Congratulations!

Holy biscuits and gravy!!! Your kids QUALIFIED!!! I’m so proud of the work you did with them, and excited for them to move to the next level. We had incredible success this year, and we are now planning to move our students on to the national level. So now, we have started preparing for our CTSO’s Nationals.

As I tell my students, I started with DECA in 1979 (yeah…I know…crazy number of years) and I am still just as excited about the prospect of attending the national conference as I was as a kid. Internationals in 1983 changed the entire trajectory of my life, and more than anything, I want that experience for my students. 

As soon as the first kid qualifies at State, my heart flips over and my stomach clenches at the same time—unbridled excitement, and concern about our ability to finance Nationals.

So much to think about… 

Will their parents agree to your CTSO’s Nationals?

The vast majority of parents have no idea what a CTSO is, or the incredible benefits that can be derived from attending Nationals. All they see is the prospect of Junior traveling across the country for a week with a teacher. 

That is why we discuss preparing for your CTSO’s Nationals from the very beginning of the year! We make it something to strive for, something to look forward to, and something worth every effort. When it becomes part of your narrative from the beginning of the year, it is far less shocking or startling to either the students or their families when they qualify. 

Dealing with the finances for Nationals

I taught at a school that paid full price for every kid that qualified for Nationals. It was a luxury I never enjoyed before or since. I have always, however, worked at locations that pay everything for the Advisers. If your school won’t even commit at that level, Nationals are NOT in your future. 

For most students, the (current) $1500 price tag is outside of their abilities. There are a variety of ways we minimize this cost and try to make it possible for every qualifier:

Talk To Administration

After our initial conversation with admin, we actually send students to see them. The kids show a State recap video, discuss all of the fundraising we’ve already done, and request funding. This is usually successful in getting at least a few hundred dollars per competitor, which goes a LONG way when preparing for your CTSO’s Nationals.

Build Nationals Into State

We earmark part of the costs of State to be used for Nationals. This gives us a start towards our financial goal for Nationals.

Fundraising For CTSO’s Nationals Specifically

We begin to fundraise immediately after State specifically to cover food and activities for Nationals. This way, the initial outlay ($1500 in our case) is the only cost families will have to cover. With our organization covering the external costs of food and fun, the parents tend to become more receptive.

Sponsorships

We are going full throttle with getting sponsors this year, due to the large group we are taking to Nationals. For their donation, we are offering space on the back of our nationals t-shirt. These smalls incentives can prove extremely effective in getting sponsors. 

Sessions Specifically Dedicated To Preparing for Your CTSO’s Nationals

I’m in beautiful Nevada. CTSO’s here are still in their infancy compared to many states in our country. It’s very frustrating, having come from strong and mighty New Jersey, to work in an area where CTSO’s are not necessarily known or respected universally among teachers and administrators in my district. It’s been an uphill battle to garner respect for CTSO success, and an even harder climb to get kids on stage at Nationals. It can happen. In fact, it has happened. We need to prepare. 

The competitive level at State is nothing compared to Nationals. Getting first is Nevada equates to absolutely nothing on the national stage. We make this crystal clear to all of our winners. Yes, we celebrate their success. However, we do make them aware of the reality of competing against winners from around the world. It’s a daunting task.

We also tell them we play to win. This isn’t going to be a vacation in the normal sense—we are going to be working the entire week. If you are looking for a relaxing vacation, Nationals doesn’t fit that bill. Our goal is the stage. Therefor, preparing for your CTSO’s Nationals shouldn’t be a picnic, either.

Your students have work to do. A lot of work. Fortunately, you have time.

Schedule for prep sessions

We returned from State last Wednesday, and met with the kids informally both Thursday and Friday to go over details of their events and commitment. Our first official meeting for Nationals was the following Monday. We don’t waste time. At this meeting, we discussed many things. Part of our agenda included:

• Fundraising plans
  • How will we raise money?
  • Does the money go directly to you or to the group at large?
• Sponsorship requirements
  • How many companies do you need to approach
  • Is this a scholarship to you, or a donation to our group?
• An agenda for meeting dates in and out of school
  • We meet weekly until summer
  • We meet at parks, the library, the school, during summer
• Their homework assignments
  • They have work to do
  • Make them accountable to each other

I’m not giving away any of my secrets when I say that success in many events can be found in vocabulary lists. The ability to understand (and especially to use) proper vocabulary during an event is one thing that sets competitors apart in the crowd. Everyone that is competing is given vocabulary lists specific to their event and potential case study topics. In addition, we have a variety of study and prep tips depending on the type of competition that is being attempted.

