and adding new students to the chapter.

We welcome you to join us on Wednesday, September 8 at 3:00 p.m. EST for this important session. The webinar will be recorded for those who are unable to sign up or be part of the session to view at a later time. Please check the September 1 EAdviser to link to the sign up page.

Meet the 2010-2011 NEC and NECA!

2010-08-23T13:27:00.000-07:00

Ten new officers were elected and installed at the National Leadership Conference (NLC) in Chicago. We’re gearing up for the new school year and as we begin, those officers and their advisers will meet as a group for the first time since NLC to set goals and make plans.

As they plan for their year, we encourage you to continue to plan for yours. Meet with your officer team to discuss their goals and dreams.

Get to know the new NEC and NECA in Teen Times and The Adviser. Meet them in person at National Cluster Meetings. Tell them what you want the future of FCCLA to look like by responding to Facebook and Twitter posts.

Creating Leaders Who Give Back

2010-08-09T08:46:00.000-07:00

Service learning is an increasingly important aspect of a student’s academic experience. FACS curriculum provides many opportunities for students to learn by giving back to their community. When planning a service learning activity this fall, think about your local, regional, or state children’s hospital. FCCLA has partnered with Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) for its National Outreach Project. As we begin our second year with CMN, we celebrate our success in 2009-2010. FCCLA members raised more than $240,000 to support hospitals around the United States.

To get involved in the 2010-2011 efforts, see the Children’s Miracle Network page of the FCCLA national website. Activities can include visiting or touring a hospital visit and tour, sewing blankets, dolls or other items, organizing a community fundraiser and inviting CMN officials and patients to attend.

Did you participate in 2009-2010? Share your activities in the comments section.

National Cluster Meeting Youth Workshop Presenters WANTED

2010-08-02T05:24:00.000-07:00

Chapter members can explore opportunities for personal development, gain ideas for shaping future careers, and discover great ways to use FCCLA national programs in their own chapters. Workshops are presented by FCCLA chapters, partners, and exhibitors, and may include topics such as Family and Consumer Sciences careers, nutrition and healthy lifestyles, global perspectives, and much more.

Submit a workshop proposal by September 7 for consideration.

FCCLA Knows How to Party!

2010-07-26T12:51:00.000-07:00

At NLC we collected membership recruitment ideas that celebrate FCCLA’s 65 Years of Leadership from FACS Education majors and new advisers in our Newcomers Session. As you think about beginning the school year, why not kick it off by sharing our important history?

Send a birthday invitation to non-members asking them to join FCCLA.
Serve birthday cake in FACS classes or during school lunch.
Hold a birthday scavenger hunt.
Celebrate 65 Days or 65 Seconds of FCCLA by having members share about FCCLA history at the beginning of class.
Create a cardboard decorated cake and have students bring new toys to donate to Children’s Miracle network. Every time a new toy is added place a candle on the cake.
Reward the first 65 FCCLA members to affiliate with a cupcake or treat.
Have a “65 Seconds to Win It!” contest in honor of FCCLA before meetings.

How are you celebrating this special accomplishment? Show your FCCLA spirit by adding your ideas to the comments section.

Book Review: The Socially Networked Classroom: Teaching in the New Media Age

2010-07-19T06:33:00.000-07:00

We finish our social media series by Marketing & Membership Assistant Lauren Rhodes with this review of The Socially Networked Classroom: Teaching in the New Media Age.

William Kist’s The Socially Networked Classroom should be in every teacher’s classroom. Kist’s background as a teacher enables him to interact with educators on their level and provide realistic examples and resources. Kist begins by explaining new media and social stereotypes then introduces the reader to the new literacies of social media. From there, The Socially Networked Classroom is organized based on the availability of technology and internet access in your educational environment. Depending on the individual access of the reader to technology, Kist then provides ideas, guidelines, and strategies to implement in the classroom. Every chapter provides real-world examples and resources, classroom questions, and samples of rubrics and worksheets.

We recommend this book as a valuable resource for any adviser, teacher educator, or educational administrator; whether they have expansive knowledge of social media or have never used this technology before.

Ordering Information:
Paperback: 152 pages
Publisher: Corwin Press (October 21, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1412967015
ISBN-13: 978-1412967013

2010 NLC Wrap-Up

2010-07-12T12:16:00.000-07:00

Thank you to everyone who attended the 2010 National Leadership Conference in Chicago, Illinois! FCCLA celebrated 65 Years of Leadership in the best way possible- with members, advisers, alumni, staff and guests from all over the nation.

Congratulations to the 2010-2011 National Executive Council and the outgoing NEC for doing a wonderful job onstage and during the week. Also, congratulations to all Competitive Events participants for the hard work and extreme dedication put into the conference. Your preparation paid off and everyone at FCCLA is very proud. Keep working hard and continue doing great thigns in your schools and communities.

It was a great pleasure for FCCLA to present a check for over $241,000 to Children's Miracle Network and hear from our own miracle child, Aidan. FCCLA will once again partner with Children's Miracle Network for the 2010-2011 National Outreach Project. All chapters and states are encouraged to continue fundraising for another year so we can help impact the lives of sick and injured children.

If you have any questions or comments about this year's National Leadership Meeting, please feel free to contact National Staff. Contact information can be found on the national website at www.fcclainc.org. Also, FCCLA members are encouraged to follow FCCLA on Twitter (NationalFCCLA) and Facebook (Search Family, Career and Community Leaders of America).

Thanks again for a successful conference and good luck preparing for the upcoming FCCLA year!.

Banking on FCCLA: Fundraising Tips and Ideas from Chicago

2010-07-12T12:10:00.000-07:00

National Consultant Team Member, Cathe Felz, presented a fundraising workshop to advisers at the 2010 National Leadership Conference in Chicago, Illinois. The following are various ideas that advisers from across the nation wanted to share:

"We held a Cookie Lee Jewelry Sale in the faculty lounge and cafeteria prior to Valentine's Day. FCCLA was only responsible for advertising."
-Kathy Vik, AK     vik_kathleen@asdk12.org

"We made homemade bread and rolls and sweet rolls to sell to the staff using our under utilized professional kitchens from a disbanded hospitality program. Best sellers were seedy wheat (fiber wheat loaves), rye bread, and cinnamon rolls. Next year we would like to expand to student access before school (e.g. Tasty Tuesday)."
-Helen Martin, WI     martinhl@milwaukee.k12.wi.us

"Our best fundraiser has been sales of TJ's Pizza (not sure if they are nation-wide, we're in St. Louis, MO). They have 50% profit, are easy to work with, and the pizzas are well-known so they sell themselves. TJ's also sells cookie dough and pies/cakes."
-Lisa Thompson, MO     lmthompson@ssdmo.org

"We go to Larry's Pizza Restaurant and work as servers. We get all the tips for the night plus 10% of the sales. We net almost $300.00. We do this in the early fall and then again in spring if we need a filler. All FCCLA members work. We have it from 5-8 pm. The kids love this and show up to work."     -Sheila Churchill schurchill@westsiderebels.net

