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Compete

Get Ready for Round One of the DECA Virtual Business Challenge

Sep 30, 2025

You won't want to miss the annual DECA Virtual Business Challenge! DECA VBC is an official competitive event free to high school members. Participate and you could earn a trip to ICDC and a share of over $20,000 in scholarship money.

College Success

History Has Its Eyes on You: How to Make Your College Essay Stand Out

Sep 30, 2025

While Hamilton wrote 51 essays to defend the Constitution, we only have to write one for college. One simple yet weighted essay can redirect our lives. So here are three factors to consider as you brainstorm your college essay topic.

Chapter Strategy

Shop 'Till You Drop: Ways to Celebrate SBE Week At Your School

Sep 29, 2025

2025 DECA SBE Week is here, and we couldn't be more excited! Here are some ways to celebrate with your school-based enterprise.

Case Study of the Week

Case Study of the Week: Reduce, Reuse or Recycle - Hotel Renovations

Sep 29, 2025

Step into the role of the general manager of Lilac Inn, an independent hotel property in a city of 30,000 people. The owner wants you to identify waste redirection opportunities that could lead to a better brand image.

Career Insights

The Nitro Bar: A Coffee Cart turned Famous $4.5M Brand

Sep 29, 2025

In honor of National Coffee Day, here’s a Rhode Island success story that shows how smart marketing can transform a business from a coffee cart to a viral sensation.

College Success

Top 10 Test Taking Tips for the Digital SAT

Sep 27, 2025

If you’re planning to take the digital SAT, the good news is there are no secrets—the SAT isn’t out to trick you. Here are the top 10 test-taking tips from College Board, the makers of the SAT

Chapter Strategy

Advisor Best Practice Spotlight of the Week: Eric Wagner

Sep 26, 2025

DECA Advisor Eric Wagner is giving his students more than classroom lessons—he’s providing real-world financial and leadership experiences through the chapter’s student-run credit union.

Chapter Strategy

Mixing It Up: The Secret Recipe to SBE Success

Sep 25, 2025

It's important to curate the perfect recipe for your school’s SBE and come up with ingredients to make it the best experience for your students. Here are three ingredients for making your SBE successful!

Chapter Strategy

Unlocking Recruitment Success: Insights from 4 Chapter Leaders

Sep 25, 2025

Attracting new and recurring members is a process that requires planning, collaboration and perseverance. Here are 4 chapter leaders’ insights on how to succeed at DECA recruitment.

Spotlights

DECA Duck Takes Flight at Smithville High School

Sep 24, 2025

Smithville High School’s DECA chapter has a new mascot, DECA Duck. What started as just a blue rubber ducky idea has become a school spirit sensation at DECA events and recruiting activities.

Chapter Strategy

IBM SkillsBuild to Launch 8-Part Webinar Series on AI for Educators

Sep 24, 2025

Starting September 25th, IBM SkillsBuild is launching an incredible 8-part webinar series designed specifically for educators ready to be enabled and become force multipliers.

College Success

Major Keys: Unlocking College Success with a DECA Mindset

Sep 23, 2025

Success doesn’t come from luck; it comes from preparation, strategy, mindset and staying true to yourself. For many, college feels like the biggest stage of their life. But in reality, it’s actually not all that different from being a DECA member.

Leadership

3 Books to Boost Your Leadership

Apr 2, 2020

Many correlations have been drawn between those who read and those who lead. Here are three of my favorite leadership-oriented books to help occupy your time.

Compete

Presentation Anxiety and How to Overcome It

Mar 26, 2020

You hear the words “presentation” and immediately your heart starts to race. We’ve all been there right? Most of us need a bit more training on calming those fears when presenting to a room of people. You are not alone in this fear and we are here to help ease the presentation anxiety.

DECA News

Jacklyn J. Schiller Receives DECA Honorary Life Membership

Mar 20, 2020

Jacklyn J. Schiller has spent more than 30 years providing exemplary activities for career and technical students and educators through her leadership as the Minnesota DECA Chartered Association Advisor. She began her involvement with DECA as a collegiate member in 1982 and eventually served as the 1984-1985 National President for Delta Epsilon Chi.

DECA News

Dr. Brenda Clark Awarded DECA Honorary Life Membership

Mar 20, 2020

A lifelong educator, Dr. Brenda Clark, EdD, began her service as a DECA advisor in 1982 and spent nearly 40 years serving as a marketing teacher, school-to-work coordinator, career and technical director, professional development director and an educational association executive.

DECA News

DECA Inc. Honors 2020 Outstanding Service Award Recipients

Mar 20, 2020

DECA Inc. congratulates two recipients of the DECA Inc. Outstanding Service Award, one of DECA’s most prestigious recognitions - Karen Brettingen from Minnesota and Linda Smith of Georgia.

Leadership

Creating Goals: Strategies to Get Where You Want to Go

Mar 19, 2020

Let’s talk goals! Often times, at the start of a project or the start of a new year, you may create goals for yourself. As time passes, you realize you have not completed hardly any of the goals you set out to accomplish. It’s safe to say we have all probably been here.

Career Insights

DECA Direct Magazine: Sports and Entertainment Marketing

Mar 17, 2020

The Sports and Entertainment Marketing Issue is your go-to guide for career previews, trends, best practices and behind-the-scenes looks at this popular and adrenaline-filled industry 

Career Insights

Career Preview: Top Roles in Sports & Entertainment Marketing

Mar 17, 2020

Sports & Entertainment Marketing (SEM) is where your favorite past-times and your professional interests collide. Not sure what the career paths in SEM really look like? Read on for a preview of some top careers in this exciting industry.

Career Insights

Go for the Marketing Gold

Mar 17, 2020

When thinking of sports marketing, the Olympic Games are a prime example of what to look toward. The international sporting event is a household name that brings in billions of viewers. In 2016, the Olympic Games captured half of the world’s population in viewing the event!

Career Insights

What Happens Backstage at the Opry?

Mar 17, 2020

Opry member Garth Brooks once said “the real show is backstage” at the Opry, where a team of passionate staff members help make the 94-year-old show come to life every night. So, what does it take to raise that red curtain every night?

Career Insights

Experiential Marketing: When Brands Become the Entertainment

Mar 17, 2020

Part branding, part entertainment, experiential marketing is finding its way into the marketing plans of more and more top brands. Read on to find out exactly what this type of marketing is, why brands love it and how to make it part of your future marketing career. 

Career Insights

A World Beyond Imagination

Mar 17, 2020

The success of Disney’s parks is no accident. With over 170,000 employees and 12 parks around the world, Disney Parks, Experiences and Products has consistently dominated the market while ensuring the ultimate customer experience. Here are the top five ways Disney Parks continue to rule the industry.