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DECA Duck Takes Flight at Smithville High School
Smithville High School’s DECA chapter has a new mascot, DECA Duck. What started as just a blue rubber ducky idea has become a school spirit sensation at DECA events and recruiting activities.

IBM SkillsBuild to Launch 8-Part Webinar Series on AI for Educators
Starting September 25th, IBM SkillsBuild is launching an incredible 8-part webinar series designed specifically for educators ready to be enabled and become force multipliers.

Major Keys: Unlocking College Success with a DECA Mindset
Success doesn’t come from luck; it comes from preparation, strategy, mindset and staying true to yourself. For many, college feels like the biggest stage of their life. But in reality, it’s actually not all that different from being a DECA member.

Would Taylor Swift’s Marketing Score Well on a DECA Rubric?
Taylor Swift has clearly conquered the music industry, but what if she stepped into the world of DECA competition? Let’s look at how she would perform in each section of the Principles of Marketing Event.

This Week in Business: What High School Students Should Know
Business is constantly evolving. Keeping up with these changes is vital for DECA competitors and high school students and can also be the difference between competing in a role-play and winning one.

The DECA Drop Premieres Episode 1: All Things DECA!
Your 2025–2026 Executive Officer Team saw how podcasts were taking off and wanted to give DECA members the same kind of experience: a place to pick up tips, hear updates and get to know our team!

Everything You Need to Know for DECA SBE Week 2025
Each day of #DECASBEWeek has a social media theme unique to DECA’s school-based enterprise program. Be sure to participate by sharing photos or videos that correspond to the daily theme.

Case Study of the Week: How to Protect a Mobile Bank Account From Identity Theft
Step into the role of a financial advisor at First Bank. A customer wants to open a mobile banking account to pay more bills online but is worried about identity theft and has asked for your help.

Filling The GAP: The Secret Behind Katseye's Viral Marketing
GAP’s recent marketing project shows that authentic brand representation, positive customer connections and creative engagement can be the key to marketing magic. Here's what the campaign teaches us about successful marketing.

From Role-play to Resume: Elevating Your College Application with DECA
Standing out on college applications goes beyond attending a few DECA meetings; the leadership opportunities, scholarships, networking and real-world skills can give you the edge you need to make your resume shine.

Go The Extra Classroom Photo Contest Winners
Over 100 advisors sent us their classroom photos featuring posters, plaques, awards, banners, the DECA Guide, and the 2025-26 DECA organizer.

Advisor Best Practice Spotlight of the Week: Logan Creekmur
DECA advisor Logan Creekmur is redefining member engagement through creative programming that blends community, connection, and career inspiration.

Watch Now: Executive Mentor Roundtable on De-stressing
Check out DECA’s Executive Mentor Roundtable on “De-stressing." Two executives share how stress—good and bad—plays a role in their everyday lives and offer tips and tricks to help you manage your stress in your personal and professional life.

5 Gears for a Healthy Lifestyle
Let's face it: being an emerging leader is not easy! We’re supposed to get good grades, be involved in our community, excel in extracurriculars and gain job experience. So, how can we manage it all? Read on the learn about the Five Gears!

DECA Direct Magazine: De-stress
Between school, volunteering, extracurricular activities and DECA, there’s never a shortage of things to do! Learn how to hit pause, slow down and discover the best ways to manage your stress.

5 Apps to Ease Your Stress
Looking to beat bad stress? Rather than endlessly scrolling through Instagram or stress-shopping on Amazon, turn to these apps to breathe, play and move your way to less stress!

Build Better Habits (and Break Your Bad Ones!)
Having the right habits is more important than ever as you navigate a busy school year. Read on to learn how you can create better habits in any area of your life, plus our tips and tricks for getting rid of your bad habits for good!

Mindfulness Your Way
You may have heard about mindfulness in one of your classes, and perhaps you’ve even tried meditating a time or two. For many people, meditation and other mindfulness practices are a go-to source for stress relief, getting in the zone before a role-play or resetting emotions after encountering an upsetting situation.

De-stress for Success
Life will always throw challenges your way, but the biggest challenges present opportunities for the greatest rewards. So, what’s the best way to manage stress? While there is no one-size-fits-all answer, here are some of the ways that work best for me.

Stress to Success: How to Use "Good Stress" to Succeed in Competition
Stress is often perceived as a negative experience, but the right kind of stress can actually fuel your success in competition and beyond. Read on to learn about "good stress", how to distinguish it from the bad and ways you can harness it to take your competitive edge to the next level!

Work Out the Stress
Today’s teens pack a lot into their busy schedules, which has caused stress levels and anxiety to increase in recent years. D’Andre Vasquez, DECA’s 2019-2020 High School Division President, discusses how he handles the stress in his life and how you can too!

How to Fight Off Zoom Fatigue
Whether it’s trying to combat Zoom fatigue or attempting to deal with the strain and stress that comes from staring at a screen all day, here are three tips to help you de-stress in an age of virtual living.

Take the Stress Out of DECA Scholarship Applications
Each year, DECA awards over $200,000 in scholarships to deserving high school and college members. Here are five tips to help take the stress out of applying for DECA scholarships.

5 Tips to Take Your Productivity to the #NextLevel
Schoolwork, volunteering, extracurricular activities, DECA... can you really do it all without endless all-nighters? We think so! Check out five of our favorite ways to level-up your schedules, to-do lists and priorities for peak productivity.

