Youth Organizations

Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) is a youth organization for American and Canadian high school and college students interested in business, marketing, management, and entrepreneur-ship. The major goals of the organization are to prepare students for careers in business and marketing; to develop the leadership abilities, self-confidence, and citizenship of DECA members; to engender an understanding of the free enterprise system; and to foster in its members a healthy competitive spirit, high standards of business ethics, and proper social and business etiquette. DECA works in cooperation with high school and college marketing and business education programs.

Program

DECA programs are designed to create interest in all phases of marketing management and distribution study and to provide avenues of expression for individual talent. DECA programs offer members the chance to learn about marketing and international business, become involved in commerce, and develop leadership, competitive, and interpersonal skills. Chapter programs, which are always classroom centered, usually include the cooperation of the local business community; most national programs are run in partnership with national and international corporations. Such partnerships offer DECA members the chance for practical application of the skills and concepts they learned in the classroom. In addition DECA's partnerships with business afford members the opportunity to meet professional businesspeople, giving budding young entrepreneurs and marketers a head start in forming the networks of associates they will need for a successful career in business. Operation Holiday Help, for example, is a popular DECA program through which students who want to work during the holiday season are offered opportunities for on-the-job training and an introduction to local businesses.

DECA sponsors a variety of leadership development and competitive events programs, including the Creative Marketing Project, the E-Commerce Business Plan Event, the Free Enterprise Event, and the Civic Consciousness Project. DECA also sponsors numerous creative marketing projects, through which members study and survey the economic development of their communities. Many local, state, and international businesses employ DECA members because of their interest in and related study of that particular business. DECA contributes to the employability of its members by encouraging and conducting competitive activities in such areas as advertising, sales, job interviews, public speaking, public relations, online advertising design, marketing studies, and management decision-making.

DECA sponsors numerous marketing-related meetings, seminars, workshops, and conferences. State and regional DECA Leadership Conferences are held every fall, leading up to the annual International Career Development Conference. A popular Apparel and Accessories International Marketing and Finance Mini-Conference is held every year in New York City. An annual Sports and Entertainment Marketing Conference focuses on such activities as advertising, promotions, and niche groups. DECA's State Officer Leadership Institute, held each summer in Washington, D.C., teaches DECA state officers how to successfully fulfill their responsibilities.

DECA encourages high school students to stay in school and continue their education at postsecondary institutions by offering scholarships and awards to exceptional and needy DECA members. DECA presents more than $125,000 each year to winners in competitive events and awards more than $250,000 annually in scholarships. DECA's most important recognition program is the National Marketing Education Honor Award, given to outstanding high-school-senior business students and DECA leaders.

The association's national publications include DECA Dimensions, the official membership magazine featuring business and association news, as well as articles about job skills, leadership, and citizenship; the bimonthly Advisor, which offers instructional materials and tips to teachers of business and marketing; the annual DECA Guide, which contains guidelines concerning DECA's competitive events programs; and the DECA Images Catalog, which features DECA products and curriculum materials.

Organization

Local chapters are usually organized within a high school as part of the school's business and marketing program, with the business and marketing teacher coordinator serving as chapter adviser. All chapters within a state belong to a state association under the leadership of the state DECA adviser. Each state association elects its own student advisers. Student delegates elected by each state in turn elect their own national leaders.

The national organization, composed of state associations, has a national executive director and a board of directors made up of state supervisors of distributive education and an appointed representative of the U.S. Department of Education.

The national DECA organization includes a Collegiate Division of DECA, which was formed in 1970. DECA is also affiliated with Delta Epsilon Chi, an international organization for college students preparing for careers in business, marketing, and management.

Membership

Any high school or college student with an interest in business, marketing, and entrepreneurship is eligible to become a DECA member. In 2001 there were over 180,000 DECA student members and faculty advisers in secondary and postsecondary schools in all fifty states, U.S. territories, and Canada.