Contributed by Ava Howard | NDSCS DECA, ND
The Individual Leadership Passport Program provides student members a guide for year-round engagement and enhances the benefits of membership in Collegiate DECA. As you would guess from the name, it is a program constructed to help members enhance their leadership skills by conducting different tasks related to academics, leadership opportunities, becoming professionally responsible and staying community-oriented.
Academically Prepared
Within the “Academically Prepared” menu, you have a list of projects to choose from that all pertain to growing your scholastic abilities. By completing these activities, you are opening yourself up to scholarships and recognition and gaining more experience that will lead to skill development.
Community Oriented
Leadership requires some soft skills. Teamwork and communication are just a few examples of the core abilities that tie into civic service. In the “Community Oriented” section, you have volunteering tasks and other participation opportunities that correlate directly to building leadership skills.
Professionally Responsible
This segment focuses on networking, article writing and overall participation in the DECA experience. To be professionally responsible, you must understand the importance of networking, which this category is all about.
Experienced Leaders
The name speaks for itself, and the “Experienced Leaders” portion concentrates on different events and tasks you can choose from to improve your leadership skills. For example, a great way to gain leadership experience is to hold an elected leadership position within your chapter. You could also present leadership training to your chapter or participate in a mentorship program.
The opportunities are endless, and whichever tasks you choose will be stepping stones to the professional path you aspire to succeed. While completing these activities, you will gain confidence, earn recognition and build a portfolio of all the leadership activities you participated in. In short, the Individual Leadership Passport Program incorporates various skill-building activities that will prepare you for the real world.
