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SkillsUSA Friday Flash

4/28/22

 

 

SkillsUSA Activate Registration Open for Student Leaders

SkillsUSA instructors and advisors can now register for SkillsUSA Activate, a two-and-a-half-day, high-energy leadership conference that is open to all middle school and high school SkillsUSA student leaders. The conference focuses on developing the following SkillsUSA Framework skills for use in achieving the SkillsUSA Program of Work:

  • Leadership

  • Service Orientation and Planning

  • Organization and Management

 

Activate is open to members looking to take their leadership to the next level.

 

Activate will be held June 18-20 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, just prior to the SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference. For more information and to register for Activate, go here. For questions, contact Taryn Erminio. 

 

Share Your Signing Day with the Nation

Chapters across the nation will highlight the value of the skilled trades by celebrating SkillsUSA National Signing Day on May 5. The event recognizes career and technical education students for their commitment to continuing education and a career in the skilled trades. SkillsUSA schools in 32 states and territories are expected to participate in the event. Year by year, SkillsUSA National Signing Day is generating greater awareness that the skilled trades offer rewarding career paths.

 

On Signing Day, SkillsUSA chapters will host signing ceremonies attended by administrators, teachers, elected officials, SkillsUSA advisors, family and friends. Like signing day events for student athletes who commit to a college or team, students will be applauded as they sign letters of intent for a job offer, apprenticeship or advanced technical training. Throughout the day, watch our SkillsUSA social media channels for some exciting updates.

 

All chapters are asked to submit their Signing Day photos, videos and stories to SkillsUSA’s communications team so we can highlight your local events. To submit your photos and stories, upload them here. If you post on social media, use the hashtag #SkillsUSANationalSigningDay. 

 

2022 Models of Excellence Winners Revealed

The top 24 SkillsUSA schools have been chosen as Models of Excellence for 2022. Models of Excellence is a national program that recognizes the exceptional integration and application of personal, workplace and technical skills for SkillsUSA chapter activities. This is the highest honor bestowed on chapters by SkillsUSA. These chapters will be evaluated in June at the SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference, and the top three will receive national recognition and the opportunity to share their stories through SkillsUSA in publications and trainings. Congratulations to the following schools on being named 2022 Models of Excellence:

 

 

  • Buckeye Hills Career Center (Ohio)

  • Cambridge High School (Ga.)

  • Cape Cod Tech (Mass.)

  • Catawba Valley Community College (N.C.)

  • Center for Advanced Technical Studies (S.C.)

  • Cumberland County Technical Education Center (N.J.)

  • Deming High School (N.M)

  • Dorchester Career and Technology Center (Md.)

  • Douglas High School (Ariz.)

  • East High School (Wyo.)

  • Gloucester County Institute of Technology (N.J.)

  • Gordon Cooper Technology Center (Okla.)

  • Greater Lowell Technical High School (Mass.)

  • Louisville High School (Neb.)

  • Lynn Vocational Technical Institute (Mass.)

  • New Madrid County R-I Technical Skills Center (Mo.)

  • Niagara Career and Technical Center (N.Y.)

  • Putnam Career and Technical Center (W.Va.)

  • Tennessee College of Applied Tech — Pulaski

  • Upper Valley Career Center (Ohio)

  • Valley Academy for Career and Technology Education (Ariz.)

  • Whittier Regional Vocational Technical High School (Mass.)

  • Wiregrass Georgia Technical College (Ga.)

  • Yuma High School (Ariz.)

 

 

Love and Logic Session: Preventing Problems in Your Classroom

Join us on May 3 from 3:30-5 p.m. ET for a Love and Logic session designed to help you learn how to prevent problems in the classroom without taking time away from teaching. Learn strategies to cover more content and go home at the end of the day feeling fantastic instead of frazzled. The cost to attend is $10. Register here. For questions, contact Karolina Belen. 

 

Upcoming Professional Development Opportunities

Please join your fellow advisors on May 4 from 5:30-6:30 p.m. ET for our best practices series, where seasoned SkillsUSA advisors lead panels focusing on one topic each month. This session will focus on how to run fair and efficient chapter officer elections. On May 6, from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. ET, advisors can join us for a great professional development opportunity and learn how to be intentional in their strategic planning by using the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) High Quality Framework. This session will assist advisors in creating program goals for next school year. A PDF of the 2022 Professional Development Opportunities is available here. You can register for these and more professional membership benefits here. Completion certificates are provided for each session. Use this Google Doc to learn how to access your professional membership benefits online. For questions, contact Karolina Belen. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The SkillsUSA Store — Official SkillsUSA Competition Apparel

With competition season in full swing, visit the SkillsUSA Store and set yourself up for success! We have all your SkillsUSA competition dress needs, from the newly redesigned SkillsUSA blazer and official white polo to safety goggles and everything in between.

