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Case Study of the Week: Channel Strategies for Dr. Smoothie
Assume the role of the owner of DR. SMOOTHIE, a mobile beverage truck that sells smoothies. The investor wants you to identify resources needed for DR. SMOOTHIE to adapt its channel strategies.

The Summer Strategy Behind Howell DECA's Membership Growth
The strongest DECA chapters don't recruit harder; they plan earlier. Discover three practical recruitment strategies your chapter can implement before school starts to increase awareness and membership.

DECA Advisors - How Are You Making Your Classroom the Next Big Thing?
Show us how you're setting up your chapter for success this year by using the Next Big Thing materials and the competitive events resources from your back-to-school box for a chance to win a $100 Shop DECA gift card.

Adobe Hosts 70 DECA Advisors for Luminary 2026
For three days, attendees participated in learning sessions with DECA staff and interactive workshops with Adobe team members. Advisors gained firsthand experience with Adobe Express and learned how to apply these tools to DECA's programs.

Case Study of the Week: AI in Marketing
Assume the role of the general manager for an outdoor holiday lights and decorations installation business while you analyze the use of artificial intelligence (AI) images in marketing materials and recommend how to proceed.

One DECA Calls Are Back
These monthly calls are designed to bring members together to learn, connect and stay engaged throughout the year. If you're looking to develop your leadership skills, hear new ideas or meet new members, One DECA Calls are for you!

The Not-So-Secret Branding Tool Your Chapter Needs This Year
Whether you're welcoming new members or promoting a fundraiser, consistent branding helps your chapter look polished, professional and recognizable. Adobe Express makes that easier than ever, and one feature every chapter should take advantage of is Brand Kits.

2026–2027 High School Division Executive Officer Team Program of Leadership
Throughout the year, your Executive Officer Team is committed to helping members step into their Next Big Thing by empowering leaders, advancing career development and increasing collaboration with DECA's corporate partners.

Handling the Hustle: How DECA Members Can Manage Stress and a Million Different Activities
As you step into your next school year, maybe even your last, make sure you don’t get so overwhelmed that you miss the present. Check out this list of the best, most positive ways to relieve stress and better balance all of your responsibilities.

Success Starts Before the First Bell
Your success starts long before the bell even rings, with the choices you make, the habits you build and the attitude you bring into every opportunity. There are three ways to set yourself up for success before the school year begins.

Crushing Competition Day: A Morning Checklist to Pave the Way for Success
While it’s easy to feel overwhelmed the morning of your competition, these four, tried-and-true tips will set you up for success no matter how you're feeling about your event.

Stay Ahead This Fall with the Encourage Preference Form Timeline
To help chapters know what to expect, Encourage has shared key dates for the 2026–2027 preference form timeline to help advisors proactively communicate with members, answer questions and maximize participation throughout the fall.

Video Call Tips and Tricks
Practically overnight, video calls have become a new societal norm. This guide will provide you with a few tips and useful tricks to help improve your online learning or telecommuting experience.

A Quick Guide to Understanding Servant Leadership
The concept of leadership has been around since the days of Aristotle and Plato and has evolved countless times throughout the centuries. But in 1970, a new theory emerged. Developed by Robert Greenleaf, servant leadership is the idea that empowered leaders serve their followers and to enable them to live and work to their full potential.

The Ethics of Leadership
Ethical leaders exist in all walks of life. They are the individuals who step forward when crises occur, come to the rescue of others and generally do what's right—no matter what. Anyone can talk the talk, but can they walk the walk? In today's high-visibility, social world, more people are taking note of leaders’ behavior and holding them accountable.

DECA Direct Magazine: Next Level Leadership
A new school year brings new chances to elevate your leadership to the next level. Discover fresh ideas to enhance your chapter and become a leader worth following in your school, community and beyond.

The Next Level is Inclusion
It has never been more important for emerging leaders to be characterized by teamwork, innovation, competency and integrity. Fortunately, those are the valued characteristics of DECA’s student leaders. What if this moment needs you and the unique values that drive your leadership?

Top Tips for Socially-distant Membership Recruitment
Building your chapter’s membership is one of the most important ways to set it up for success in the new school year. But what are the best ways to recruit within the “new normal” of more virtual interactions and less in-person activities? Learn how to recruit new members the socially-distant way with these top tips.

The Power of the Diamond
Throughout your DECA career, you’ll wear the blazer, throw up a DECA diamond symbol and add lots of blue to your wardrobe. You will also undoubtedly hear DECA’s core values and mission statement more times than you can count. But have you ever stopped to think about what they really mean?

Cultivate Your Chapter’s Culture
2020 is a year that has changed all of our lives. If your DECA chapter has experienced a decline in recent months, struggling to cope with virtual meetings and maintain engagement, your chapter culture may need a boost.

Discover Your DECA Leadership Style
There are hundreds of assessments to help you pinpoint your leadership traits, but the only one you need to take your leadership to the next level is the DECA Leadership Style Quiz.

Influence with Informal Leadership
While you may not have an official leadership title, you still have the ability to help take your chapter to the #NextLevel with your informal leadership influence. Read on to learn more about informal leadership and how you can use it to make this year a success for you and your chapter.

DECA Members Raise $7,000 Through the MDA Muscle Corp Program
DECA members raised over $7,000 for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) this summer through the pilot MDA Muscle Corp Program. Twenty-one DECA members successfully completed the program and earned 40 hours of community service.

Mountain View High School Virtual Recruitment
Like for many chapters, this year’s DECA kickoff meeting was unique for Mountain View High School in Georgia. Even though the meeting was held through Zoom, the chapter still found a way to make it one of their best meetings yet.