Prep tips for CTSO’s testing events At Nationals

Test Prep Classes:

Many of our students utilize test prep classes for the ACT or SAT these days. Learning how to answer questions in an objective test is an important skill that can absolutely be learned! We encourage our students to research test preparation websites and blogs, so they can learn how to effectively analyze questions to find the correct answer.

Vocabulary Lists:

These are the best study guides for testing events. Not only do students need to memorize meaning, but they need to be able to use the words in a cohesive sentence. Only if students can USE the vocabulary effectively will you be sure they have in fact learned the meaning of the word. We have students build and study vocabulary lists specific to their topics and competitive events.

Practice Your Timing:

Using unofficial tests like Quizlet or previous tests from your CTSO is an excellent way to help students manage their time. I had a student who spent so long on a test that she left 20 questions completely unanswered. You can’t win the objective test if you can’t manage your time effectively, and that comes with practice.

For a more in depth explanation of a few of these principles, check out my explanation on winning these competitions by clicking here.

Prep tips for CTSO’s performance events At Nationals

Vocabulary List:

We’re back to my favorite study tool, with a little bit of a twist. Not only do students need to build vocabulary lists specific to their topic or competitive events, but they need to master vocabulary associated with the industry as well. They will need to use this vocabulary in their presentation, so memorization is nowhere near enough—they need to understand the application of the process. 

Reading The Case Study:

Students need to read the entire prompt, then skim through it a second time for understanding. The third read needs to include highlighting or underlining the key points, so they can build their presentation. It is extremely frustrating to have students lose because they didn’t fully comprehend the prompt. Don’t let that happen to your students.

Practice:

Absolutely nothing is more important than students running through a wide variety of scenarios and prompts in advance of the competition. It will help not only with their timing and presentation skills, but it will allay their fears and calm their nerves. Give as much practice—in front of as many people as possible—that you can.

For a more in depth explanation of a few of these principles, check out my explanation on winning these competitions by clicking here.

Prep tips for CTSO’s prepared events At Nationals

Get It Right For State:

There is limited time between State and National submission dates. That means that the report your students write for State competition needs to be as good as possible. Do not let them move to Nationals with a sub-par product.

Use Your Resources:

I may know business, but the AP English teacher is the person who needs to scrutinize the grammar on their report. I require five people to proofread a report before it gets submitted for Nationals. Your kids may be good enough to win State, but leave it to the professionals to make sure it will stand up at Nationals.

Preparing yourself for your CTSO’s Nationals, Advisors!

Going to a National Leadership Conference is the pinnacle of your career as a Business Education teacher. There is no greater stage, and no better way to showcase everything your students have achieved in your classes and through their commitment to extracurricular activities. Enjoy the event yourself! Make time to attend all of the workshops and guest speakers that will be available to you. Find interesting and cultural things to take your students to in this new city, and enjoy some local cuisine. 

It isn’t a vacation, but, let’s face it, it isn’t all work, either!  

One of my strongest suggestions to you is to build a team through social events in advance of the conference. These kids will be traveling for a week without a member of their family. They need to feel comfortable with you and their teammates. That is why we meet off school property before attending Nationals. We will meet at a local park, and play kickball after we study, or hit the mall food court to study after shopping for a little bit. These types of social events will ensure that you have a cohesive team that is not only competition-ready, but excited for this once in a lifetime event.

Have a fabulous time planning, and I’ll see you at Nationals. I’ll be the one with students up on stage!!!

THANK YOU FOR READING THIS FAR

Wow, thank you for reading about preparing for your CTSO’s Nationals!

Hey, since you’re here! You may as well check out some other ways to win CTSO performance or testing events, here, and how to prepare for next year, here! Check out our other topics here! Either way, I appreciate you!

Please leave a COMMENT about any tips you may have!! Or comment what your favorite tip of mine was! How do YOU start these difficult conversations with your students? Let me know.

Feel free to contact me or leave a COMMENT with anything you would like to hear more about! Or reach out with any unrelated questions, comments, concerns, or random outbursts of excitement by clicking here.