We hope you are as excited as our State Officer team to attend the 2015 Fall Leadership Conference,
#Whatholdsyouup. The conference will be held at Cedar Lakes Resort in Ripley, WV, October 21-22,
2015. The state officer team wants to make sure you have all details in order to arrive ready to
work! They would also like for each lead advisor to send Mrs. Gillman a list of attendees and let us
know the office each holds or if the person attending is simply a school leader. They have a special
session dedicated to these positions.
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Registration is now open for the 2015 Fall Leadership Conference!!! Register online at
http://www.skillsusa-register.org/Login.aspx. We will be able to accommodate the first 250
advisors and students who register. You do not have to have your national and state dues paid
before attending Fall Leadership Conference.
 Registration closes October 9, 2015
The cost to attend is $80 which includes lodging at one of the Camp Cottages, meals, insurance,
T-shirt, guest speaker, dance, awards, favors, materials and supplies.
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We will be staying in dorm style lodging, you must bring either a sleeping bag or sheets
w/pillowcase (twin bed size); bath towels/washcloths, blanket and your own toiletries.
 Advisors wishing to make alternative lodging arrangements, please call 304.558.2194 for
additional charges.
Attached is a 2015 SkillsUSA Fall Leadership Abbreviated Agenda. Please check for
arrival/departure times.
Preconference Assignment : HP Life Effective Leadership
 Complete the free HP LIFE eLearning course called Effective Leadership. Go to: www.lifeglobal.org/go/skillsusa/wv. If you have not registered for HP LIFE, please follow the
registration instructions. Once you have logged into HP LIFE, click on courses and then
take the Effective Leadership course. At the end of the course, you will receive a
Certificate of Completion. Please print your certificate and bring it to WLTI to submit
during registration.
 Bring a sharpie for autographs!
 Bring your western look for the dance: boots, hat, flannel shirt, bandana
 Let us know what office your hold
Attached is a Parent Participation Form-You may also use Parental Permission Forms provided
by your county. Advisors make sure you have a copy of the medical release form that was
completed during the registration process for each student attending.
Students are not allowed to drive to the conference. They must be accompanied by an
advisor. Follow you county travel guidelines/policy regarding transportation to and from Cedar
Lakes.
Dress for the workshops is jeans and T-shirts (appropriate logos-preferably SkillsUSA!). Bring a
coat or jacket.
Meals are provided in the $80 registration but you will want to bring some snacks and soft
drinks/bottled water.
Dress for the Award Ceremony is Professional or Business Professional if you are a new chapter
and do not have the official SkillsUSA blazer/windbreaker. Acquiring a Statesman Award is an
Honor and should be celebrated as such!!
You will be given your lodging location upon sign in October 21st, 2015.
This conference is an extension of school and your students must follow the Code of Conduct as
prescribed by SkillsUSA located on the medical release.
A photo release is located on the Medical Release form as well. We will be doing a video and
pictures so make sure this permission is signed.
Directions to Cedar Lakes below.
We are very excited and hope we have at least 2 representatives from each of our SkillsUSA
West Virginia chapters!!!!!!
Cedar Lakes is conveniently located off I-77 at the Ripley/Fairplain Exit #132. Just 38 miles north of the
state capitol, Charleston, and south of Parkersburg.
FROM THE NORTH:
 Take Exit 132 off I-77
 At bottom of exit ramp, turn left on Route 21 North
 Go underneath the Intersection
 Make first right onto Cedar Lakes Drive (Burger King)
 Cedar Lakes Conference Center is 3.5 miles on the right
FROM THE SOUTH:
 Take Exit 132
 At bottom of exit ramp, make a right on Route 21 North
 Make first right onto Cedar Lakes Drive (Burger King)
 Cedar Lakes Conference Center is 3.5 miles on the right
FOR GPS COORDINATES:
Visitors have had varying levels of success getting to Cedar Lakes using various GPS devices. We have
worked with Google to give you the most up to date driving directions to our conference center.
 The following coordinates should bring you to the entrance gate, we make no promises
about what the routing will be like. 38.793396,-81.688145
 Input 1372 Cedar Lakes Drive to your GPS
SkillsUSA West Virginia Welcomes West Virginia Schools for the Deaf and the Blind
SkillsUSA West Virginia would like to welcome West Virginias Schools for the Deaf and the Blind’s new
chapter. Also, a big thank you to Kathy Kuykendall for making this happen! Hope to see you at the
upcoming Fall Leadership Conference and at the State Conference in April!!
U.S. Presidential Scholars Program-Please nominate our outstanding WV CTE students
On June 22, 2015, President Obama signed an expansion of the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program to
include students with outstanding scholarship and achievement in career and technical education (CTE).
The nomination process for the 2016 U.S. Presidential Scholars will include five (5) students from West
Virginia who demonstrate excellence in CTE.