"For school sports (i.e. football, basketball, track, etc.) our FCCLA would do the concession stands." -djones@risd.k12.nm.us

"Our FCCLA has a soup supper for the community, sells orange crush on Valentine's Day (secret crush), sells candy canes during the holidays with messages. Also, certain days we will have teachers pay $1 to wear jeans or hats."
-Julie McLean     julesm_55@hotmail.com

"One event our FCCLA does is called the 'Tour of Tables'. Every member is encouraged to sell 8 tickets (full table) for $10. We serve a meal which is ordered through the school food service provider. Last year's menu was: chicken stuffed with fontina cheese, vegetables, twice baked potatoes, and cheesecake. Each table is decorated with a silent auction item. 20-30 minutes prior to the meal, everyone starts the tour of tables for the silent auction."
-Jenny Ferrel     jenny.ferrel@gmail.com

"We have a burrito sale. Customers pre-order and pay and the students make the items. We sell them 2 for $3. All supplies we try to get donated and the parents help with assistance. We sell to the public schools, parents, workplaces."
-C. Simmons csimmons@almaschools.net

"Talent Show! We raise money by having an application fee. People can enter as a team or individual. We charge admission for the event night and also have concessions provided. A 50/50 raffle or silent auction is also held to raise money."
-Melissa Welsh, PA     mwelsh@ncsd.k12.pa.us

A grant writer contact was also given during the session. Please feel free to use this contact as a consult and resource:

Julian Miller
Dreyfus/Kellog Expert
Grantwriter
(662) 402-8249
juliandmiller@gmail.com

Join Us in Chicago… Or At Home

2010-06-28T13:32:00.000-07:00

A lot changes in 65 years, but FCCLA has always been a leading organization of its time. In 2010 we continue to embrace technology to include as many FCCLA members and advisers as possible in our National Leadership Conference (NLC).

Whether you’re with us in Chicago or enjoying your summer at home, FCCLA wants you to participate in NLC activities. FCCLA will be updating, blogging, and tweeting daily from Chicago.

If you're at the conference, we invite you to share your insights, ideas, and interesting take-aways with the FCCLA community through our interactive Media Center at the Hyatt Regency.

At home, follow Family, Career and Community Leaders of America on Facebook and Twitter and through our special NLC Blog, and, of course, right here on the Adviser Blog. Add your own insights and comments to participate in NLC from a distance.

The Benefits of Social Media for FCCLA – Twitter

2010-06-21T05:34:00.000-07:00

Once again, Marketing & Membership Assistant and social media guru, Lauren Rhodes is here. This time she offers tips for improving your chapter's Twitter presence.

“What we have to do is deliver to people the best and freshest most relevant information possible. We think of Twitter as it's not a social network, but it's an information network. It tells people what they care about as it is happening in the world.” - Evan Williams

What is Twitter? Twitter is a “real-time information network powered by people all around the world that lets you share and discover what’s happening now.” Twitter is a social networking and “micro-blogging service that enables its users to send and read messages known as tweets. Tweets are text-based posts of up to 140 characters displayed on the author's profile page and delivered to the author's subscribers who are known as followers.” Basically, Twitter is quickly becoming the most effective form of non-verbal communication, especially now that users have direct access to it 24/7 via cell phone applications.

Twitter is important for FCCLA chapters because it helps them communicate quickly and it’s in writing. All of those following your chapter on Twitter can receive real-time updates and reference older posts. You can also stay up-to-date on your students, other teachers and chapters, causes and organizations, even National FCCLA, by following them on Twitter.

Disclaimer: Twitter may not be for everyone…yet. Many are still getting used to what Twitter is and how it integrates into our daily lives. However, it is only a matter of time before Twitter becomes as popular and widely used as Facebook – so, hold on, we’re only climbing up the hill of the roller-coaster.

Step 1: Ask your chapter if they are using Twitter.

If they are, wonderful! If they are not, talk to them about Twitter and see if your chapter is interested in pursuing this.

Step 2: Sign up for Twitter, create your profile, and start following!

If you already have a Facebook profile, creating a profile on Twitter is a walk in the park. Let one of your students, perhaps the VP of Public Relations, take the lead to create a profile. Let your chapter know when the page is up so they can start following it. Select organizations, causes, members of the community and school to follow on Twitter. Following others will help keep you in the loop. Who knows – you may hear about a scholarship or grant your chapter could qualify for!

Step 3: Tweet it!

Remember you only have 140 characters per tweet. You can tweet links to pages such as your Facebook page or www.fcclainc.org. Tweet events, school functions, and reminders. Start a spreadsheet of tweet ideas for several weeks in advance. I have one for the next month and I update it a week before the end of the month. If possible, download the Twitter application for your phone. This will enable you Tweet from your phone and be able to update your site anywhere!

Step 4: Tweet and monitor the site as frequently as possible.

By tweeting frequently, the information posted will show up in any members’ twitter page and this gives free publicity. As an adviser for FCCLA it is important to supervise your chapter and make sure they are modeling the way and representing FCCLA respectfully.

These are some essential steps toward launching and maintaining Twitter page. Feel free to post questions and discuss. If you have any questions or comments you are not comfortable posting please contact me at lrhodes@fcclainc.org.

The Benefits of Social Media for FCCLA - Facebook

2010-06-14T05:30:00.000-07:00

Continuing our series on social media, Lauren Rhodes, Marketing & Membership Assistant, tells us more about Facebook.

“Facebook tops Google for weekly traffic in the U.S.” – Erik Qualman

What is Facebook? Facebook is a “social networking web site that is operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc.” Facebook's mission is “to give people the power to share and make the world more open and connected.” Facebook has more than 400 million active users and people spend over 500 billion minutes per month on the site – and it continues to grow, globally.

Step 1: Have a personal profile page that is used exclusively for you as an adviser.
Connect with your students, other teachers, advisers, FCCLA and other professional organizations. You may already have a personal profile page that you use on Facebook to stay connected to friends and family – do not use this page! Instead, create a profile for you as an adviser and a teacher. For example, Jane Doe has her own profile so she created another profile for Ms. Doe, who teaches at Some High School. She even created her own email address for this personal adviser profile, ms.doe.socialmedia@gmail.com.

Step 2: Start a group for your FCCLA chapter.
Starting a group on Facebook is easy and valuable for you as an adviser. It is a way to connect your chapter together in a forum that most of them use on a daily basis. You can post photos and video, send messages to the entire chapter with one click, send event invitations and reminders, create online surveys and quizzes, etc. If time is an issue, have a chapter officer (such as the VP of Public Relations) monitor and update the site.

Step 3: Post important information on you group site.
Put up links to important web sites: FCCLA homepage, chapter website (if you have one), school website, press releases, causes your chapter is supporting, etc. Model the way by posting encouraging chapter photos, videos, news stories, FCCLA information, etc. Communicate important announcements on the group’s wall and create upcoming events.

