DECA – bragTAG Certified!

Founded over 60 years ago, DECA is the latest organization to be inducted into bragTAG’s Certified Series!  Read on to learn more about how DECA is helping to shape the Steve Jobs, Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg’s of tomorrow!

DECA an Acronym for Success!

Now known globally as DECA, this acronym originally stood for Distributive Education Clubs of America, and operates as Collegiate DECA on the college circuit.  DECA boasts 185,000 members in 5,000 high schools participating in local, state and regional conferences showcasing their talents in competitions sponsored by internationally recognized companies. Its chapters organize technologically savvy programs preparing its members to compete in the business world. Students design a product, write a business plan, participate in role playing of various business environments working with business partners and mentors along the way.  This type of “hands on” learning enables students to hone business skills years earlier than they might have.  In today’s job market, participation in DECA gives students a great edge in landing a job in their career field.

Interested in Marketing, Finance, Hospitality, Management and/or Entrepreneurship?

In DECA’s September – October 2010 issue of Dimensions, they describe their mission: “DECA prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in marketing, finance, hospitality and management”.  Recognizing the increasing influence of social media in the business world, DECA encourages its members to incorporate social media into their business plans and has set “Expand Your Network” as its theme for this year.  These two points alone are great indicators of the reasons DECA has been successful in achieving its mission.  They demonstrate that DECA has its pulse on the fast-paced changes affecting businesses and is leading the way for students to understand and use these changes to their benefit!

DECA Members Among Us

CBS Evening News anchor and managing editor, Katie Couric and television personality, Jay Leno are DECA alumni. In some areas, even the cool kids are getting involved in DECA – check out this article in the Puget Sound Business Journal!

DECA Membership and College Scholarships!

As if the reasons already mentioned weren’t enough to to get you thinking seriously about joining DECA, being a DECA member also puts you into consideration for college scholarships!  Scholarships are being offered to DECA members by Otis Spunkmeyer, Northwood University, American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute, and Johnson & Wales University.  According to DECA’s Dimensions magazine, Johnson & Wales alone “awarded more than $9 million in scholarships to DECA students last year”! So if you haven’t done so already, put “JOIN DECA” on your To Do List and your bragSHEET! Visit their website at www.deca.org, check out the DECA page on facebook and follow DECA on Twitter.


Here are some additional resources for those that may be interested in DECA in areas around the country:
California DECA – http://www.californiadeca.org/
Nevada DECA – http://www.nevadadeca.org/
New Jersey DECA – http://www.njdeca.org/index.htm
Texas DECA – http://www.texasdeca.org/index.html
New York DECA – http://www.newyorkdeca.org/index.htm

This post is the 3rd in a monthly series called, “bragTAG Certified!” – where we’ll feature a new academic/service organization every month.  It is our fondest hope that high school students and parents take a close look at these organizations, and their ability to not only help in the college admissions process – but to transform the lives of members and lives in the community as well!