Prof. Amanda Garcia Prof. Janice Fedor Elms College, Chicopee, MA DECA Leadership Course (Distributive Educational Clubs of America)

Evolution of Course Enactus/(SIFE) Business Club IACBE student case competition

DECA: Distributive Educational Clubs of America Founded in 1946 Partnership between educators, school administrators, and business professionals Competitive events, scholarships, educational conferences, and recognition awards Prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs

DECA College Level Business simulations Case study events Prepared business presentations

Elms DECA Leadership Course: 2 Main Topics Presentation SkillsLeadership Skills Students improve both individual and group presentation skills through case assignments Students develop their leadership skills through in class and campus wide activities

DECA Business Case Topics Hospitality management Sports marketing Strategic management Retail marketing Travel and tourism International marketing Entrepreneurship

Cases Analyzed With Variety of Disciplines/Frameworks Financial Legal Marketing Management Economic Ethics

Strategic Planning Skills Develop a variety of scenarios based on the main problem presented in case Analyze feasibility of options and make an optimal decision

Real World Applications Increases time management skills Forces prioritization under pressure Collaboration skills needed to succeed Effectively managing group dynamics

60 Minutes and Counting... Quickly gather, sort, and analyze data to solve a problem Improves critical thinking skills Utilize facts to create and present a persuasive argument/presentation

Added to their Skill Set Working well under pressure and within tight time constraints Being able to think on their feet while giving a presentation

60 Second Challenge Students required to speak for 60 seconds on a business related topic without pausing too long or speaking off topic Men vs. Women in a semester long challenge Increased students’ ability to think on their feet, be creative, and speak confidently while thinking of their next point

Feedback on Presentations BeforeAfter Groups were given constructive feedback on each presentation Students were evaluated on how well they incorporated previous feedback in to subsequent presentations

Leadership Skills Teams rotated the role of leader Every student learned project management Examine role of leadership on campus

Off Campus Leadership Partnered with local high school Mentored high school DECA class College students created program and evaluation Challenges of collaborating

Social Entrepreneurship Utilizing business techniques to find solutions to social problems Agafonow, A. (2014).Toward A Positive Theory of Social Entrepreneurship. On Maximizing Versus Satisficing Value Capture. Journal of Business Ethics,125(4),

Social Problems in Greater Springfield Community High school dropout rate is 40% High school students lack social capital to position themselves to succeed in college Those who enter college are not prepared

Putnam High School Students Elms students paired with Putnam high school students Informal mentoring about what college life is like and different types of majors available in college Feedback on speaking and presentation skills Elms students created and evaluated program

Leadership On Campus Challenged with identifying current problem on campus and utilizing leadership skills to solve the problem.

Leadership Motivated by Passion Students motivated by solving a common problem on campus

Current Problem & Solution Late Night HungerElms Snack Shack Students are hungry after the cafeteria and coffee shop have closed Create a business plan for a late night Snack Shack to be run at the campus center after hours

Leadership Experience Define problem Survey student population Write business plan for Snack Shack Outline steps to implement plan

Snack Shack Survey 172 responses in 48 hours Overwhelming response by students Clearly identified opportunity

Persuasive Presentation Present findings from survey and potential financial gain from Snack Shack to administration

Course Evaluation Case presentations Reflection papers Final business ethics presentation Attendance and participation

Comments From Previous DECA Students “This course was very helpful, I learned so much that I can apply in the workplace.” “At the end of the day, I truly believe this class was a great learning experience and helped build my confidence.”

Additional Student Comments “ After the class my critical thinking skills improved. It is not just about answering questions, it is about developing an action plan, addressing problems, and making recommendations.”

Summary Students were engaged in class and motivated to take on leadership initiatives Presentation and critical thinking skills were enhanced Students’ ability to work effectively in groups was improved

Questions? Thank you and good luck

References Costa, A.L. & Kallick, B. (2010). It takes some getting used to: Rethinking curriculum for the 21 st century. H.H. Jacobs (Ed.) Alexandria, VA: ASCD. DECA Business Management and Administration Instructors Guide, Grinspoon Entrepreneurship Conference, 2015 Gunn, R. & Durkin, C. (2010) Social Entrepreneurship: A Skills Approach. Policy Press.