Step 4: Promote and recruit for your chapter.
Use Facebook to promote upcoming events and fundraisers by having your chapter members re-post events to all of their friends. This is done by selecting the “Share” box on the event page and is then re-posted on the individuals wall and news feed. Encourage your chapter to invite friends to join your chapter’s group - this will help introduce them to FCCLA, FACS, and your chapter.

Step 5: Update and monitor the site as frequently as possible.
No one likes to visit a website that isn't current. Updates should be posted regularly. By posting frequently, the information posted will show up in any members’ news feed and this gives free publicity. As an adviser it is important to supervise your chapter and make sure they are modeling the way and representing FCCLA respectfully.

These are some essential steps toward developing and maintaining presence on Facebook. Feel free to post questions and discuss or contact me at lrhodes@fcclainc.org.

New Publications Now Available!

2010-06-07T07:18:00.000-07:00

New Officer Handbook

The Ultimate Officer Handbook & Training Manual will be unveiled at the 2010 National Leadership Conference! This new publication is a must-have for all FCCLA leaders! Use this manual as an instructional tool or textbook for teaching leadership in every Family and Consumer Sciences class. The training manual is available for only $15.

Get your FCCLA Lesson Planner!

The FCCLA Lesson Planner features 52 weeks of 7-day adviser planning pages, 12 months of FCCLA tips and adviser networking suggestions, the FCCLA Planning Process, a program of work template, and a Family and Consumer Sciences Accountability Matrix. Start the school year off right with the FCCLA Lesson Planner! The lesson planner is available for only $10.

The Adviser-Spring/Summer Online Edition

2010-06-03T09:37:00.000-07:00

The Adviser - Spring/ Summer

What you 'll find in this issue:

Fresh Start

An update from National FCCLA on membership, affiliation and information for the 2010 school year.

Extra! Extra!
Updates from state meetings across the nation!

Adviser -to-Adviser
What are FCCLA Advisers up to this summer?

Lesson Plan
A Lesson Plan for your Family and Consumer Sciences class focusing on leadership.

And much more...

Download the Spring/Summer issue of The Adviser!

Being Socially Savvy in School: An Introduction to Integrating FCCLA into Social Media

2010-05-24T08:08:00.000-07:00

Today our own social media guru, Lauren Rhodes, discusses the importance of being technology savvy and connecting your chapter and classroom through social media.

“We don’t have a choice on whether we do social media; the question is how well do we do it?” – Erik Qualman

Many educators are asking “Why should I use social media? It’s not like I have access to it in the classroom.” To begin, let’s addressing the first question “Why should I use social media?” Social media is not going anywhere. Rather, technology has barely scratched the surface on the possibilities of what social media is capable of. In another five years, the Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites that we have today are going to seem archaic. Now to address the statement “It’s not like I have access to it in the classroom” – it’s only a matter of time. Social media is so rampant and is changing the face of communication as we know it, before long the education system and government will be on board. For example, remember Barack Obama’s Presidential candidacy media campaign. Many prominent advertising professionals credit his campaign’s use of social media as giving him a significant edge in the race to the presidency and as we all know now, Obama is president. Also, many Senators, Congressmen, and government officials have Facebook pages, including President Obama.

What are the benefits for integrating social media into FCCLA? Social media was designed to enhance communication, making it easier to network and to generate interest in a cause. Social media can be used to augment what is being instructed in the classroom and cultivate your FCCLA chapter. Imagine being able to communicate directly with your chapter on a forum that your students interact with on a daily basis. Where you can share conference photos, classroom videos, remind members that a fundraiser is launching tomorrow, and have a video chat with another chapter in real time. For example, using sites like Facebook and Twitter you can communicate, promote, recruit, and network quickly and easily with your chapter, school, other advisers, etc. You can even network professionally and connect with other advisers on sites like LinkedIn and communicate live globally via web chat with Skype.

Over the next few months, I will guide you through six of the top and emerging forms of social media and explain how to incorporate them with FCCLA:

June - Facebook
June - Twitter
August - YouTube
August - Flickr
September - LinkedIn
September – Skype

I’m looking forward to the next few months. In the meantime, if you have any questions or comments you are not comfortable posting please contact me at lrhodes@fcclainc.org.

FCCLA Lesson Plans & Activities

2010-05-17T05:01:00.000-07:00

Following an April edition of the FCCLA E-Adviser, Paula Chessher of Warren High School, Texas, reminded us that the lesson plans and activities page of the FCCLA website is a great resource. She writes, “I would love to see more of the lesson plans available! That is a fantastic source and service for FCS teachers! …the lesson plans and materials are invaluable to me!”

As the year comes to a close, testing ends and graduation is on our heels, we want to make a plug for adding your lesson plans and activities to the FCCLA website. While you are cleaning for the summer, take some time to look through the resources you use. Submit your ideas to us and we’ll add them to the website.

Without the support and participation of advisers, these resources would be unavailable. Thank you for your generous contributions!

National Youth Traffic Safety Month

2010-05-10T05:42:00.000-07:00

This week’s blog come from National Executive Council member, Abbi Sudtelgte, Vice President of Programs.

The spring NOYS meeting (National Organizations for Youth Safety) was held Wednesday, April 28th through Friday, April 30th in Washington D.C. Along with myself, Leilani Mullins, Vice President of Membership, and Bethany Standley, Program Coordinator, Michael Benjamin, Executive Director, also attended the NOYS meeting. Throughout the whole conference the main focus was traffic safety as May is National Youth Traffic Safety Month. Thursday at the National Press Club NOYS had a press conference with the Secretary of Transportation, Rae LaHood. Friday morning we participated in Oprah’s No Phone Zone Day at the Newseum. Oprah had set up five different no phone zone sites across the United States, Washington D.C. being one of them. Lani and I were even able to get our picture with Gayle King! As follow-up I was interviewed on Keloland, which is South Dakota’s main new broadcast TV station.

Abbi and Leilani holding their No Phone Zone signs.

Abbi and Leilani with Gayle King at the Oprah event at the Newseum in Washington, D.C.

10 Minutes to Make a Difference

2010-05-03T07:53:00.000-07:00

The Census Bureau has posted online at http://2010.census.gov/news/press-kits/nrfu/nrfu-presskit.html information on the critical phase we are now entering known as Non-Response Follow-Up. This phase involves trying to account for the roughly 48 million households that did not mail back their Census form. We will be sending approximately 635,000 census takers out to count all non-responding households, and we need your help in convincing them why it is important for them to talk to the census taker.

You can find out more information on census takers at our website: http://2010.census.gov/2010census/how/census-taker.php

Vote for FCCLA!

2010-04-26T10:00:00.000-07:00

April is almost over. Make your choice today for FCCLA!

