It only takes one small choice to change a life. When entering high school, my plan was to become a teacher, however, on prep day, I received my schedule and realized that I wasn’t interested in any of those career path classes offered by my school. My guidance counselor suggested Business and Marketing 1, which I planned to take during my senior year. This choice changed my life thanks to the power of DECA and Career and Technical Education (CTE). DECA members strive to get others involved and inspired, so registering for CTE classes and recruiting DECA members is vital.
Here are three tips on how you can motivate potential members to register for DECA and CTE courses:
1. Visit Local Middle Schools
Going to local middle schools or junior high schools to talk about DECA shows initiative! Showing potential members the perks of DECA by utilizing promotional videos and what the class is like can help get students excited to register or even spark a new idea of taking a career and technical education course.
2. Have Middle Schools Visit You
I don’t know about you, but when I had the opportunity to visit the high school to see what high school would look like when I got there, I was ecstatic. Have your school set up a day where all incoming students can visit and see what classes and clubs are like and be sure to show off DECA by either repping apparel or even selling items from your chapter’s SBE!
3. Look for Older Potential Members
Plenty of DECA members did not start in ninth grade and still found great success. My high school was only tenth through twelfth graders, so I didn’t start as early as others, but I still found my passion for DECA. Find people in your school who could benefit from being in DECA and looking to improve their skills for their future careers because DECA is for everyone!
Recruitment is a feat in itself, but it is incredibly rewarding to see the amazing individuals who grow their passion for their future endeavors because of your effort in urging them to take CTE courses. Be the person that changes lives and shows people what DECA is all about!
