MayAdvisor Alert
May 1, 2008
Important National Dates
· May 4-10 SkillsUSA National Week of Service
· May 8 Anniversary of the Founding of SkillsUSA
· June 21-23 Officer 101, 201 and Advisor Training, Kansas City, Mo.
· June 23-27 SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference, Kansas City, Mo.
· September 20-24 Washington Leadership Training Institute, Herndon, Va.
In this Issue
· New Database
· Membership
· OSHA Event and News Coverage
· Presidential Volunteer Service Award Program
· Alumni
· Win a 2008 Dyna Super Glide in Custom Color Donated by Harley-Davidson Motor Co., Inc.
· National Week of Service Reminder
· Advisor Training Modules
· 2008 Washington Leadership Training Institute (WLTI)
· NATIONAL LEADERSHIP AND SKILLS CONFERENCE NEWS
· Kansas Speedway Tour
· Alumni Launch 5K Race
· SkillsUSA Championships Contest Updates
· Kansas City Street Closures
· Two New College/Postsecondary Training Sessions
· Blood Drive
CURRENT NEWS
New Database
In an effort to reach as many advisors with SkillsUSA news as possible, we have just uploaded a new database of advisor e-mail addresses from our registration system. This change may cause some glitches with those addresses that were already in the database. Some of you may be receiving this e-mail for the first time, others may receive two instead of one and still others may receive this e-mail and have previously asked to be taken off the list. If you have difficulties, just respond to Jane Short at jshort@skillsusa.org and she'll fix the problem.
Historic Membership
The final national membership count for the 2007-08 school year is 302,767! That's 4,352 more than the highest record set in 1979-80 of 298,415.
Thanks in large part to your efforts, there are so many positive things happening in SkillsUSA right now and our goal is to serve students and teachers at the highest level ever. From our $1 million dollar contribution from Lowe's for local school and community improvement, state association support, leadership scholarships and OSHA training for students -- to our Kellogg Foundation Grant initiative and the new 'Work Force Ready System' that will provide a new level of technical assessment and academic excellence for our classrooms, this is a time of opportunity and we're glad that more students have received the benefits of their professional organization.
Bottom line, yes we're serving more members, but we're also SERVING MEMBERS MUCH MORE and all your work as advisors makes a positive difference in the lives of your students.
OSHA Event and News Coverage
On Monday, April 21, SkillsUSA students demonstrated safe working practices in three exhibit areas on Rockefeller Plaza in New York City as we helped kick off OSHA's Teen Summer Job Safety Campaign. Also featured were appearances by U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao, Assistant Secretary of Labor Edwin Foulke, two of SkillsUSA's national officers and ten students and their advisors from New Jersey, New York and Connecticut.
The students performed demonstrations in first aid/CPR, landscaping and commercial food and food service. We had three students from Connecticut doing the first aid/CPR demos, three students from the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in New York doing the food demos, and four students from a landscaping program in New Jersey handling that demo. Lowe's really jumped in to help, not only with the design, equipping and staffing of the landscaping project; they also helped equip the whole event. The CIA was great too - they hauled in equipment from Hyde Park for the demos. Big thanks go to the Connecticut state director Heidi Balch, Emmett O'Brien THS and Ely Whitney THS in Connecticut, New Jersey state director Pete Carey, Somerset County Vocational Technical School in New Jersey, the CIA in New York, and the students and instructors who pulled this all together in a very short time. And, another big thanks to Lowe's.
SkillsUSA national officers-Jack Frederick (Kansas) and Shelby Adsero (Washington) and Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao appeared on the 'Today Show' at about 9:30 a.m. EDT with Al Roker. You can view the clip on our Web site at http://www.skillsusa.org/educators/osha.shtml
Check out the SkillsUSA Web site for photos and details as well as the Department of Labor's Web site archive at http://www.dol.gov/dol/highlights/if_20080421.htm
The event received additional news coverage from News 4 (WNBC) New York at 6:00 p.m. To view the broadcast go to http://media.vmsnews.com/MR.pl?id=042208-874594-E001386733
PROGRAM NEWS
Presidential Volunteer Service Award Program
SkillsUSA is proud to announce its status as a certifying organization for the Presidential Volunteer Service Award Program. Established in 2003, the award is available on an annual basis to individuals, groups and families who have met or exceeded requirements for volunteer service and have demonstrated exemplary citizenship through volunteering. As a certifying organization, SkillsUSA will award and recognize its members for their volunteer and community service. For more information on how your school and your students can earn this prestigious award go to: http://www.skillsusa.org/students/volsvc.shtml
Alumni - Continue the Journey
Please encourage your seniors to join the SkillsUSA Alumni and Friends Association. Membership is free, and they will receive communications and updates from SkillsUSA and information on meetings, conferences and competitions, in which they may wish to become involved. Alumni members also receive a free subscription of SkillsUSA Champions magazine. For more information go to http://skillsusa.org/supporters/alumni.shtml
Win a 2008 Dyna Super Glide in Custom Color Donated by Harley-Davidson Motor Co., Inc.
Again, thanks to a generous donation by our friends at Harley-Davidson Motor Co., Inc., SkillsUSA will be raffling off a 2008 Dyna Super Glide Motorcycle at the 2008 NLSC Awards Ceremony, Friday, June 27, in Kansas City, Mo. (You need not be present to win.) Tickets are on sale on the SkillsUSA Web site at: http://www.skillsusa.org/events/harley.shtml
National Week of Service Reminder - Free Gift for your Report
SkillsUSA students and teachers nationwide are asked to lend their technical expertise and leadership skills to help others during the SkillsUSA National Week of Service, scheduled for May 4-10, 2008. The annual event is conducted in honor of the May 8 anniversary of the founding of SkillsUSA. For planning materials, go to http://www.skillsusa.org/events/service.shtml
Please e-mail reports and photos of your community service efforts to Karen Perrino, SkillsUSA director of marketing, at kperrino@skillsusa.org (Please be sure to include your full name, training program, school address, telephone number and a summary of the project in order to receive your gift.)
