Students

DECA is a high energy organization designed to prepare students to be college and career ready upon graduation.  DECA has more than 185,000 members in 5,000 high school chapters from all 50 states and nine countries.  Students gain experience through interactive classroom activities and by attending DECA Conferences throughout the school year.  Find out more about each of our conferences here

DECA members can begin their experience as early as the ninth grade by enrolling in a marketing, finance, hospitality, business management or entrepreneurship course. They can retain their membership in DECA as long as they are actively pursuing courses in one of the content areas. As part of a high school chapter, DECA members are invited to take full advantage of DECA activities while preparing themselves to be college and career ready upon graduation.

Interested high school students should contact their marketing education teacher to join their school’s DECA chapter.  If there is not a DECA chapter at the school, the teacher should contact the Michigan DECA office for assistance with establishing a chapter.

Preparing Emerging Leaders and Entrepreneurs

By taking advantage of their DECA membership, members can become:

  • academically prepared for college and careers in marketing, finance, hospitality or management
  • community oriented by gaining an appreciation for the benefits of service and their potential impact on the community and world
  • professionally responsible with ethics, integrity and high standards
  • experienced leaders by practicing key leadership skills such as goal setting, consensus building and project management.

Membership Activities and Benefits

DECA members benefit from activities in DECA’s Comprehensive Learning Program. In addition to an official membership card and pin, DECA members receive four issues of Dimensions magazine, as well as copies of Michigan DECA’s newsletter, Spotlight on DECA.  Members have opportunities to attend conferences designed to prepare them for college and careers.  Members can also earn recognition and prove their knowledge in DECA’s Competitive Events Program, earn their share of more than $300,000 in scholarships and more.

Opportunities for Student Member

Competition

DECA’s program of competitive events has something for everyone. With events ranging from Hospitality and Tourism, Sports and Entertainment Marketing, Fashion Merchandising, Food Marketing, Automotive Services and Entrepreneurship, DECA members have the opportunity to explore a variety of career areas.  Competition will help you develop your communication, marketing, and decision-making skills, all the while giving you a taste of “real-world” experience. Events may include multiple-choice tests, role playing situations, research projects, business plans, interviews, and teamwork skills. There is never an audience at a DECA competition, so there’s no need to worry about impressing anybody but yourself and the judge.

Travel

DECA gives many students the opportunity to travel throughout the country for once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Some of the destinations for the school year include:

  • State Leadership Conference – Detroit, Michigan
  • Central Region Leadership Conference – Omaha, Nebraska
  • Sports and Entertainment Marketing Conference – The Palace of Auburn Hills
  • New York Marketing Conference – New York City
  • District Conferences – Eight locations around the state
  • State Career Development Conference – Dearborn, Michigan
  • International Career Development Conference – Salt Lake City, Utah

These conferences have just the right mix of career development, leadership development and fun to ensure an experience that you’ll never forget!

Leadership

You might hear now and again that leadership is a skill that can make or break both your academic, and “real world” career. Leadership – a simple word, but a complex definition. What is a leader exactly? How do you become a leader? How do you develop those leadership skills that are so important?

DECA offers a program of leadership development activities that are both fun and educational.  Through leadership conferences, academies, or the experience of holding a local, state or even national office, DECA members are a step ahead of the typical high school graduate.  Some examples of DECA’s leadership opportunities are listed below:

  • State Leadership Conference
  • Central Region Leadership Conference
  • Leadership Development Academies at the International Career Development Conference
  • Local, State and National DECA Officers

Scholarships

One of the most attractive things about DECA is the varied scholarship opportunities available to members.  Countless colleges and universities offer DECA scholarships to their applicants, and many companies offer scholarships to DECA members.  At the International Career Development Conference, over $350,000 in scholarship money is awarded annually to DECA members. DECA’s scholarship partners include:

  • Marriott
  • Claire’s / Icing
  • Sears Holdings
  • Otis Spunkmeyer
  • Finish Line
  • NAPA
  • Central Region DECA
  • National DECA
  • American Express
  • Hilton Hotels
  • TJ Maxx
  • Walgreens
  • Coca-Cola
  • Plus many more

Chapter Activities

Local chapter activities are the core of what makes DECA a unique, student-focused organization. Some of the activities that your local chapter may sponsor or organize include:

Community Service

  • Muscular Dystrophy Association “lock ups”
  • Fashion Show Benefit
  • Pledge Drives

Career Development Activities

  • Marketing tour of local mall
  • Marketing Research
  • Partnerships
  • Marketing plans with local companies
  • Guest Speakers
  • College Night

Fundraising

  • School Based Enterprises
  • Bake Sales
  • Candy Sales
  • Dances

Talk to your DECA advisor today about joining, or find out about starting a DECA chapter at your school.