Contributed by Gavin Villepigue | Weston High School DECA, CT
Every DECA chapter starts somewhere, and in Weston, Connecticut, our journey began with a simple idea—that even a small group of students can make a big impact. In October 2023, I teamed up with nine friends to officially launch our DECA chapter.
Since DECA isn't part of our school’s curriculum, we meet entirely outside regular school hours—a challenge we’ve embraced enthusiastically. Our goal was twofold: gain real-world business experience through competitions that simulate real business challenges and, most importantly, give back to our community.
Every Child Deserves a Healthy Snack Campaign
As chapter president, my first initiative aimed to make an immediate impact. We partnered with Filling in the Blanks, a nonprofit that fights childhood hunger, to launch a snack bag drive called “Every Child Deserves a Healthy Snack.”
At most elementary schools, snack time is a daily routine where students enjoy a treat from home while chatting with friends. Unfortunately, some children are unable to bring a snack due to financial constraints or busy caregivers. We saw this as an opportunity to help.
We placed bins throughout our schools and key locations around town to collect donations. I applied for and secured a grant through Kroger’s Zero Hunger | Zero Waste initiative to expand the project further.
Our members decorated brown paper bags with uplifting quotes and messages, filling each with 4-5 nutritious snacks. To add even more value, we included a personal finance book in every bag. By the end of the project, we had provided over 100 underprivileged children with nourishment and financial literacy resources.
Gift of Reading Campaign
Encouraged by our success, we launched the "Gift of Reading" campaign to promote literacy and bring joy to children in need.
Initially, we aimed to collect 500 books to donate to Darien Book Aid, which distributes books worldwide. Thanks to the overwhelming generosity of our school and community, we far exceeded expectations, collecting more than 2,000 books—four times our original goal!
Advocacy Campaign
Currently, we are preparing for our Advocacy Campaign, where we will continue raising awareness about DECA’s impact. We are thrilled to have secured our town’s First Selectwoman to officially proclaim February as DECA and Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month in Weston.
As part of this initiative, our chapter will present at an upcoming Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) meeting to educate members on the importance of programs like DECA and how they can support us. This campaign is a key opportunity to showcase how DECA empowers students with real-world skills, leadership experience and an entrepreneurial mindset while strengthening community ties.
These projects have shown us that you don’t need to be a large chapter to make a difference. What truly matters is the drive to serve, the creativity to solve problems and the teamwork to make it happen.
As our chapter continues to grow, we’re excited to find new ways to positively impact the world around us. If you’re part of a small DECA chapter like ours, take heart—passion and dedication can lead to incredible outcomes. The opportunities are endless, so dream big and make it happen!
