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Writer's pictureJeremy Boudreaux

Friday Flash Oct 17, 2024

Louisiana Fall Leadership Information

The packet for the Fall Leadership Conference of this year is now accessible. Mark your calendars for November 11 and 12 at the prestigious University of Louisiana Lafayette in the Student Union. The esteemed DoubleTree Hotel on W Pinhook will be our hosting venue. Take a look at the packet for comprehensive details on registration and booking. Updates on the Pin, T-shirt, and Banner contest information. Virtual Interviews are pending at this time.




Become a Skills JAM JAMBassador!

Skills Jam is looking for additional JAMBassadors! The program empowers skilled trades enthusiasts to inspire the next generation of creators, fixers, builders and makers through their own content creation, social amplification and advocacy by working with the Skilled Careers Coalition. JAMBassadors receive fun training, unique paid opportunities and some cool limited-edition merchandise! Sign-up here.

 

Skills Jam Season 2 is rolling out NOW with LOTS more content. Check out this sneak peek, Skills Jam Preview. Follow @SkillsJam on You Tube, Instagram and TikTok to be the first to watch! 

 

Elevate Recap

The 2024 SkillsUSA Elevate Chapter Officer Development Conference was held on Oct. 9 with the highest registration ever at 832 (up from 798 last year). This virtual interactive experience focuses on building successful chapters by equipping local chapter officer teams with the skills to lead and serve their local members. Check out the recap video.

 

Boost your Chapter’s Social Media with our Toolkit

Social media plays a key role in the lives of SkillsUSA members. It’s not just about staying connected; your chapter’s posts can spark action, raise awareness and showcase SkillsUSA to students, administrators, partners, parents and the community. With the right tools, you can create more visibility for your chapter’s events, scholarships and important deadlines!

 

The SkillsUSA Chapter Social Media Toolkit offers everything you need to elevate your online presence, including account branding tips; social media assets; and instructional videos. Ignite Your Potential by regularly posting and sharing chapter, state, and national activities. Don’t forget to follow SkillsUSA’s official channels on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn for inspiration — please share our posts to boost reach and participation!

 

For a chance to have your chapter featured, tag us in your posts and stories. Visit the SkillsUSA Brand Portal for official logos, fonts and colors to keep your chapter looking sharp! For questions, contact Brooke Gatchell.

 

SkillsUSA Instructors Earn Big Prizes for Teaching Excellence

Harbor Freight Tools for Schools has honored 12 SkillsUSA instructors with teaching excellence prizes in the 2024 Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Prize for Teaching Excellence program. Over $1.5 million in prizes were awarded this year to 25 outstanding skilled trades teachers in public high schools across America, with awards shared between the winners’ skilled trades program and the individual teachers. One SkillsUSA instructor won a grand prize award of $100,000 and 11 others won awards of $50,000. The prize recognizes outstanding instruction in the skilled trades in U.S. public high schools and those teachers who inspire students to learn skills for life after graduation. Read more here.

 

SkillsUSA Technical Thursdays in October

Join us for Technical Thursdays, SkillsUSA workshops led by industry experts helping teachers develop specific technical skills relevant to their career fields of interest. Leave these free virtual sessions with new skills to implement in your classroom. On Oct. 24, from 4-5 p.m. ET, former national officer, CTE teacher and baking expert Josie Wolfe will blend traditional techniques for decorating buttercream cakes into modern finishes including coloring, combing, piping and garnishing skills. Participants will earn a Professional Development (PD) certificate upon completion. Learn more and register for the workshops (space is limited). For questions, contact Karolina Belen.

 

Join by Nov. 15 for Full Member Benefits

As a special membership incentive, instructors who register at least 15 student members in one technical program plus one or more professionals by Nov. 15 will receive a free SkillsUSA resource, Leveraging Your Leadership with Effective Chapter Meetings (booklet and teacher’s guide). When you join an additional 25 members over and above what you registered last year by Nov. 15, your chapter will receive a SkillsUSA Framework podium banner. If you register 50 or more members than you had last year by Nov. 15, your chapter will receive two SkillsUSA Framework podium banners.

