Schools
Chieftain Connection named among the best in nation
The Chieftain Connection, a School-based enterprise at Utica High School, was named one of the top twenty school stores in the nation.
The Chieftain Connection, a School-based enterprise at Utica High School, was named one of the top twenty school stores in the nation at the 70th Annual DECA International Career Development Conference (ICDC) in Nashville, April 23–26, 2016.
Utica High School students Bridget Foehl, Tyler Newton, and Olivia Windorf competed against 200 school stores at the annual conference conducted by DECA, an organization that prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for careers and education in marketing, finance, hospitality and management in high schools and colleges around the globe.
For the fifth year in a row, the Chieftain Connection store earned National Re-certification status based on a 25-page project written by Foehl, Newton, and Windorf. Utica’s Gold Re-certification secured them an invitation to the national competition in Nashville.
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Newton, a junior attending his first DECA ICDC enjoyed the experience, "The competition was a neat opportunity for us to display our business skills outside of the conventional classroom."
"By competing in DECA I learned how to work well with a team, how to manage time successfully and how to fully prepare myself in a given topic or situation," commented DECA participant Windorf.
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The store is under the direction of Utica High School Marketing teacher Dana Boice who said the DECA students define hard work. "I couldn't be more proud of this team’s creativity and passion for this event.”
School-based Enterprises are effective educational tools in helping to prepare students for the transition from school to work or college. For many students, they provide the first work experience; for others, they provide an opportunity to build management, supervision and leadership skills.
DECA’s School-based Enterprise Certification Program was developed to provide recognition for outstanding achievement by and to motivate SBEs to strive for excellence and to grow. DECA currently has over 215,000 members with 3,500 high school chapters.
Information about DECA’s School-based Enterprise Certification Program can be found at www.deca.org/sbe.