 

Planning a Chapter Banquet

A SkillsUSA chapter banquet is an excellent way to recognize your members. Whether student members achieve a gold medallion or a new sense of self, their growth deserves to be celebrated. Here are some reminders for planning a chapter banquet:

Invite chapter members and their parents, as well as administrators and stakeholders (business partners, school board members, etc.).

  • Determine a budget and location.

  • Secure a podium and plan for sound or video.

  • Create a program — including the date, time, location and itinerary — and print copies for the attendees.

  • Ask your chapter officers or SkillsUSA members to help write the script for the event so their personalities come through.

  • Determine what food you will serve and order it.

  • Print certificates and order plaques or SkillsUSA branded items from the SkillsUSA Store to present to your chapter members.

  • Invite a photographer to take photos to post on your SkillsUSA chapter’s social media accounts, and tag @SkillsUSA.

 

Celebrate Community Contributions During SkillsUSA’s Week of Service

SkillsUSA is asking all chapters to conduct and promote a community service project during SkillsUSA’s National Week of Service, May 8-14. This week commemorates the founding of SkillsUSA on May 8, 1965. Connect with SkillsUSA on social media by posting photos of your activities online. Chapter advisors or officers that email a brief description of their chapter events to Gayle Silvey at gsilvey@skillsusa.org will receive a SkillsUSA logo gift item valued at $15.

 

Be sure to publicize your projects locally. To locate contact information for your local newspapers, use our SkillsUSA Advocacy Site. On the site, click on “Media,” enter your ZIP code, and choose up to six outlets. Then, click on “Send a Message.” To see the contact information, click on the name of the newspaper.

 

Press Release Template for State Conference Participants

The SkillsUSA Advocacy Site offers a press release template for state conference participants and others to share competition results with local media. Parents, instructors, students or anyone can send emails using the customizable template. For questions, email Jane Short.

 

SkillsUSA Scholarships Open for Applications

Several scholarships are open to benefit SkillsUSA students in pursuit of further education or certification in their chosen fields. Help spread the word about these opportunities:

  • Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Travel Scholarships

  • Travel Scholarships for SkillsUSA high school members in selected trades who are competing in the 2022 SkillsUSA Championships. Eligible members can apply to receive up to $1,500. Deadline: May 20.

  • Fine Homebuilding #KeepCraftAlive Scholarship

  • Scholarships to SkillsUSA high school or college/postsecondary students continuing their education or certification programs in construction-related fields. Deadline: May 30.

  • Larry Rash Memorial Scholarship
    Two $2,500 scholarships in 2022 to support active SkillsUSA members who plan to further their education in architectural drafting (or a related field). Deadline: May 31. 

  • Bob Westphal Memorial Scholarship
    Merit-based scholarships to high school or college/postsecondary students continuing their education to pursue a career in energy construction (oil and gas pipelines, gas distribution, solar, and wind). Deadline: May 31. 

  • Clifford T. Rees, Jr. Memorial Scholarship
    Multiple $2,500 scholarships to SkillsUSA high school juniors, seniors or college/postsecondary students in enrolled in a HVACR or a general construction program and who will be pursuing college/postsecondary career training in the HVACR industry. Deadline: May 31.

  • Student Research Foundation Scholarship

  • One scholarship to a SkillsUSA member currently enrolled in high school who plans to continue their education in a postsecondary program. It recognizes outstanding community contribution. Deadline: July 26.

 

Applications and more scholarship information are available here.

 

Apply for the Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Prize for Teacher Excellence

Applications are still open for the Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Prize for Teaching Excellence. The prize was launched in 2017 to recognize outstanding instruction in the skilled trades in U.S. public high schools and the teachers who inspire students to learn skills to prepare for life after graduation. In 2022, the program will award more than $1.25 million in prizes. Six SkillsUSA instructors were recognized as winners in 2021. Applications must be received by May 20. Finalists will be announced on June 27 and winners will be announced in October. Learn more and apply online here.

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