FCCLA needs your vote! National FCCLA is in the running for a $50,000 grant through the Pepsi Refresh Project. The grant would allow FCCLA to enhance leadership opportunities and personal development to Family and Consumer Sciences students and their teachers through the Capitol Leadership Training. Please visit http://www.refresheverything.com/empowerfcclastudentleaders, register, and vote every day in the month of April. Up to 10 grants in this category are awarded each month. Click here to vote!

In addition, since MO FCCLA finished the month of March in the top 100 for their category their proposed project is back in the running for the month of April so please use one of your ten daily votes for MO FCCLA. If you place FCCLA in the search engine of the Pepsi Refresh Project it will display both National FCCLA and MO FCCLA in one location to make voting easy!

Join the Adviser Academy

2010-04-19T10:00:00.000-07:00

We want you to get the most out of your time as an adviser. FCCLA’s Adviser Academy was created for advisers with fewer than 5 years experience as an opportunity to learn more about FCCLA, integrating the national programs and competitions into the classroom and getting the word out about your chapter’s work. The Adviser Academy takes place at national meetings across the country and provides invaluable networking time with other new advisers.

Participants in the Adviser Academy can use Perkins funds for this series of professional development. Applications are due May 1 for enrollment in Track 1 at National Leadership Conference in Chicago. Apply today!

P.S. Don’t forget to vote for FCCLA! Click here to vote!

AAFCS Offers the Pre-Professional Assessment and Certification (Pre-PAC) Program

2010-04-12T10:47:00.000-07:00

The American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS) is proud to offer the Pre-Professional Assessment and Certification (Pre-PAC) program as the premier family and consumer sciences pre-professional assessment and certification system in the nation. AAFCS has engaged the assistance of a broad range of esteemed industry professionals, content specialists, and educators from across the nation to assist in identifying relevant industry standards and to develop the assessment instruments. In addition to drawing heavily on business and industry input, Pre-PAC assessments correlate to the National FCS Standards, other content-related standards, and the National Career Clusters initiative. The online Pre-PAC competency assessments are rigorous, psychometrically sound, and consistent with “gold-standard” quality testing requirements.

FCS teachers can use Pre-PAC assessments to facilitate accountability, gain recognition for their students, enhance program recognition and support, and promote program improvement and effectiveness. The Pre-PAC Portfolio of Products available for testing this spring includes a total of NINE assessments (* indicates new product available April 19, 2010):

(1) Broad Field Family and Consumer Sciences
(2) Culinary Arts*
(3) Early Childhood Education
(4) Education Fundamentals*
(5) Family and Community Services*
(6) Fashion, Textiles, and Apparel*
(7) Interior Design Fundamentals*
(8) Nutrition, Food, and Wellness*
(9) Personal and Family Finance

To learn more and to become an approved test site to administer Pre-PAC assessments, visit the Pre-PAC Management System. For more information, contact Lori Myers, Director, Pre-Professional Assessment and Certification, at lmyers@aafcs.org.

P.S. Don’t forget to vote for FCCLA! Click here to vote!

Vote for FCCLA!

2010-04-05T08:15:00.000-07:00

FCCLA needs your vote! National FCCLA is in the running for a $50,000 grant through the Pepsi Refresh Project. The grant would allow FCCLA to enhance leadership opportunities and personal development to Family and Consumer Sciences students and their teachers through the Capitol Leadership Training. Please visit www.refresheverything.com/empowerfcclastudentleaders, register, and vote every day in the month of April. Up to 10 grants in this category are awarded each month. Click here to vote!

In addition, since MO FCCLA finished the month of March in the top 100 for their category their proposed project is back in the running for the month of April so please use one of your ten daily votes for MO FCCLA. If you place FCCLA in the search engine of the Pepsi Refresh Project it will display both National FCCLA and MO FCCLA in one location to make voting easy!

Celebrate!

2010-03-29T09:45:00.000-07:00

State meetings are beginning to wind down, testing is coming up, and spring break is just around the corner. Chapter members will soon have other things on their mind and may need a push to stay focused until the end of the year. This is a great opportunity to recognize those that will be graduating, parents and volunteers who have helped all year long, administrators who have gone to bat for the chapter with requests, and those who will be representing the chapter at National Leadership Conference this summer.

Here are a few ideas to help you create a successful recognition program:

• Hold a spring banquet to install new officers and give chapter awards
• Enjoy a chapter picnic to celebrate warm weather, invite parents/volunteers to attend
• If your school has an all-school award banquet, submit FCCLA awards for chapter members
• Make goodie bags to give to all parents, volunteers, administration and others who have supported the chapter
• Celebrate chapter successes by hosting an open house to show off members’ projects

Support Your Local Superintendent

2010-03-22T09:40:00.000-07:00

We know that sometimes superintendents, principals, CTE directors and others can sometime seem more like local sheriffs than support systems, but these individuals can often be very instrumental in building and growing an FCCLA chapter. There is still a few days left to nominate your administrator for a national FCCLA award. If you have a great support system, why not take a few minutes to show your appreciation by nominating someone at your school for National School Administrator award.

Traditionally the national headquarters doesn’t see very many nominations for this award, but we love to give it out to show our support to the people behind the scenes. We encourage you to support your local crew at the national level.
If you don’t have a great relationship with your administrator, or they just don’t “get it,” we recommend bringing him or her to a state or national meeting as a chaperone, ask them to join in at a community service event, or have an administrator from another school call them to talk through their questions. Who knows, maybe your surly superintendent will turn into James Garner.

And the Winner Is…

2010-03-15T09:31:00.000-07:00

Most of you know what the Oscars, Emmys, and Golden Globes are and probably more than a few of you watched your favorite actors, actresses, directors and movies take home statues this awards season. There are several opportunities for advisers to be awarded throughout the year and especially at National Leadership Conference, but one of the awards that always lacks entries is the distinction for Integrating Core Academics.

The application for this award can be found on the FCCLA website under Adult Awards and takes a few minutes to fill out. As FACS teachers, integrating academics is something you do every day. Being recognized not only shows FCCLA’s support for you, but also shows your support for your school, chapter, and career. We encourage you to take a look at the award and apply today. You could be the one that comes home a winner. Applications are due April 1 and are announced at the Adviser Recognition Session at NLC.

We’re All In This Together

2010-03-08T09:43:00.000-08:00

Mentorship is an important part of FCCLA. Not only do we recommend mentors for officers and members as they develop their leadership skills, but it is also important for advisers to have someone to bounce ideas off of, go to for help, and be a sounding board for the rough times. Of course, we want advisers to celebrate successes together too!

Read the below thoughts from some experienced advisers as they reminisce about the people that helped them become successful today.

I have been very blessed in my career as a FACS teacher and FCCLA adviser to have many wonderful mentors. I think one of the biggest benefits to being a FACS teacher/FCCLA adviser is the tremendous network of support that we have. I have had mentors who have taught me everything from the basics of FCCLA to tips on how to fill out a national program awards application.

