On Saturday, March 1st, North Park Secondary School welcomed more than 180 middle school students for DECA Junior, a one-day leadership and business event. Designed to introduce young students to the DECA experience, the event developed their teamwork, communication, and critical thinking skills.
Participants were divided into teams and participated in three team-building activities before a competition roleplay in front of a judge (mainly senior DECA members). The event’s purpose was to give middle schoolers an idea of the high school DECA experience, challenging students to collaborate, think on their feet, and present solutions involving business scenarios.
“The energy was awesome,” said one of the team leaders. “It was amazing to see how engaged the students were throughout the activities.”
North Park’s DECA chapter members played an important role in helping ensure the event ran smoothly. Providing a memorable experience for middle school students, DECA Junior also served as a fundraiser to help support future DECA events and trips, including the next international competition at Orlando in April called the International Career Development Conference (ICDC).
For many students, DECA Junior was their first exposure to the world of business and leadership competitions. By the end of the day, students walked away with confidence and the new skills they learnt during the day, accomplishing the main goal of this event.
With its success this year, DECA Junior continues to grow as an event that not only benefits future high school students, but also brings together the DECA community at this school.
Photo Credits: Jeevan D.
THE NORTH STAR 