What a Successful Week!

State officers and their advisers from 29 states finished Phase II of USA Leadership Training . More than 200 officers and advisers participated in visits to Capitol Hill to boast about the amazing things FCCLA and FACS education has done.

When it comes to telling others how important family and consumer science education is we are the only ones that can do it adequately. FCCLA has developed a one page description of our organization to help explain its tremendous reach. I encourage each of you do the same for your chapter to present to school board members, business and industry leaders, and, of course, parents.

Advocating our cause to all decision makers will keep FACS education in schools and well funded. Below are five tips for talking to key decision makers.

1. Be Prepared. Go into all appointments with “measurable data” to show your program improves education.
2. Know the Facts. Make sure you are aware of the impact that local and state Perkins plans have on your program.
3. Invite Participation. Whether it’s a school board member, a state legislator, or a potential sponsor, invite others to attend meetings and events to demonstrate your success.
4. Bring Your Students. There is no better proof of a successful program than a hearing it from a successful student.
5. Keep in Touch. Send thank you notes and copies of press releases to remind decision makers of the successful program they have helped create.

STAR Events Help Students Shine

Over the next few days and weeks it is likely you will take a peek at the new STAR Events Manual. Inside you’ll find several new changes for the 2008-2009 year. We are extremely proud to announce the details of two new events: Teach and Train and Promote and Publicize FCCLA!

Each of these events was created in response to adviser feedback. Each offers opportunities for students to explore their career and leadership potential. In Teach and Train students have the opportunity to develop a lesson or workshop plan and present it in a learning environment. Using the Planning Process, students will evaluate their work and investigate a career in education or training.

Showing the world the importance of FCCLA and FCS Education is the focus of Promote and Publicize FCCLA! Students will create a publicity plan for sharing FCCLA with their schools and communities. This event goes bigger than showcasing chapter events to build awareness for FCCLA’s impact on the students it serves.As you explore the new manual, please take time to share your comments on the events with us. Feel free to leave a comment below or email Edie Doane, Competitive Events Coordinator, at edoane@fcclainc.org.

Developing Relationships to Inflence People

Last week FCCLA’s Communications and Marketing Team sat down for the first of many discussions with other communication professionals from ACTE and major CTSOs. The goal of our meetings is to better CTE and CTSOs through cooperation and collaboration. At the national headquarters we often get so busy working on our own projects that we miss out on opportunities to work with other CTSOs. We realize that having a united voice is as important as working on individual projects that benefit FCCLA members.

This week FCCLA and several CTSOs participated in a “CTE Goes Green” event on Capitol Hill. An event sponsored by ACTE. National officers were able to meet with Members of Congress to promote the importance of Career and Technical Education and thus FCCLA.

Take a little time to meet with advisers from other CTSOs in your school to discuss their plans for the year. Perhaps there are opportunities for members to work together on community service projects, fundraisers, or public relations efforts. Cooperating and collaborating is good for everyone.

Membership Shake Up

Wow! I can tell the Be Part of It! kits are hitting schools. The office has received several calls this week all asking one question. “Where are the membership cards?” Don’t worry, we have an answer.

As with every organization or business, every so often a change in process is required in order keep moving the organization forward. Advisers will recall our move to the Be Part of It! kit a few years back. This year we have made membership cards available instantly online. Advisers will be able to print cards for their students as soon as they affiliate if affiliation is done through the FCCLA Web site. Or, if paper affiliation is the preferred method, cards can be printed from the Membership section of the site. However, the access through this section requires a username and password.

There are several reasons the national headquarters chose to go with this method, but the most important reason is to better serve advisers and students. We want to give teachers materials they need immediately. We don’t want advisers to have to wait for our processing time to have access to membership cards, lesson plans, videos, or information that can help build a successful chapter.

Unfortunately a minority of teachers has taken advantage of membership card distribution and do not affiliate their students. This only disadvantages students who want to be connected to the state and national organization. For this reason, we have password protected the membership cards.This new process will likely shake up the way advisers handle membership. As all new processes, this will take some time for everyone to get used to. At the national headquarters we are prepared for unknowns and want to help answer questions. The only way to know what advisers need is by communicating with them. So, please give us your feedback! Whether in the comment section here or in an email to me directly at adoane@fcclainc.org, we want to know what you think.

Return on Investment

Return on Investment or ROI is a business phrase used to describe the important gains that are made by investing in an opportunity with financial and human resources. We like to think that students look for ROI as much as we do when we are buying products or paying FCCLA dues. Much of what I do at the national headquarters is to make sure advisers have the tools and training needed to make FCCLA a success—to provide a return on students’ investment.

How many of your students joined FCCLA because they read a great article on their favorite program in Teen Times? How many joined because they saw their friends having fun?

Probably, several of you said yes to the first question. There are a lot of students who find out about FCCLA on their own, but I bet more students that say they belong to FCCLA to “have fun and get out of school.”

Obviously we want students to get more out of FCCLA than a day out of class (and they will whether they realize it or not!). Recently I was reminded that not all purchases are rational and when looking for return on investment, maybe things are simpler than we think.

At the national headquarters we want to make sure that Teen Times, The Adviser, National Cluster Meetings and National Leadership Conferences are packed with good information, breakout sessions, and other learning opportunities. After all, as adults we recognize that these opportunities make great fodder for college admission essays and provide valuable work experience. There are some students that recognize this too, but the majority of students want to belong to a group. While it may not seem rational, it is the return they are looking for.

Being part of a community is the most important ROI we can provide and as it turns out, we are giving back to ourselves. While students are getting the fun and friends they signed up for, advisers can also gain ground. All our national opportunities are wonderful, but the most learning happens at the local level. Students are more engaged if they are learning about FCCLA in class with their peers. They raise more money if they work in teams. We all know community service is more fun if it can be done with the community.

FCCLA chapters become families and they provide a sense of community to those looking to belong. Winning a gold medal is an amazing accomplishment, but it feels so much better to do it together.

As you prepare to recruit for the year, feel free to share your questions and favorite tips in the comments section.