One of the best pieces of advice that I got about being a FCCLA adviser is to remember that we can't do it all. It would be very hard to be involved in every national program and every STAR event. Instead I was challenged to participate in the activities and programs that best suit my school and community.

I found this to be great advice and when I am planning out my year I often think back to this advice as I am evaluating what program and activities are most beneficial for my students, school, and community.

Katrina Lewis, Konawa High School, Oklahoma

It has been sooo long since I first started that I really don't remember who my first mentor was. But, the most important thing that I have learned from other advisers is not to try to do it all.

The second most important thing is to adapt to the members you have in any given year. Sometimes you have real go getters and they can take the lead in large projects and just astound you with what they do. And some years the smallest completed project is a victory.

Cathy Kloch, Alliance High School, Nebraska

2010-03-01T08:10:00.000-08:00

Southern Charm

As the state meeting season amps up, FCCLA national staff and National Executive Council will be traveling throughout the country to visit over 40 state meetings. Each of us take away something new from these visits. We are thrilled to be part of your state meeting and happy to help you create a positive experience for members and advisers.

This week we visited Mississippi’s State Leadership Conference. We were able to visit with advisers and members about their interests and goals for as leaders in the organization. The students were enthusiastic and led by a fabulous team of officers. Many participated in STAR Events and other state competitions. Advisers were always there to show support and learn more about FCCLA through their students’ involvement.

We’d like to thank Valerie Taylor and the rest of the state staff at the Mississippi Department of Education for hosting us with their famous Southern hospitality.

What’s special about your state meeting? Write your responses in the comments section.

Fiscal Responsibility

2010-02-22T06:05:00.000-08:00

This week’s blog is a call to action from the U.S. Treasury

We’re writing to ask for your help.

In December 2009, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and Education Secretary Arne Duncan announced the National Financial Capability Challenge. They said that along with getting the economy back on track and getting smarter about financial regulation, we also need to make sure all Americans – but especially our youth – get the financial education they need to help them take responsibility for their financial futures. Treasury and Education are committed to working together on this issue.

The Challenge – an awards program for educators and high schools students that aims to encourage the teaching of personal finance – is our first step in a new partnership. An earlier version of the Challenge was organized by Treasury under the previous administration, and this expanded effort builds on that success. Our goal is to get one million high school students to take the Challenge, which includes a voluntary online exam, by April 9, 2010. To make that happen, we’ll need thousands of educators from across the country to register and get their students prepared. Two thousand educators have already signed up. It’s a good start, but we have a long way to go.

Will you please support our effort to reach out to high school teachers and leaders – and other educators working with high school students age 13-19, such as librarians, youth group leaders, and after-school program staff – to encourage them to sign up for the Challenge at http://challenge.treas.gov/ by March 14.

We’re encouraging educators to take these steps:

1. View the video message from Secretary Duncan
2. Register for the Challenge by March 14th
3. Recruit their colleagues to participate (flier available here)
4. Prepare their students (using the free educator toolkit or their own resources)
5. Administer the online exam one day between March 15th and April 9th
6. Present official (printable) awards certificates to high-scoring students

All participating educators will receive personalized awards certificates, and educators in states with the highest participation rates will earn special distinction.

Heat Up the Second Semester!

2010-02-15T06:51:00.000-08:00

Our battle with the weather and snow in DC is finally over and we are breathing easier. We hope you enjoyed FCCLA Week and had a great time promoting FCCLA throughout your communities. This week we have another installment of adviser advice.

When you started your FCCLA chapter what was the first national program you integrated into the classroom? Why?

Community Service because it can be tied into any class, any topics whether it be: a fundraiser for an organization, having a classroom speaker to inform on a community agency/topic and then having the class brainstorm how to help them, sponsoring a collection of needed items for an agency in the area, visit to a location to see a need in action, or providing ways that individual students or families can provide service to the agency.

Kathleen C. Buchanan, Riverheads High School, Virginia

The first National Program that I incorporated into my classroom was Families First. This national program fits in really well with the Parenting/Child Development units in Family and Consumer Sciences. My students completed projects in class that tied into each of the five units of Families First. My students really enjoyed each of the projects they completed and learned a lot about the importance of family.

Katrina Lewis, Konawa High School, Oklahoma

What is the most important thing you do during the second semester of the school year to build membership?

Membership in second semester is much harder I think. At the beginning of school I get the names of students enrolled in second semester and send them a personal invitation to join during the main membership drive in the fall. At that time I do not know most of those students, but the invitation brings them to the classroom with questions. I use freshman students to help me meet new freshmen that I will not have until second semester.

At the beginning of second semester I use the planned activities for National FCCLA Week to be inviting.

For a few, the promotion of STAR Events participation gets their attention. But of course that is a quick turn around time to get them started.

One way to introduce students to the organization in one day is exploring the state and national webpage with questions that I make.

Kathleen C. Buchanan, Riverheads High School, Virginia

Snow Day!

2010-02-08T08:16:00.000-08:00

FCCLA is closed today due to the huge snowstorm over the weekend. We didn't want to leave you high and dry (but maybe a little warmer) with no Monday post. As today is the beginning of FCCLA Week, we encourage you leave your FCCLA Week plans and ideas in the comments section.

Enjoy the week!

What is the National Consultant Team?

2010-02-01T08:04:00.000-08:00

FCCLA seeks the guidance of chapter advisers in the field when putting together professional learning programs for national conferences. We want to offer the best and most current topics to help advisers better integrate FCCLA programs and projects into the classroom. The National Consultant Team (NCT) consists of four to five advisers from all over the country who write and present training sessions.

The NCT met this week in Chicago, IL., to plan and write objectives for the sessions at FCCLA’s 2010 National Leadership Conference. Topics range from grant writing to competitive events to work/life balance. FCCLA is proud to have an experienced team of advisers working to provide these training opportunities.

FCCLA is currently adding to its team! If you or an adviser you know is interested in working on national projects, please see the Chapter Adviser section of the website to read the application. Applications are due March 1.

Stirring Up Health in Middle Schools

2010-01-25T09:30:00.000-08:00

Healthy Kids Challenge is proud to announce its 8th annual middle school recipe contest. “Stirring Up Health” promotes healthy eating to middle school students and their families. Entrants are asked to create their own snack food, breakfast, or side dish following the contest guidelines. FCCLA partners Johnson & Wales University and Home Baking Association have teamed together with Del Monte to offer this exciting contest for middle school students.

For more information, visit www.healthykidschallenge.com.

2010-01-19T06:34:00.000-08:00

This week’s blog is a guest entry from ACTE:

Dear Career and Technical Student Organization Officer,

CTSOs are great advocates for career and technical education throughout the year. It is your experiences in career and technical education programs that bring to life the decisions legislators make regarding CTE.

The Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) wants to make sure legislators make those connections between their decisions and your experiences. ACTE invites students to attend the National Policy Seminar, March 8-10 at the Crystal Gateway Marriot in Arlington, Virginia. A special student rate and specific student content will make this a worthwhile event for you to learn how students can better participate in advocacy efforts.

