Terms

Career And Technical Education (CTE) – Career and technical education is a program for middle and high school students who wish to explore career opportunities and acquire knowledge, skills, and competencies in an occupational field. Specialty areas within career and technology education include Agriculture Education, Business Education, Family/Consumer Sciences Education, Marketing Education, and Technology Education.

Career and Technical Student Organization (CTSO) – The term “career and technical student organization” (CTSO) refers to an organization for students enrolled in a career and technical education program. DECA is a CTSO within the marketing education program.

DECA – Formerly known as Distributive Education Clubs of America, DECA is an international student organization (local, state, and national) for high school students enrolled in marketing education courses or have an interest in participating in DECA. It is a co-curricular, student-centered organization led by a marketing teacher/advisor or other interested school district approved adult, providing hands-on experiences in the fields of marketing, business, and entrepreneurship. DECA provides conferences featuring college and career preparation as well as competitive events in which students can earn recognition, qualify for advancement to state and international competitions, and vie for scholarships while demonstrating career area knowledge.

DECA Advisor – A DECA advisor—usually an instructor in marketing, finance, hospitality, management, and entrepreneurship—is the adult who implements and leads a DECA chapter in a school.

DECA Chapter – A DECA chapter is a school organization chartered by a state association of DECA (such as Wyoming DECA) that consists of individual student DECA members and at least one advisor. It is a co-curricular organization associated with marketing and business education programs.

DECA Diamond – The official emblem of DECA is the diamond-shaped form. The DECA diamond has been represented in five distinct forms in DECA’s history, with the newest version of the DECA logo unveiled at the 2010 International Career Development Conference (ICDC).

DECA Divisions – DECA membership is organized into four divisions:

High School Division: Composed of individual high school chapters

Collegiate Division: Composed of individual college chapters

Alumni Division: Composed of former DECA members who wish to continue their participation in DECA and give back to the organization after high school or college.

Professional Division: Composed of individuals who have become business or marketing professionals and are interested in helping to develop the next generation of business and marketing leaders.

DECA, Inc. – DECA, Inc. is the legal identity of the adult group responsible for the youth program of DECA. DECA, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit student organization with members in all fifty United States, the District of Columbia, Canada, China, Germany, Guam, Hong Kong, Korea, Mexico, and Puerto Rico. The United States Congress, the United States Department of Education, and state and international departments of education authorize DECA’s programs. For more information about DECA, Inc., visit www.deca.org.

DECA Member – A student DECA member is one who has joined the organization through their high school DECA chapter. DECA membership also is open to DECA advisors, alumni, and professionals. Students who are in college may join Collegiate DECA. DECA members pay chapter, state, and national membership dues.

Marketing Education – Marketing education is a program within the career and technical education department that prepares students for employment and/or continuing education opportunities in marketing through classroom instruction, experiential education, student internships, and through leadership and personal development.

School Base Enterprise (SBE) – A school based enterprise is a simulated or actual business/industry conducted by a school. It replicates a specific business or industry and is a learning experience that provides direct links between students, their curriculum, and the world of work.

Charter Association Advisor – A DECA state/provincial advisor is the chief operating officer for the high school DECA organization in a specific state or province. The state advisor is selected by the chartered association to plan and conduct DECA activities within a specific geographic region. Mary Hopper, is the Charter Association advisor for Wyoming.

State Association – Chapters within a state, province, or territory comprise the state/provincial associations. State/provincial associations are chartered by DECA, Inc. with authority to operate DECA chapters in that state, province, or territory.

State Officer – A state officer is an elected/appointed student leader from each chapter representing the state association (Wyoming DECA) for one year as one of nine vice presidents or as the state president.

State President – The state president is a student DECA member elected by the voting delegates of the state association to represent Wyoming DECA. The state president serves as a leader to the state officer team and the members of the state association under the direction of the Wyoming DECA leadership.

Wyoming Association for Career and Technical Education (WACTE) – WACTE is a state affiliate of the Association of Career and Technical Education (ACTE), the largest national education association dedicated to the advancement of education that prepares youth and adults for careers. Wyoming’s ACTE’s mission is to provide activities for teachers, counselors, and administrators that both support and enhance career and technical education programs throughout the state. For more information about WACTE, visit www.wacte.net.

Wyoming Association of Marketing Educators (WYAME) – The Wyoming Association of Marketing Educators is an organization of educators who network to improve business and marketing education in the state of Wyoming.

Wyoming DECA – Wyoming DECA, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, is the state association of DECA for Wyoming State. Wyoming DECA is represented by students across the state.

Wyoming DECA Board of Directors – Wyoming DECA’s board of directors is comprised of business representatives, community members, and DECA advisors who act in an advisory capacity to Wyoming DECA.

Western Region DECA – State associations are grouped together as regions (Western, Central, North Atlantic, and Southern). Washington DECA is one of thirteen states plus Guam that comprise Western Region DECA. For more information about Western Region DECA, visit http://www.wrdeca.org/WRLC_2011.html.

Delegate – The term “delegate” refers to any DECA member, including advisors, attending DECA conferences.

Marketing and Entrepreneurship Conference (MEC) – Wyoming DECA’s Marketing and Entrepreneurship Conference is a one-day leadership and competition practice event that provides an opportunity for all Wyoming DECA student members to expand their knowledge, network with business professionals, practice and improve competition skills, interact with other DECA students in Wyoming, and gain a deeper understanding of DECA. For more information about MEC, visit the Conferences page.

International Career Development Conference (ICDC) – The International Career Development Conference brings together approximately twenty thousand high school students (state qualifiers), advisors, business professionals, and alumni from all fifty United States, the District of Columbia, Canada, China, Germany, Guam, Hong Kong, Korea, Mexico, and Puerto Rico for several days of excitement. Most participants at ICDC compete in one of DECA’s competitive events. The top competitors in each event are recognized for their outstanding achievements. In addition to the competitive events, many students and advisors participate in a variety of leadership and career advancing academies.

National Delegate – A national delegate is a student representative elected by his/her state association to conduct the official business of the student organization at the International Career Development Conference (ICDC). National officers are elected by and from these delegates.

State Career Development Conference (SCDC) – The State Career Development Conference is a two-day event where students from across the state of Wyoming compete in up to three of forty-two competitive events, vying to qualify for the International Career Development Conference (ICDC) competition. Wyoming DECA welcomes approximately two hundred volunteer judges—business professionals and community members—to evaluate our student competitors on their written projects and/or presentations that demonstrate solutions to real-world business situations within a variety of industries.

Western Region Leadership Conference (WRLC) – The Western Region Leadership Conference is a leadership event held in the fall for members from Western Region DECA, providing an opportunity for state association delegates and DECA advisors to develop leadership skills through presentations, workshops, business tours, and exhibits. For more information about WRLC, visit www.wrdeca.org.