 

Professional members receive numerous resources including the SkillsUSA Framework Integration Toolkit, Program of Work Toolkit, SkillsUSA Championships Technical Standards, E-Courses and opportunities for professional development. National membership dues for professional members are $20 plus state dues, which vary. Be sure to sign up with an email address you regularly check! State dues and deadlines can be found here. 

 

If you need assistance locating membership information on the SkillsUSA website, our crosswalk document will help you easily locate what you need!

 

Celebrate National Apprenticeship Week: Nov. 17-23

Join us in recognizing National Apprenticeship Week (NAW), a nationwide effort led by the U.S. Department of Labor. This week unites business leaders, educators, apprentices, and others to spotlight the important role apprenticeships play in closing the skills gap and preparing the future workforce.

 

Your chapter can participate by hosting high school career fairs, industry roundtables, apprenticeship graduations, or submitting state or local proclamations in support of NAW and apprenticeships. With the SkillsUSA guide, you can also organize a fun, engaging event where businesses and alumni visit your school to share apprenticeship information and success stories, creating a memorable experience for students.

 

SkillsUSA will offer various resources to help your chapter, including ready-to-post graphics, a social media plan, a SkillsUSA Guide for inviting industry into your chapter, and a NAW Guide for hosting off-site events at company locations. You'll also receive fact sheets, success stories, proclamation templates, and more. Be sure to share your event afterward!

 

Stay tuned to our website and newsletters for more details. For questions, contact Amanda Crawley. Learn more about NAW.

 

Fall Professional Development Openings

SkillsUSA has a series of new virtual Professional Development Training Sessions for September, October and November. Check out the newly updated Professional Development page on our website. You’ll find valuable training information and our featured Activity of the Month available for free. Don’t miss out on these resources to enhance your chapter's programming! Class space is limited, so be sure to secure your place early. Participants will earn a Professional Development (PD) certificate. For questions, contact Karolina Belen.

 

Apply for SkillsUSA Aerotek “Make Your Mark” Scholarships

SkillsUSA members nationwide in select trade areas are encouraged to apply for the SkillsUSA Aerotek “Make Your Mark” scholarship. The scholarship is for SkillsUSA members with direct educational costs for the spring 2025 term at a community college, technical college, certificate program or apprenticeship program. Applications are being accepted until Nov. 4. Scholarship winners will receive up to $5,000 toward tuition, books, tools, on-campus housing or other approved direct educational expenses. Applicants must be enrolled in continuing education or career training in one of these pathways: Construction; Manufacturing; Transportation, Distribution & Logistics; Telecommunications Cabling Training; and Electronics Technology or Industrial Engineering Technology. For more information, review all eligibility criteria and the flyer. For more information, contact scholarship manager Hannah Scheffer.  

 

CHARGE Chapter Officer Video Series

SkillsUSA makes it easier than ever to create a strong chapter officer team. CHARGE is a weekly video series covering topics that will help your officers in the day-to-day management of their chapter. Each CHARGE video has a companion activity guide to support student growth and development. There are 12 three-minute episodes, and this week, the focus is on Episodes 9 and 10. 

 

Episode 11 walks through setting SMART goals, and how they are valuable in helping your team understand how a goal relates to the bigger picture, the team mission, and what your team has to gain from accomplishing it. Learn all about the steps of SMART goals and how they will help your team's work remain significant and successful.

 

It's time to celebrate with Episode 12! Take a moment and reflect on all the lesson you have learned through the CHARGE Chapter Officer series. Make sure you do the same when your officer team achieves a goal. In this final episode, discover some fun ways to celebrate the success of your chapter officer team.

 

Share Your Success Stories with SkillsUSA Nation

The SkillsUSA Champions digital hub provides new content weekly, from inspiring features to “Spotlight” stories about the great work chapters and partners are doing. To get a special SkillsUSA member’s story considered for publication (even if that story is yours), send us the details through our “Submit a Story” link. 


Louisiana Calendar for the 2024 2025 School Year

You can access this years current calendar on our website for the most current and up to date information and you can also get a printable version under the Advisor Resources tab




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