Eligible high school seniors are those who are participants in a CTE program, are graduating between
January and June of 2016, are U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents, and who attend public,
parochial, or independent schools, or are home-schooled. Nominees will be announced and invited to
apply to the program in mid-January 2016 by the U.S. Presidential Scholars program office.
Please click on link below to nominate CTE students for this award. So far WV has not had a
nomination and we know that we have met these outstanding students! Please take the time to get
our students recognized.
http://wvde.state.wv.us/forms/2015/cte/presidential-scholars/
FREE ADVISOR INCENTIVES
SkillsUSA advisors will receive three educational resources when they register 15 student members plus
one or more professional members by Nov. 15. They will receive a copy of Ignite, a new resource
designed around the SkillsUSA Framework with a variety of classroom activities that spark student
engagement. They will also receive a copy of Jump Into STEM! This new program teaches SkillsUSA
members how to facilitate STEM workshops for elementary school students. The downloadable
curriculum includes instructions for running 22 activities for hands-on learning. The third free resource,
free to paid professional members, is the Career Readiness Curriculum (CRC). This program supports the
framework of the SkillsUSA mission, which includes personal, workplace and technical skills grounded in
academics — all essential to a successful technical education and future workplace success. The CRC
curriculum includes 27 lesson plans and is based on national employability initiatives. For more details
on these incentives, see the membership kit or visit the SkillsUSA website:
www.skillsusa.org/membership-resources/advisors/membership-kit/.
Advisors and Students Invited to Attend the Mid-America Leadership Conference
Advisors and students are invited to attend the Mid-America Leadership Conference October 29 November 1, 2015 in Columbus, Nebraska. This is the only regional conference that teaches the
students/advisors how to run a local SkillsUSA chapter using the Program of Work. Changes have been
made to introduce the new Framework, Chapter Excellence Program and Career Readiness. If you have
an advisor that is searching for training in how to start his/her local chapter and have the students take
ownership, this is a must for them. See attached flyer if interested!
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SKILLSUSA EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES CATALOG
The SkillsUSA Educational Resources Catalog has been mailed to chapters and is included with the hard
copy of this Executive Update. Prices in the 2015-2016 catalog will expire August 31, 2016. Only one
catalog is mailed per school year.
SURVEYS COMING SOON
Please let your advisors know that they may expect to see a survey arriving in the mail early this fall.
SkillsUSA is collaborating in large surveys of high-school CTE students and health sciences
students.
One packet with survey forms for teachers and students entitled The Research Consortium on
CTE Pathways will be sent to some high-school CTE teachers, including some SkillsUSA advisors.
This survey was developed in collaboration with the Educational Research Center of America
(ERCA), The Manufacturing Institute and SkillsUSA. A separate packet with survey forms for
teachers and students entitled Research Consortium on Health/Science Careers will be sent to
some high-school biology and health sciences teachers, including some SkillsUSA health sciences
advisors. This survey was developed in collaboration with ERCA, the National Association of
Biology Teachers (NABT) and SkillsUSA.
As technology, the economy and the cost of education continue to shift, so too do student
perceptions about postsecondary education and career choices. That’s why SkillsUSA is
collaborating with ERCA and the other two strategic partners to assess current trends and needs as
well as to better align our services to meet those needs. By including your students as part of this
important research project, you can help them:
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further consider their strengths, interests and the career options open to them
receive targeted information from colleges, universities, career and technical schools
and other postsecondary institutions seeking to recruit students with their specific interests,
talents, skill sets, and career goals
gain more access to postsecondary scholarship opportunities
The ultimate objective is to stimulate a dialogue about career pathways between parents, teachers
and students. Later this year, SkillsUSA will post information from the pilot phase of this project on
our website, and an annual report will follow in 2016.
The ultimate objective is to stimulate a dialogue about career pathways between parents, teachers
and students. Later this fall, SkillsUSA will post information from the earlier pilot phase of this
project on our website and an annual report will follow in 2016.
If you want to make sure advisors or students in your state are included in the survey mailings,
please send the name with the high school address to info@studentresearch.org with “CTE Career
Survey” or with “Health/Science Survey,” as appropriate, in the subject line to be sure they are on
the list.
CHAPTER EXCELLENCE PROGRAM (CEP)
A year ago, SkillsUSA launched the Chapter Excellence Program to honor SkillsUSA chapters in the
areas of personal, workplace and technical skills. The Chapter Excellence Program aligns with the
SkillsUSA Framework and establishes a baseline for quality chapters, with incentives for top
performers. The program consists of three award levels. The first level of the program honors
chapters for meeting standards as a “Quality Chapter.” The second level recognizes chapters that go
beyond the basic requirements with bronze, silver and gold “Chapters of Distinction” awards. The
third level honors the best chapters in the nation with a “Models of Excellence” award at the 2016
SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference. In this program, the focus is on the
achievement of the students as a result of chapter involvement, not on the number of activities
completed or participation in competitions. The emphasis is on student efforts in assuming personal
responsibility, integrity, work ethic and organization in chapter activities. For more information on
how to participate, see the membership kit or go to: www.skillsusa.org/programs/chapter-excellenceprogram/.
