Vol. 41, No. 25
March 23 , 2007
CONTACT: JIM MORRIS |
Student Leadership Conference Builds Skills for Life
FCCLA State Conference Begins Tomorrow in Columbia
A statewide leadership conference this week will focus on helping more than 2,000 high school students strengthen and expand their abilities as responsible family members and community leaders.
The youth-centered conference is planned and conducted by student members of Missouri Family, Career and Community Leaders of America. Local chapter advisors also attend. The event will be held in Columbia, March 24-27.
FCCLA is a national student organization that promotes personal growth and leadership development through family and consumer sciences education. Missouri FCCLA leadership events help student members develop skills for life, planning, goal setting, problem solving, decision making, and interpersonal communication, all necessary in the workplace and in the home.
The conference will feature three international caliber speakers, including Jeff Yalden, a two-time Marine-of-the-Year, MTV celebrity and renowned youth motivational speaker. He will draw upon his life experiences to reach out to students “about life, leadership and what really matters.” Keynote speaker Chris Bowers will address risk-taking and empower students not to give in to peer pressure.
A non-violence school program, “Rachel’s Challenge,” will be presented by Larry Scott during FCCLA’s team leadership sessions. Larry Scott is the father of Rachel Scott who was the first person killed at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999. Modeled after Rachel’s life and writings of kindness and compassion, Scott’s family founded Rachel’s Challenge, an important life-changing program that has been presented to schools across the nation and in several other countries.
In addition to extensive leadership training, honors and recognition, more than 600 students will participate in 16 competitive events, including entrepreneurship, applied technology, culinary arts, job interviews, parliamentary procedure, early childhood, chapter service projects, and many others. Winners will advance to compete at the national level.
On Monday afternoon, the executive director of Family, Career and Community Leaders of America, Inc., Michael Benjamin, will lead a FCCLA member and advisor forum. Missouri has two family and consumer sciences students serving as members of the National Board of Directors, including board chair Tracey Newman, Ste. Genevieve and Karen Mason, East Newton. Trenton High School senior Katherine Hoffman is the National Vice President of STAR Events, and Ste. Genevieve High School senior Jenna Gegg is the student representative on the national STAR Events Advisory Team.
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FCCLA is a nonprofit national career and technical student organization for young men and women in family and consumer sciences education in public and private schools through grade 12. Chartered in 1946, Missouri FCCLA has nearly 14,000 members in 400 local chapters, ranking as the fourth largest FCCLA state association.
For more information, contact: Dr. Cynthia Arendt or Christine Hollingsworth, Family and Consumer Sciences Education, Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Jefferson City (573-751-2644).