Register today at the special student rate of $120 and take part in:

• Three student leadership special sessions to help prepare you for your visits to Capitol Hill, meet other CTE students from around the country, and plan for what to do once you return home.

• Five general sessions that provide information on the current political environment for CTE; how to connect CTE to funding opportunities, economic development, and broader education issues; and the future of CTE.

• Visits to Capitol Hill with your representatives. Put what you learned at NPS into action when you visit your representatives and help them make the connection between CTE and student success and economic development.

Your leadership in a CTSO gives you the experience you need to advocate for CTE. Join ACTE in March and help Congress make the connection!

Sincerely,

Janet B. Bray
Executive Director, ACTE

Welcome Back!

2010-01-11T08:49:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year and welcome to a new decade. We hope the new semester starts off on the right foot for each of you. Goal setting is a traditional part of bringing in a new year. We encourage you to set goals to take your chapter to the next level of achievement.

In the latest Adviser-to-Adviser update, we asked the question, “What surprised you the most the first time you took students to a district or state meeting?” Janet Driscoll of New York responded, “I was so impressed by the officer's stage presence, the way the students took charge of the meetings and how there were so many opportunities for students to get recognition and leadership training.”

Whether it is taking your students to a district or state meeting or beginning a big project or recruiting new members, we hope you enjoy setting and work toward your goals in 2010.

Happy Holidays from FCCLA!

2009-12-21T06:38:00.000-08:00

Encourage the Heart

2009-12-14T07:25:00.000-08:00

As December reaches it middle and the holiday break closes in, FCCLA advisers are thinking about finishing classes for the semester, fundraising efforts well underway, members’ STAR Events projects taking shape, and successful district meetings.

During the busyness of this season, take a few minutes to yourself. Have a seat, take a deep breath, and focus on all that’s been accomplished already. You may have read in Teen Times or The Adviser about FCCLA’s Student Leadership Challenge. One of the five practices in the Challenge is “Encourage the Heart. “

Encourage your heart today by celebrating the success of another wonderful semester, a great group of students, a supportive group of parents, and all the others that have helped make your chapter what it is. Take this holiday break as a time to relax and rejuvenate focusing on your success!

New STAR Event Demonstrations Available Online!

2009-12-07T12:22:00.000-08:00

We know that leading an individual or team in one of the new STAR Events can be a tough job for chapter advisers. There’s not a whole lot of knowledge about what to expect and in the STAR Events world of rules and regulations, the unexpected can be a major fear. In an effort to simplify new events for both students and advisers, FCCLA has done a couple of things to ease their introduction.

First, we’ve stuck to familiar rules. Even though the past few years have seen the addition of several new events, we’ve been very careful to use a mixture of classic and innovative event components while trying to prevent the addition of more rules. Most of the structures of newer events can easily be compared to that of the events which have been in place for multiple decades. If you understand how to develop a STAR Events portfolio, the Environmental Ambassador and Fashion Design events should not be a challenge. If you know the rules for creating a display, you already know most of the rules for Food Innovations. If you are a new adviser, you might want to focus one year on only events with the same presentation style and ask an experienced adviser to help you become familiar with the rules of that style. Once you’ve gotten the structural rules down, you’ll primarily need to concentrate on the content that is laid out in the specifications and rubrics of each event.

The second thing FCCLA has been doing to help ease the introduction of new events is offering demonstrations and workshops on new STAR Events at the National Leadership Conferences and National Cluster Meetings. At the 2009 National Cluster Meetings, for example, FCCLA asked chapter members, state officers, and a few chapter advisers experienced in STAR Events to present presentations on the three new events. The presentations were developed by national FCCLA to maintain consistency at each site and are now available online for everyone to view. Check them out under “Resources” on the main STAR Events page of the FCCLA national website. The files are on the larger size so they may take a little bit of time to download, but this resource is worth it! These presentations probably won’t help you understand the presentation method for the events, but you will have a much better idea of the content that goes into each one.

As always, the most important thing to do when it comes to STAR Events is to read the rules carefully. Evaluate projects using the Point Summary Form and Rubric before competition to make sure your students completed everything and ask your state adviser any questions you might have early so there is time for your students to change anything you might not have understood correctly. Remember that successful STAR Events projects demonstrate a student’s ability to follow directions, their work throughout the year, and their presentation skills. There is no trick to getting a gold medal or moving on to the next level of competition beyond hard work and preparation.

2009-11-30T07:45:00.000-08:00

Thank you for attending a 2009 National Cluster Meeting. Please take a moment to complete the following evaluation. Your answers are important and helpful in planning successful meetings next year.

Providing your name and contact information enters you for a chance to win. Three (3) Grand Prize Winners, one (1) from each meeting will receive one (1) 2010 National Cluster Meeting Registration. Three (3) additional winners will receive an FCCLA Prize Pack. Prize winners will be posted on the FCCLA national website on December 7, 2009.

Click here for the Washington, DC National Cluster Meeting Evaluation

Click here for the Louisville, KY National Cluster Meeting Evaluation

Click here for the Salt Lake City, UT National Cluster Meeting Evaluation

For more information contact the FCCLA Meetings Team, at (703) 476-4900

National Cluster Meeting in Review

2009-11-23T08:48:00.000-08:00

Thank you, advisers, for making National Cluster Meetings a success! The national staff returned home yesterday after completing three exciting conferences. Advisers in Washington, DC, Salt Lake City, UT, and Louisville, KY, had several opportunities to network with other FACS teachers and receive professional development. Sessions on work/life balance, integrating leadership and staying connected with core academics and Career Clusters in the classroom were popular topics.

We encourage you to keep the excitement of National Cluster Meetings going by voting for your favorite FCCLA Week Poster design, National Leadership Conference T-Shirt design, and Win the Icing Cake Decorating contests online November 23 through December 4.

Please remember to fill out a conference evaluation so we can continue to provide students and advisers with the best meeting opportunities in the future.

Thank you again to all who attended the 2009 National Cluster Meetings!

Adviser Networking

2009-11-16T07:27:00.000-08:00

We all know that one of the best reasons to come to district, state and national meetings is for the networking opportunities. Whether you’ve been to 25 National Cluster Meetings or you are new to the whole idea, we encourage you to keep it up! So many great ideas were generated at the Washington, D.C., conference this past weekend. To further increase networking opportunities, we’d like you to share those ideas in the comments section below.

If you learned something about membership recruitment, fundraising, working with administration, getting started as an adviser, taking the clutter out of your life, or had another important insight, pass it along to those who weren’t able to attend so they too can benefit from adviser networking.

2009-11-09T06:20:00.000-08:00

This Blog is for You!

