Are you competing in a STAR Event this year?

Great!  If not, maybe this will help you change that decision. STAR Events are a great way for you to improve upon your public speaking, teamwork, and deadline-meeting skills. There are over 50 events for you to try!  But, I want to focus on just a few.

If you are someone who likes working with technology, check out FCCLA’s Online STAR Events!  One example is Chapter Website Design. In this event, you make a chapter website and are judged on your design, organization skills, and the content of your site!  In this event you submit your website to the national office for scoring. If your project does well, you will receive a notification if that your STAR Event is eligible to compete at the National Leadership Conference!  There you present your website to judges, allowing you to work on your public speaking and presentation skills!

If technology isn’t your area, don’t worry, there are plenty of STAR Events to choose from!  Another event you should check out is Job Interview! With this event you will learn skills that you will definitely need for getting a job in the future.  In this event, you use the knowledge gained in Family and Consumer Sciences classes to participate in a mock job interview.  You also need to create a portfolio that shows the judges you can complete the application and you know about the job you are applying for!

If all of these seem like they take a lot of time, you’re right!  STAR Events that advance to the National level take time to research, write, and practice, but it’s all worth it in the end!

All of the events mentioned are National STAR Events, which means you have the opportunity to advance to the National Leadership Conference, but Minnesota has developed its own set of STAR Events that compete at the State Conference!

If you are a busy student, it’s hard to find time to work on your STAR Event.  You need a computer, a portfolio, and all sorts of components for your project.  But, one Minnesota STAR Event in particular doesn’t require a portfolio or a presentation.

Everyday Equations is a STAR Event where you participate in a math test.  Math questions include, but are not limited to, recipe conversions, income tax, and square footage.

STAR Event rules and guidelines are on the www.mnfccla.org website and also on the national website www.fcclainc.org. 

I hope I was able to help you decide on your STAR Event that you want to compete in.  There are many to choose from, and it may be hard to decide, but in the words of Exec Director Wendy Ambrose, “Options give you power.”

Written By Jacob Just- State President-Elect