January/February 2017
Welcome to 2017, Colorado FCCLA! I cannot believe that the new year is here and that the State Leadership Conference is in just a few months! For seniors, that means our high school and FCCLA road trip is likely coming to an end, while freshman should be celebrating getting through the first few miles, and everyone else is sitting back and enjoying the ride! No matter where you are in your FCCLA journey, now is the time to take action and make it the best year ever!
As you set your new year’s resolutions and work to follow through, it is important to keep in mind a piece of the Colorado State Program of Work: To inspire members to cut off the negative noise and change lanes by adopting a positive personal mentality. Setting resolutions is a great way to motivate yourself to be the best you but also take time to remember the things that make you the unique and amazing person that you are. My goal is always that for every resolution I set, I remind myself of something that I love about myself that I want to keep doing for the next year. So if your resolution is to stay more organized, remember that you are a super creative person who loves to design new things. Maybe that thing you love about yourself can even help with your goal! You could use your design skills to create a fun desk organizer to keep all of your papers in order. No matter what your resolutions are, remember to approach them with a positive personal mentality, because while you work to make yourself the best you, always remember that you are already AMAZING!
Another focus in the Colorado Program of work is to become an advocate by accelerating the knowledge of members and community leaders. Advocacy is hard to understand, but at it’s simplest, it means expressing your opinion about an important topic. A great way to get involved at advocacy is to attend the Career and Technical Education (CTE) Day at the Colorado State Capitol happening Thursday, February 16, 2017. This day will include a rally on the West Steps of the State Capitol, floor work in the Senate Chamber, advocacy training, educational tours, and guest speakers. If your chapter can come it will be an amazing experience to better understand how our government works and how you can help make a difference.
The Colorado FCCLA State Leadership Conference (SLC) is only three months away! I am so excited to meet all of you, see your events, share workshops, and have an amazing final destination on our road trip. Another new feature at SLC this year is the Start Somewhere Block Party! This event will be happening Thursday afternoon and will focus on educating yourself and your peers with activities in career and college preparation, a health and wellness fair, teen violence prevention, traffic safety, and a youth expo full of even more! This giant party will have activities for you to enjoy, booths to attend, new things to try, and so much to learn.
Would you like an opportunity to be recognized on stage at SLC? Through our scholarships and recognition programs, you can be! There are awards for members, advisers, chapters, districts, and those who support FCCLA and its mission. In other words, there is an opportunity for every type of member to be recognized! Scholarships are also open for application for officers at any level and any FCCLA member. All of the information for scholarships and recognition is available on the Colorado FCCLA website under the recognition tab. The deadline for all applications is March 1st, so don’t wait to be a part of the fun!
As SLC gets closer, it’s time to focus on our competitive events. No matter what event you have chosen, it can seem a little overwhelming, but I promise it is a whole lot of fun. Here are a few tips to remember in your event as you work to complete the project, prepare your speeches, and get ready to present at SLC!
- Read the rubric. Highlight the rubric. Talk the rubric through with your adviser. Everything that you need to be successful in your event is written on those pieces of paper. Aim for that top column. Make sure that you know it inside and out and that your project has everything that it needs. When your project is done, check the rubric again!
- Use the website! The Colorado FCCLA Competitive Events webpage has been updated to include a bunch of new resources to help members and advisers as they complete their events. Make sure to check out the example video links to see a filmed example of your project.
- Don’t forget to watch the Event Orientation Video and fill out the attendance form. It will be have important information for your event and help get you excited for state!
- Stay organized. I always kept a separate folder just for my FCCLA project. That way everything is in that one place and you will never be searching for one sheet of paper the week before state.
- PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!!!! I know it gets repetitive, but every time that you run your presentation, it gets better and you get more comfortable with it. One year at state, my adviser made me run my presentation while the fire alarm was going off because she says it was good to practice with distractions! You don’t need to go that far but if you want to do anything to make your project better and you more comfortable, PRACTICE!
2017 has so many exciting things in store for us as we continue on our Colorado FCCLA road trip. No matter what activities you chose to be a part of, make sure that they make your time in FCCLA, one to remember. Happy New Year!