Thank you, advisers, for sending in so many great resources! We are always collecting publications, websites, newsletters, and tools you think are valuable to pass on to other advisers across the country. Our collection for the winter edition of The Adviser was so full of good ideas we decided to pass a few onto you early. You will find three of the resources suggested by advisers below. Share your favorite resource in the comments section.

From Angela Gott, KY:

I have used the following websites for several years in Life Skills, Nutritional Science, Child Development, Culinary, and Foods.www.sparkpeople.com and www.sparkteens.com

Both sites (related) offer many nutritional tools. (Day to day tracking of nutrition and fitness; BMI; food composition; etc.) Both sites offer FREE membership and will help you track your food intake and fitness. It will suggest what you should do (eat or how much to exercise) to gain, lose, or maintain weight. My students have LOVED it and some tell me that they continue to use the site even after the class.

From Kathleen Buchanan, VA:

I have a Leadership Class. Several resources I have used and offer a number of ideas to use many ways are:
•Leadership Curriculum Guide by the Department of Student Activities from the National Association of Secondary School Principals
•Building Leaders for Life: A High School Leadership Class Curriculum by the National Association of Secondary School Principals
•Leading with Character by Barbara Farmer and others ISBN- 10: 0-538-44487-8
•What Do You Stand For? A Kids Guide to Building Character by Barbara A. Lewis ISBN 1- 57542-029-5

From Jan Gardner NBCT, MS:

I have many favorites, but one of my most used in the Early Childhood Education classroom is http://kids.niehs.nih.gov/.

Becoming Involved at School

2009-11-02T13:33:00.000-08:00

Last week this blog discussed the importance of starting an advisory board to help maintain a healthy chapter. This week we’re turning the table a bit.
Not only is it important to have others give you the best information about what’s happening outside the school walls, but it’s extremely important for you to become involved and have your voice be heard. No matter what size of school you’re at, there are opportunities to volunteer. Any and all opportunities are great ones to help get you and your program noticed by others. Below is a great example from an adviser at a small school.

“The committee I am currently serving on is the Healthy Schools Committee. The committee addresses issues in and around our school that affect and influence the health and safety of our students. In the spring I will be on the professional development committee that is responsible for planning the professional development days in our districts.” - Lori Grant, OK

Lori Grant is a participant in the Adviser Academy program. For more information about how you can become involved in the Academy and learn additional ways to become involved and boost your chapter’s influence, check the Adviser Academy page on the national website.

Taking the Next Step

2009-10-26T07:43:00.000-07:00

We all know that community support is the key to a successful chapter, but finding that support isn’t always obvious. Starting an advisory board can be one of the best ways to gain both financial and general support.

The make-up of an advisory board can vary depending on what your chapter needs are, but a good start is a chapter officer, two or three local business representatives, a parent of active members, and a member of the school board. Reporting monthly activities to the advisory board will make them aware of all that is going on in the chapter. First hand perspectives from parent and chapter officers will help the rest of the group better understand the need for support. Including administration such as a school board member can give your chapter a leg up when going to ask for more funding or travel vouchers.

Picking business representatives can be the trickiest part. Try to start with those that are interested. Send out invites to several people you’d like to be on the board. Not all of them will say yes or have enough time to give the support you need. Start with people on the school alumni board, booster club, city chamber of commerce. Choose businesses that directly benefit from chapter projects.
Remember to check your school’s guidelines for advisory boards to adhere to preexisting rules. After a year or two a successful advisory board will sustain itself and be an invaluable asset to your chapter.

Do YOU Dig It!?

2009-10-19T07:39:00.000-07:00

FCCLA and Cause Creative are excited to present the 2009-2011 National Outreach Project benefitting the Children’s Miracle Network. All affiliated chapters should be receiving their Dig It! kits any day now. The kits will include information and materials – including seeds, envelopes, and guide sheets.

It is up to each chapter to figure out what to do with the seeds – although the possibilities are endless, some ideas include: planting a flower garden outside of your school to honor a sick student or with permission, plant them in a children’s hospital garden. Most importantly, chapters are raising money to make miracles happen for sick children and each seed planted will represent a miracle.

For more information on the National Outreach Project, please visit the national FCCLA website by following this link: http://www.fcclainc.org/content/dig-it--childrens-miracle-network/

The Power of Advocacy

2009-10-13T06:01:00.000-07:00

Last week students and advisers from all across the country came to Washington, D.C., to participate in USA Leadership Training and Adviser Academy. Held simultaneously, these conferences build on earlier phases of state officer and new adviser training. Advisers attended sessions on legislative training and advocacy methods, fundraising and grant writing, and building leadership in student members. The group spent a day on Capitol Hill visiting their Congressional representatives to talk about the importance of Career and Technical Education (CTE) and Career and Technical Student Organizations (CTSOs). Several groups met with staff while others had the opportunity to meet directly with their Congressperson or Senator. The Ohio group of students and advisers had a very productive session with Minority Leader Congressman John Boehner (R-OH). Con. Boehner weekly newsletter highlights his visit with the visitors. Congratulations, Ohio, on the great meeting and follow up!

MEETING WITH THE LEADERS OF TOMORROW

On Thursday, Congressman Boehner met with student leaders of Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) in his Washington, D.C. Office. Included in the group were two residents of Troy. The students and their chaperones were attending a national conference of FCCLA Students in Washington.
"These students are the future leaders of our nation," Congressman Boehner said. "As the former Chairman of the Education and Workforce Committee, I am very familiar with the many challenges facing our education system today, and I understand how important these organizations are to the development and success of our young people."
Students grilled Congressman Boehner on everything from the future of Pell Grants (he supports them) to whether the congressman plans to run for president (he doesn't; he just wants Nancy Pelosi's speaker's gavel).
FCCLA is a nonprofit national career and technical organization for young men and women in family and consumer sciences education in public and private school through grade 12. Involvement in FCCLA offers members the opportunity to expand their leadership potential and develop skills for life - planning, goal setting, problem solving, decision making, and interpersonal communication.

2009-10-05T08:33:00.000-07:00

The Adviser-to-Adviser group was asked to share their favorite fundraisers with you.

Sheila T. from Arkansas shares her fundraising ideas below.

The first fundraiser we plan to conduct is selling Sonic Coupon Cards for $5.00 each. They do not cost us anything and it is all profit for the students. I check out 3 cards to each student to pay their membership dues, $15. After their dues are paid they may have 2 more cards to pay $10 on their state T-shirt. If they sell 5 cards they have $25 to pay their dues. Membership dues are definitely the first fundraiser we have. The next fundraiser is a high school dance and the proceeds go to our National, State, and District projects that need money. In November we will sell poinsettias for the month of December. We have a nursery 6 miles from the school they deliver to the school and members deliver to the customers. We make $5.00 per plant. We are looking into the “Crush “project for homecoming.

For more information on raising money check out the new Fundraising Ideas section on our website at http://fcclainc.org/content/fundraising-ideas/.

