n to be an overall finalist and travel to the International Career Development Conference. This May, 13,000 DECA members from around the world traveled to Orlando, Florida to compete at the International Conference.

At this year’s International Conference, DECA’s corporate sponsors gave out over $250,000 in scholarsh

What is DECA?

Unlike any math, science, or English class a student might attend, the DECA classroom is a learning experience like no other. You may not have heard about DECA, but you will be hearing about the success of its students in the future. DECA gives thousands of high school students the chance to travel the country, meet thousands of other students, and learn the skills and abilities needed to prepare them for a career in marketing or business.

So what is DECA? DECA, started in 1946, is the only international student organization operating through schools to attract young people to careers in marketing, merchandising, management and entrepreneurship. Membership includes 185,000 students and advisors throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, Guam and Germany who have the opportunity to meet and compete with each other at DECA conferences.

Each year DECA members compete in district, state and international career development conferences. Students compete in events like financial services marketing, food marketing and international business through a combination of written tests and role play exercises with leading business professionals. The top performers at each district conference advance on to the state conference where they compete once again to be an overall finalist and travel to the International Career Development Conference. This May, 13,000 DECA members from around the world traveled to Orlando, Florida to compete at the International Conference.

At this year’s International Conference, DECA’s corporate sponsors gave out over $250,000 in scholarshi

country, meet thousands of other students, and learn the skills and abilities needed to prepare them for a career in marketing or business.

So what is DECA? DECA, started in 1946, is the only international student organization operating through schools to attract young people to careers in marketing, merchandising, management and entrepreneurship. Membership includes 185,000 students and advisors throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, Guam and Germany who have the opportunity to meet and compete with each other at DECA conferences.

Each year DECA members compete in district, state and international career development conferences. Students compete in events like financial services marketing, food marketing and international business through a combination of written tests and role play exercises with leading business professionals. The top performers at each district conference advance on to the state conference where they compete once again to be an overall finalist and travel to the International Career Development Conference. This May, 13,000 DECA members from around the world traveled to Orlando, Florida to compete at the International Conference.

At this year’s International Conference, DECA’s corporate sponsors gave out over $250,000 in scholarsh

management and entrepreneurship. Membership includes 185,000 students and advisors throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, Guam and Germany who have the opportunity to meet and compete with each other at DECA conferences.

Each year DECA members compete in district, state and international career development conferences. Students compete in events like financial services marketing, food marketing and international business through a combination of written tests and role play exercises with leading business professionals. The top performers at each district conference advance on to the state conference where they compete once again to be an overall finalist and travel to the International Career Development Conference. This May, 13,000 DECA members from around the world traveled to Orlando, Florida to compete at the International Conference.

At this year’s International Conference, DECA’s corporate sponsors gave out over $250,000 in scholarsh

erences. Students compete in events like financial services marketing, food marketing and international business through a combination of written tests and role play exercises with leading business professionals. The top performers at each district conference advance on to the state conference where they compete once again to be an overall finalist and travel to the International Career Development Conference. This May, 13,000 DECA members from around the world traveled to Orlando, Florida to compete at the International Conference.

At this year’s International Conference, DECA’s corporate sponsors gave out over $250,000 in scholarsh

n to be an overall finalist and travel to the International Career Development Conference. This May, 13,000 DECA members from around the world traveled to Orlando, Florida to compete at the International Conference.

At this year’s International Conference, DECA’s corporate sponsors gave out over $250,000 in scholarships to students. Students can also gather information about job opportunities and college choices from various businesses and universities that set up exhibits at the state and international conferences.

Michigan DECA alone has 7,700 members in 160 chapters. Each year these members compete at their district conferences for the chance to advance on to the state competition held in Dearborn, Michigan. Over 500 Michigan DECA members competed at the International Conference this year, many earning honors as overall finalists in their competitive categories.

In addition to competing and gaining leadership experience, members participate in various community service projects. In 2006 alone, Michigan DECA chapters raised over $84,000 for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. DECA isn’t your average after-school program, and its members aren’t average kids. So don’t be surprised if the business and marketing leaders of the next 20 years were once DECA members.