Friday Flash March 1, 2024

Louisiana State Officer Applications

Application for Secondary State officers are now open. Check out the website for details and the web application. Deadline is April 10 before the conference starts. A letter of recommendation from an advisor or administrator is required it can be submitted with the application as an attachment or sent directly to the State Director's email. https://skillsusala.org/state-officers#state-officer-apply

Louisiana SLSC Registration Deadline

The Louisiana State Leadership and Skills Conference is nearing! Be sure to get your members signed up and registered by March 15, 2024 to avoid extra fees and delays with your participants. Register you participants at https://www.skillsusa-register.org/

Spring SkillsUSA Professional Development Offerings

Take your SkillsUSA knowledge to the next level with SkillsUSA’s virtual Professional Development offerings. Sessions include new advisor training, the Chapter Excellence Program, how to apply for scholarships and more. Visit our training webpage and sign up now for the sessions that interest you. All sessions are free and open to any SkillsUSA advisor.

May 7 is SkillsUSA National Signing Day!

SkillsUSA National Signing Day is coming in May, a day when SkillsUSA chapters across the nation give skilled professionals the spotlight they deserve. On Signing Day, students will be recognized by their school administrators, teachers, elected officials, advisors, family and friends for signing letters of intent to pursue careers or further education in the skilled trades. Registration begins March 13, and registered chapters will gain access to the Signing Day Event Toolkit, free swag, chapter grants and scholarships. Look for more information soon! It isn’t too early to get your event on the school calendar! In the meantime, learn more about SkillsUSA National Signing Day and how chapters celebrated last year. We’ll have an even bigger celebration this May.

Press Release Template for State Conference Participants

New on the SkillsUSA Advocacy site is a press release template for state conference participants and their advisors to share competition results with your hometown media. Parents, instructors, students or anyone can send these emails. Please spread the word about SkillsUSA in your community. Share this advocacy resource link at your school and at your state conferences. For questions, email Jane Short.

The SkillsUSA Awards Store Featured Category

Graduation season is just around the corner. Don’t miss the opportunity to show off the achievements of your SkillsUSA students. Shop for graduation honor cords, tassels and stoles in our dedicated Graduation Regalia category. The SkillsUSA Store offers many items that would be wonderful graduation gifts for your seniors, too.

Global Youth Service Day Grants

Youth Service America (YSA) is seeking heartwarming young heroes with creative ideas to foster meaningful connections, promote inclusion and teach empathy. With support from Hershey’s Heartwarming Project, YSA will award up to $50,000 in grants for youth-led service projects and community-building activities during Youth Service Month (April 12-May 12) and Global Youth Service Day (April 26-28). With $250 and $500 grant options, youth ages 5-25 are eligible to apply for support for their upcoming community projects. Learn more and apply by March 10. 

Presidential Honors for Selfless SkillsUSA Service

At the 2024 NLSC, SkillsUSA will recognize advisors, students and registered alumni for their community service through the President’s Volunteer Service Award (PVSA). To qualify, SkillsUSA members must submit a record of their service hours. With SkillsUSA’s focus on community service, your students may have already met the requirements! For details on how to apply, visit the website. Applications must be received by March 31 for recognition at the 2024 NLSC.

Seeking Musical Talent to Perform National Anthem at NLSC

Do you have a musical gift to share with the SkillsUSA community? If so, apply to perform the national anthem at the opening session of SkillsUSA’s National Leadership & Skills Conference this June. The chosen performer will be offered complimentary conference registration if their sole purpose of attendance is to perform the national anthem. Apply by 5 p.m. ET on Tuesday, April 2. For questions, contact Melinda Lloyd.

 SkillsUSA College/Postsecondary Scholarships Open!

SkillsUSA members anticipating tuition expenses for the summer or fall 2024 academic terms can apply for scholarships from SkillsUSA and our generous industry partners. SkillsUSA uses the Kaleidoscope scholarship platform for a streamlined experience. Scholarship applications require a letter of recommendation from a SkillsUSA advisor or another instructor, a resume and a brief essay. Scholarship winners are notified by email and must submit an acceptance form. Scholarship funds are remitted directly to the recipients’ postsecondary institutions and applied to the tuition account balance. These scholarships are competitive and applying for a scholarship does not guarantee your selection. Here are some best-practice tips to help your students as they apply for scholarships:

• Review the available scholarships to see opportunities and award amounts.

• Have students update resumes with leadership positions, competitions and medals earned.

• Ask students to write their SkillsUSA Framework story as a tool to help them with essays or interviews, thinking through their strengths and explaining what they can bring to a company/job they are applying for. To learn more, use the Framework Integration Toolkit in Absorb and scroll down within the toolkit to find the Framework story lesson plan and videos.

The scholarship application period ends April 15. For questions, contact our Customer Care Team.