2009-09-28T08:56:00.000-07:00

The National Research Center for College and University Admissions (NRCCUA) survey has been mailed to all FCCLA chapters. The information that you and your students provide is vital in planning FCCLA’s programs and events. Over the last three years, we’ve received invaluable research about what students and teachers need to be successful personally and professionally.

Take a look at a few statistics from the 2008 and 2009 surveys:

Please participate in this year’s survey, so that we can better serve you and your students. Middle school teachers are not required to fill out the survey.

We thank you for your time and feedback.

NOTE: you may receive two copies of the survey this year, because the Association of Career and Technical Education (ACTE) is participating and they have sent a CTE survey to all CTE teachers, which in some cases includes FACS teachers.

2009-09-21T06:45:00.000-07:00

Continuing our topic from last week here are the top 5 ways to help a new adviser start FCCLA with success.

5.Stress the importance of media with the beginning adviser. Forward any press releases you receive and emphasize the importance of promoting FCCLA in your school and community.

4. Compile a list of fundraising ideas that has worked for you. This list will be helpful not only for the new advisers in your area but also for any adviser.

3. Offer to have your officers help with installation ceremonies. Allocating leadership roles will benefit both sets of officers, and take some of the stress from the advisers.

2. Demonstrate a quality STAR Event. Seeing a STAR Event in action can eliminate some of the fear that might come along with the new endeavor. Invite your beginning adviser to a chapter “Night of the STARs”; give them the opportunity to see what the judge’s role is all about.

And the number one way to help a new adviser…

1. Just be there. Maybe just having someone to listen and be in their corner is all that is needed to help your rookie find their own success.

Assisting a new adviser Toward New Horizons is a rewarding experience. Together we can help our organization grow and provide students with opportunities only available through FCCLA.

Thank you to NECA Kathy Werner for compiling these tips.

2009-09-14T06:39:00.001-07:00

Today’s blog comes from Kathy Werner, NECA.

We all remember our first year as an adviser, STAR Events, national programs, fundraising. And with all that piled on your plate, when were you actually supposed to schedule a meeting? These are thoughts that plague every first year adviser, whether they are fresh from college or have just decided to start a new chapter. When all the fabulous FCCLA activities and opportunities are laid out in front of a new adviser (or member) it can be a bit overwhelming. Seasoned advisers can be the key to success for new advisers. Most of us have survived that scary first year and actually looked back at it with a smile. Now here is your chance to share your leadership with the rookies and help lead them into the Ultimate Leadership Experience (adviser style).

10. Let new advisers know that just like a smorgasbord restaurant, you don’t want to take everything all at once. Try out a few STAR Events, pick one national program that interests their students, get the officers involved with Power of One; this is a reasonable amount to get started, and then add more.

9. Host a co-chapter event. An outing in a park located close to both schools could be a fun way for members to get to know each other and form FCCLA friendships. Include Step One relay races and the day will be an event to remember.

8. Share your Be Part Of It CD with a new adviser. The information included could be just what they need to answer so many questions. Let them know that they could request a packet from national headquarters or their own state adviser.

7. Make a list of valuable contact information for the new adviser to keep at their fingertips. Include your state adviser, district consultant, other advisers who are willing to give a hand, your state website and of course, www.fcclainc.org. (Let them know they will use that one often.)

6. Share your best integration practices with your rookie. Give them a copy of your lesson plan that integrates a STAR Event into your classroom. Let them know the benefits of using national programs to teach the concepts that are already a part of their curriculum.

Part two will be posted next Monday.

2009-09-08T11:43:00.000-07:00

FCCLA is Upping the Ante with New Competitive Events!

FCCLA’s Competitive Events are an important part of the organization because they allow students to put their knowledge, creativity, and FACS skills to use. They can be a student’s first step in the door to FCCLA or they can showcase of an involved member’s FCCLA career. No matter who the student is or where their interests fall, FCCLA has a Competitive Event for every member. Help your students get more involved by learning about these new opportunities for 2009-2010.

STAR Events have been and will continue to be a great structure for students to complete projects and gain recognition. FCCLA is proud to provide members with 25 events to participate in during the 2009-2010 school year. Three of these events, Environmental Ambassador, Fashion Design, and Food Innovations, are brand new and will be demonstrated at the National Cluster Meetings in November. Be sure to check the FCCLA website next week for the 2009-2010 STAR Events Manual so your students can begin their projects now instead of later!

FCCLA is also offering three contests to help your students use their creativity to express their passion for the organization. Check out the rules for the FCCLA Week Poster Contest, the 65 Years of Leadership T-Shirt contest, and the Win the Icing…Decorate our 65th FCCLA Birthday Cake contest on FCCLA’s national website today. The winning entries will be decided by members and advisers through NCM onsite voting and online voting following the meetings. Encourage your students to start their designs today!

The final new Competitive Event is FCCLA’s Family and Consumer Sciences Knowledge Bowl. Information, rules, and an online test will be posted to the website soon. Until then, contribute to the success of the event by writing and submitting questions for the competition through the online form (http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/survey-intro.zgi?p=WEB229H7H8RSYE). All questions should relate to one of the NASAFACS standards. Thanks in advance for your help!

Good luck to you and your students during the new year of FCCLA competition!

Read All About It!

2009-08-31T04:50:00.000-07:00

The Fall 2009 issue of The Adviser and the September/October issue of Teen Times are available! Meet the new NEC and NECA, read more about each of the students and teacher who will be leading in the spotlight over the next year. Check out new lesson plans and information about the new National Outreach Project with Children’s Miracle Network. Discover new ways to involve business and industry partners—and ask for funding!

Don’t forget to check out Teaching with Teen Times on the FCCLA national website to incorporate the articles from the member magazine into your classroom.

2009-08-24T08:35:00.000-07:00

As we kick off a new school year, we look to advisers in the field to give us their best back to school tips. Read below to barrow from our Adviser-to-Adviser group who will be featured in this blog throughout the year.

My best first year tip to advisers is to start getting your students excited about FCCLA the first day of school. Each year my officer team picks a theme for the year and we decorate the FACS room with decorations that go along with that theme. The first day that my students walk in my room that know what our FCCLA theme is for the year. I also include a part in my syllabus about FCCLA so the parents will know that their child has a chance to be a part of FCCLA. – Katrina L.

Make a list on a daily basis of your priorities. Make the list manageable, 2-3 items that you can accomplish. Making a list helps pace yourself so you do not become overwhelmed. You will get it done but not all at once! – Louise L.

Always elect officers in the spring so you can make a plan of work before school starts. Organization and pre-planning with your leaders is KEY to the success of the organization. The members need direction and that is the officer’s responsibility. Members are given opportunities to discuss and then vote on the projects that will be conducted during the year.

The members then sign up for the committees or projects that they would like to serve on. There is always plenty for everyone to assist with. It is vital to have an agenda and a plan so members can discuss and take ownership. Attending a meeting without an agenda is failure before you begin. A written agenda keeps you on task and allows member input. – Sheila T.