Louisiana Advisor Town Hall
I want to invite all advisors and potential advisors to the Virtual SkillsUSA Louisiana Advisor Town Hall where Jeremy Boudreaux the Louisiana State Director will talk on multiple points and events of SkillsUSA Louisiana. Advisors will also be able to ask questions. This is only for advisors, teachers, and administrators. The Town Hall will be held on Thursday August 31 at 3:00pm and you can use the link below to RSVP for the event.
State Standards Achievement
At this years SkillsUSA State Directors Association Conference Louisiana was awarded the Bronze level award in the State Standards of Excellences.
SkillsUSA’s State Standards of Excellence Program experienced growth in its seventh year as 40 states completed the process and received recognition. The purpose of the program is to ensure state associations have in place policies, procedures and structure on an annual basis that deliver a high level of service to their membership. This program is not competitive between states but serves as a system to allow states to benchmark their performance and determine improvements to become the very best organization for their members. State associations, rather than the state SkillsUSA director, are recognized for achieving State Standards of Excellence. Congratulations to the state SkillsUSA directors who provide leadership for these state associations.
2023-2024 Calendar
The new school year calendar is available on the website. Use the link below to access the Advisor Resources section and you can view the online calendar or use the printable version.
New Year, New Theme: “No Limits”
Our new membership theme for the new school year is “SkillsUSA: No Limits.” This theme represents the unlimited potential in all of us to shape brighter futures in our schools, workplaces and communities. The theme will also be the topic for the 2024 SkillsUSA Chapter Display, Prepared Speech and Promotional Bulletin Board competitions. Visit the link for theme art and talking points.
We set the stage for that new theme at the close of the last school year as we announced the largest membership in SkillsUSA history: 442,723 total members! Our 2023 National Leadership & Skills Conference (NLSC) set records, too, including 16,102 attendees, the most ever! Now it’s time to focus on the year ahead, and that starts right at the local level in our nearly 20,000 classrooms across the country. Are you ready for a “No-Limits” future? Let’s get started!
Help SkillsUSA Partners “Support the Trades”
SkillsUSA partners Tractor Supply Company, the Tractor Supply Company Foundation and Carhartt are launching a new “Support the Trades” apparel collection to help advance skilled trades in the U.S. The Carhartt collection is sold exclusively at Tractor Supply in stores or online. The clothing line includes short-sleeved and long-sleeved shirts in several colors, plus three ball caps and two knit hats. For every item sold, a portion of the proceeds will be donated to SkillsUSA. Support the Trades first launched in 2021. Order your “Support the Trades” merchandise now and help spread the word by showcasing your attire on social media and tagging SkillsUSA! For more information, check out the new “Support the Trades” video.
Lowe’s Offering School or Community Service Grants for Construction Trades
Lowe’s has announced they will provide $250,000 in new grants for SkillsUSA chapters. The grants are for up to $15,000 per chapter to upgrade classroom tools or equipment; purchase additional materials and supplies for students; or to obtain equipment, materials and supplies to conduct a community service project. These grants are for the construction cluster, including Cabinetmaking, Carpentry, Electrical Construction Wiring, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (HVACR), Masonry, Plumbing, Sheet Metal, Welding and Architectural Drafting. All funds must be spent at Lowe’s stores. Applications open Sept. 1 and must be submitted by Sept. 30. Successful applicants will be notified by Oct. 30 and projects must be completed no later than June 1, 2024. For questions, contact Laura Rauch.
SkillsUSA Membership is Open — Join Early as a Professional
The SkillsUSA member registration site is now open for the 2023-2024 school year! We encourage advisors to join early so they receive all mailings and emails. Be sure to sign up using an email address you regularly check! Professional members receive numerous benefits when they join, all delivered digitally:
Framework Integration Toolkit ensures career readiness within your classroom, training program and chapter with videos, lesson plans, experiential activities and more.
Program of Work Toolkit includes activity guides, videos and resources to help implement an effective and successful Program of Work.
“Jump into STEM!” curriculum provides an opportunity for members to mentor and engage elementary-school and middle-school students in STEM learning.
SkillsUSA Championships Technical Standards are the official regulations for the SkillsUSA Championships career competitions (available in early October).
E-Courses and Advisor Professional Development provide a variety of training options.
National membership dues for professional members are $20 plus $8 state dues.
SkillsUSA Membership Guides — The Year Ahead
SkillsUSA offers many events, programs and training opportunities throughout the school year geared toward professional development, chapter officer training and student member growth. These conferences and programs take place at the local, state and national levels. Some programs help student members achieve individual recognition while others honor the entire chapter for its accomplishments. All programs support the development of SkillsUSA Framework skills and can be woven into the existing classroom curriculum, making them truly integral to instruction.
The SkillsUSA Membership Guides provide a preview for the year ahead for middle school, high school and college/postsecondary students and advisors. We encourage you to check them out here: MS Membership Guide & HS Membership Guide .
Save the Date for ELEVATE!
The SkillsUSA Elevate Chapter Officer Development Conference is Oct. 11 from 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m. ET. This virtual interactive experience for local chapter officer teams focuses on building successful chapters by equipping officers with the skills to lead and serve their local members. Elevate is open to all SkillsUSA local chapter officers but at least one advisor must participate with each registered team. Participate right from your classroom, and the cost is only $10 per participant. Learn more on the SkillsUSA website.
Explore the Brand Portal
Part of keeping SkillsUSA’s brand strong is keeping it consistent. The SkillsUSA Brand Portal at brand.skillsusa.org is your resource for official brand assets, including logos, photos, videos, PowerPoint templates, virtual backgrounds and more. You’ll also find SkillsUSA brand guidelines, links to our social
media channels, forms to share story ideas for SkillsUSA Champions magazine and other valuable resources. Explore the Brand Portal and share it with your chapter officers — they can use these assets to promote your
SkillsUSA activities throughout the year!
Fall Professional Development Offerings
Are you ready to take your SkillsUSA knowledge to the next level? SkillsUSA’s Fall Professional Development offerings include new advisor training, SkillsUSA Framework integration, Program of Work introduction and Chapter Excellence Program training.
Share Your Champions
The SkillsUSA Champions magazine staff is always looking for potential feature stories to share with SkillsUSA Nation. If you know of a SkillsUSA student, advisor, industry partner or graduate whose story would be motivating and inspirational, please submit the information through our online form.
New Gear at the SkillsUSA Store
The SkillsUSA Store has over 90 new custom products this fall. There are new men’s and women’s designs, a new outerwear collection, new bags, new drinkware pieces and more. Best of all, there is free shipping on every purchase.
