Chapter Excellence Program
Students
- Fosters student ingenuity and employability skill development.
- Promotes friendly competition.
- Creates opportunities to apply framework skills.
- Improves chapter operations.
- Gives chapter officers a valuable leadership role.
- Recognizes student achievement.
Chapter Advisors
- Increases member engagement and empowers student leadership.
Reduces advisor workload when students manage and lead chapter activities.
Garners support from the school administration with “bragging rights” of chapter accomplishments.
Illustrates relevance in accomplishing goals of the school district or campus.
Strengthens the presence and support of SkillsUSA in community.
Serves as a potential recruitment tool into CTE program.
Contributes to increased graduation and completion rates from CTE program.
How does it work?
Honors chapters for achieving essential standards of excellence as a “Quality Chapter”
Indicators include:
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Chapter paid membership dues
Section/program advisors paid professional dues
Elected chapter officers
Chapter conducted well-planned, regularly scheduled chapter meetings
Chapter completed a projected budget
Chapter completed a program of work
Chapter completed one activity in each of the three framework components: personal skills, workplace skills, technical skills
Recognizes chapters that go beyond baseline requirements with bronze, silver, and gold “Chapters of Distinction” awards.
All chapters receiving a gold award will be invited to the SkillsUSA national conference and recognized alongside the program sponsor at a reception. Up to the top 10 percent of all chapters in each state that receive the gold award will be eligible for selection as a Model of Excellence chapter, which will be announced during the National Leadership and Skills Conference.
Indicators include:
- Conducted chapter officer training.
Conducted a chapter recruitment activity.
Members are engaged in committee structure to implement chapter activities.
Plan to participate in Ohio State Leadership and Skills Conference.
75 percent of eligible students are SkillsUSA members.
Held executive committee meetings with local chapter officers.
Conducted an activity to engage business and industry partners.
Students attended a Fall Leadership Conference.
Chapter members attended one activity above the chapter level excluding Fall Leadership Conference.
A report of chapter activities/accomplishments is presented to the school board.
Held local technical area SkillsUSA Championships.
Held local leadership/occupational area SkillsUSA Championships.
Celebrated SkillsUSA Week through chapter activities.
One or more articles were published in local news media.
Local chapter has a social media or Web presence.
Has a candidate for state office.
A local chapter awards program or banquet is conducted in which all members may attend.
Completed activity summary page for each of the three framework components.
The Chapter of Distinction Award recognizes chapters and sections that have achieved levels one and two. Activities will be evaluated on goals, plan of action, results, evaluation, and framework. Chapter of Distinction will be eligible for gold, silver, or bronze awards.
Silver and bronze winners will receive a certificate, Gold winners will receive:
a display banner
an advisor lapel pin
an opportunity for selection as a Level Three Models of Excellence award*
an opportunity to attend the National Leadership and Skills Conference (NLSC)
an opportunity to attend the Chapter of Distinction reception at NLSC
an opportunity for special seating at an NLSC session
Gold Chapter of Distinction submissions for the National Models of Excellence award must not exceed 10 percent of all chapters in the state and must be rounded down to the nearest tenth. For example, if a state has 250 chapters, only the top 20 Gold Chapter of Distinction winners are eligible for selection.
Honors the very best chapters through “Models of Excellence” awards
These chapters define excellence. Best practices will be gleaned from the award winners and will be shared with the field to serve as models for other chapters to emulate in strengthening their local programs. The CEP is focused on the learning and skills developed by students as a result of chapter involvement, versus honoring chapters simply by the number of activities they employ throughout the year. The award application is written and presented in a manner that supports evidence of these findings.