ENTER THE SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN CONTEST
SkillsUSA and Lowe’s are co-sponsoring a new Social Media Campaign Contest that is sure to be
exciting. The program will grant up to $25,000 to the winning chapter and up to $10,000 to the
second- and third-place winners for their projects. The funds can be used for campus improvement
or community enhancement. The first step is to identify a need, then to complete a written
application and a video proposal. Your 3-5 minute video will tell the story of why this project is
important, how it will be conducted and what the outcomes will be when Lowe’s and your school
work together to serve others. The project will be conducted with your local Lowe’s home
improvement store. The deadline is Dec. 1 and full details are in the membership kit. Here is the
link: www.skillsusa.org/competitions/social-media-campaign-contest/.
MEMBERSHIP KITS NOW TARGET SPECIFIC MARKETS
SkillsUSA membership kits have been mailed to all chapters that affiliated with SkillsUSA last year
and extra kits have been mailed to all state offices. There are three unique membership kits this year,
each designed for a specific market: middle school, high school and college/postsecondary. Each kit
includes: three posters, a DVD containing videos and educational resources, tools for recruitment,
lesson plans, enrollment instructions, programs, scholarship and recognition opportunities,
membership cards, and information on products. Please call if you need additional kits at any time,
either sent to you or directly to a school. The SkillsUSA membership hotline can take care of all
membership or chapter questions including how to start a new chapter, enter membership online,
strengthen and grow an existing chapter, and more. Call toll free 844-875-4557. All of the
membership materials can also be downloaded online at: www.skillsusa.org/membershipresources/advisors/membership-kit/.
CALL FOR SKILLSUSA TALENT
SkillsUSA is once again seeking talented student or adult singers to sing the national anthem at the
opening ceremony during the 2016 SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference. Audition
tapes must be the singing of the national anthem. If selected, SkillsUSA does not pay any travel
expenses for attending the national conference. Please be sure each CD or DVD is marked with
your name, address, school name and email address. Email submissions are not accepted. Please
send audition videos on CD or DVD to Heidi Walsh, SkillsUSA, 14001 SkillsUSA Way, Leesburg,
VA 20176. Questions may be directed to Heidi at 703-737-0615 or hwalsh@skillsusa.org. Videos
must be received by Feb. 5.
STATE FARM YOUTH ADVISORY BOARD LOOKING FOR NEW MEMBERS
Applications are now available for new board members for the State Farm Youth Advisory Board
(YAB). This is an incredible opportunity for young people to grow as a leaders, help out their
communities and network with a diverse group of 30 youths, ages 17-20, from across the United
States. The YAB board is responsible for granting $4 million for service-learning projects that
address pressing issues directly affecting communities and $1 million for community initiated
projects through the State Farm Neighborhood Assist Program. As a member of the YAB, students
will be provided an amazing personal developmental opportunity, as well as being able to make a
long-lasting impact in communities they care about and provide solutions to today’s pertinent issues.
Students can apply now by visiting http://sfyab.com/apply/the-board/. The application deadline is Oct.
2, at 5 p.m. (CST).
ACTE T & I AWARDS NOMINATIONS DUE SOON
The ACTE Trade and Industrial Education Division is accepting nominations for the Trade and
Industrial Education Division Awards for 2015.
The T&I Division offer awards for the following categories:
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New Teacher – For those who have been teaching for less than five years
Teacher – For those who have been teaching for five or more years
Lifetime Service – For those who have made significant contributions to CTE throughout
their career
A candidate must be a current national ACTE Trade and Industrial Education Division member for
all categories with exception to the Lifetime Service Award. Please take a moment to visit the ACTE
Trade and Industrial Education Division webpage to get more information on each award and the
requirements for submitting a nomination: www.acteonline.org/tie/#.VdSsDrR1qS1. Don’t delay, the
deadline for submitting nominations is Sept. 15.
DUE DATES
Aug. 31
Deadline for completing the 2015 NLSC survey
Sept. 15
Nomination deadline for ACTE Trade and Industrial Education Division Awards
Oct. 2
State Farm Youth Advisory Board applications due
Oct 9
Fall Leadership Conference Registration Closes
Nov. 15
Membership registration deadline to receive free educational resources
Nov. 24
Dec. 1
Feb 1
Feb. 5
Verizon Innovative App Challenge entry deadline
Lowe’s Social Media Campaign Contest entries due
State and National Dues need to be paid
National anthem audition tapes due
SkillsUSA: Champions at Work