Advisor Training Modules
Several advisor training modules have been developed for the Champions for Change program. They were designed to help build successful SkillsUSA chapters. All advisors are welcome to use the training modules anytime, anywhere to learn how to develop a strong SkillsUSA chapter. We hope you will encourage new instructors to take advantage of this resource. For more information go to: http://www.championsforchange.org/changeinprogress.html
2008 Washington Leadership Training Institute (WLTI)
This year's WLTI will be held at the Hilton Washington/Dulles Airport, September 20-24, 2008. For more information, go to http://skillsusa.org/events/wlti.shtml
NATIONAL LEADERSHIP AND SKILLS CONFERENCE NEWS
For those advisors who plan to attend the National Leadership and Skills Conference, June 23-27, in Kansas City, Missouri, you may be interested in the following items.
Kansas Speedway Tour
The Pittsburg State University is offering round-trip transportation and a tour of the Kansas Speedway to the first 200 students/instructors who reply to their invitation. There will be two tours on Wednesday, June 25. One will leave Bartle Hall at 8:30 a.m. and return at 10:30 a.m. The second tour will depart Bartle Hall at 12:00 noon and return at 2:00 p.m. The bus pick-up location will be in front of Lobby 1500 on 14th Street (Bus routes 7 and 8). To accept their offer, simply send an e-mail to Jim Snyder at jsnyder@pittstate.edu Please share this offer with NLSC participants.
SkillsUSA 100% Advisors Luncheon
Once again this year at the National Leadership and Skills Conference in Kansas City, SkillsUSA will recognize our 100% Advisors at a luncheon. Unfortunately, we can only seat 250 advisors at this luncheon so registration will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Please respond to Sandy Moore if you would like to attend at smoore@skillsusa.org or by phone to 703-737-0604. The luncheon will be held on June 25th from 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. in Bartle Hall, Room 2502 A&B and is sponsored by Paxton Patterson.
Alumni Launch 5K Run/Walk
SkillsUSA Alumni will be holding a twilight 5K Champions Run/Walk during national conference. The race takes place on Wednesday, June 25, 2008 at 6 p.m. at Liberty Memorial Park, across from Union Station and the Westin Hotel. Registration is $10 per person before June 1 or $15 after June 1 and includes a unique t-shirt. Awards will be presented at Champions Festival to the top 3 males and females in each category: partners, professionals, students and alumni. Runners, joggers, walkers or groups are all welcome. No headphones, strollers, animals, skates or skateboards will be allowed on the racecourse. Register now to be part of this inaugural event. School groups of instructors with their students are encouraged! To download a race registration form, http://www.skillsusa.org/events/nlsc08.shtml
SkillsUSA Championships Contest Updates
We have posted many SkillsUSA Championships contest updates on our Web page. To view them, please visit http://www.skillsusa.org/compete/updates.shtml and make sure the information gets to your national competitors where appropriate.
We have canceled both college-only competitions for Civil Engineering-Highways and Civil Engineering-Surveying. There was simply not enough participation to continue them.
We are still waiting for the equipment specifications for Computer Programming, Graphic Communications, as well as specific information for Cosmetology and Esthetics.
We have determined that Esthetics contestants will be required to take a model. The model must be a student member, but not necessarily from an esthetics program and may be either a high school or college/postsecondary student from any school in the state. The committees have promised the information by May 1. Thanks for your patience.
Kansas City Street Closures
All information about downtown street closures can be found through the Capital Improvements Management Office's Web site at http://www.kcmo.org/cimo.nsf/web/dtconst The maps located on this page are updated semi-monthly. You can also sign up for the e-mailed updates through this link:
http://216.62.88.52/ColdFusionApps/listbot/
Two New College/Postsecondary Training Sessions
The following information is for college/postsecondary advisors who will be attending national conference. There will be two NEW college/postsecondary training sessions held in Kansas City, Mo.
Discover an exciting new chapter model designed for college/postsecondary: Service Learning
· Many community colleges engage students in community service. But, does your campus use it as a vehicle for learning? Recent studies show that a Service Learning component improves student achievement and campus retention. Learn how Central New Mexico Community College and SkillsUSA have teamed up to create a national model where community service is an integral piece of classroom instruction. Workshop will run 9am to 1pm, June 24. Cost is $50 per registrant.
Are you giving students all they need? Help them succeed through the Career Skills Education Program (CSEP)
· This online curriculum provides an easy way for instructors to ensure that students learn the basic employment and life skills that lead to career success. Workshop will run 9am to 3pm, June 24. Cost is $139 per registrant and includes lunch and one free online license.
To register: Contact Mary Dingus at 703-737-0622 or email: MDingus@skillsusa.org, no later than June 1, 2008. For more information or questions, please call Heidi Ambrose at 703-737-0615 or email HAmbrose@skillsusa.org
Blood Drive
There will again be a blood drive this year as part of our National Leadership and Skills Conference. The drive will be sponsored by the Kansas City Community Blood Center and held from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in Bartle Hall, Room 2105 on Friday, June 27. A donor must weigh no less than 110 lbs and must be at least 17 years of age (or a donor can be 16 years of age with written parental permission). If you would like to make an appointment ahead of time, visit http://www.esavealifenow.org and click on the link to create a user profile. After you complete your profile, select 'Find a Drive' and enter your sponsor code: skillsusa.
That's all for now. Thank you for all you do to support SkillsUSA and its programs.
Tim