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From Your Association’s CDC to ICDC: Making the Most of the In-Between
The eternal question sits in the mind of every DECA member: What should you do between your association conference and ICDC? The truth is, this in-between period holds more to do than you might think!

Go for Glass: Competition Tips from an ICDC Glass Winner
With ICDC just over a month away, preparation is key to your success. Preparing for competition improves your confidence and your professionalism. Discover several key preparation techniques in this article.

Leading the Future: Celebrating Women in DECA for Women’s History Month
Within DECA, celebrating women feels especially meaningful. Walk into any chapter meeting or conference, and you will see young women stepping forward as competitors, innovators, mentors and leaders.

Beyond Competition: The DECA ICDC Impact
When members think of ICDC, competition is usually the first thing that comes to mind. But DECA ICDC is an experience that shapes leaders long after the competition ends.

Turning Ambition into Action: Smart Ways to Fundraise for ICDC
From conference registration to flights and hotel stays, attending ICDC requires strategic financial planning. The good news? With creativity, organization and teamwork, fundraising can be just as empowering as competing.

Congratulations to the 2025-26 CEWD Power Perks Challenge Winners
CEWD and DECA are thrilled to announce the winners of the 2025-26 Power Perks Challenge!

Congratulations to the 2025-26 IIA Community Impact Challenge Winners
Infinity Insurance Agency (IIA) and DECA are thrilled to announce the winners of the 2025-26 Community Impact Challenge!

Glowing and Growing: How the Season of Spring Can Help You Bloom at ICDC
Just as flowers need preparation before they bloom, competitors need intentional planning to truly shine on the international stage. This spring, focus on glowing and growing so you can bloom at ICDC.

How CTE Shapes the Workforce of Tomorrow
CTE empowers students to explore careers and interests. By taking CTE classes, students now have the opportunity to gain hands-on experience and graduate with academic and real-world knowledge, preparing the future workforce.

Celebrating Black Innovators During Black History Month
As Black History Month comes to a close, the celebration doesn’t have to. Learn more about influential inventors and entrepreneurs who have made daily life easier for consumers in the current market.

The DECA Drop Episode 4: Go the Extra at Your Association Conference
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!

Overcoming Competition Day Nerves
For most DECA students, the most challenging part of a role-play isn’t the prompt; it's the nerves in a competitive environment. Learn about simple mindset fixes that can help increase confidence and boost scoring results.

10 Tips for Back to School
As the new school year begins, we must all learn to adapt to a new world. We'll encounter many online classes, virtual events and new guidelines for campus... To help you navigate it all, here is a list of ten tips for starting this school year strong.

Quick Guide to Virtual Chapter Meetings
Virtual meeting platforms have become a prominent form of communication between family, friends and businesses and many of these tools are here to stay. Being prepared to host or participate in a virtual meeting will allow you to stand out and make a great impression.

3 Fundraising Ideas for Fall
It seems that in every facet of DECA, fundraising is a necessity. During these unique times, it's important to innovate to ensure your chapter can participate in events and remain secure for the future. Here are three virtual fundraisers to try this fall.

5 Ways Collegiate DECA Will Take You to the Next Level
It's official, the school year is underway. While things will look different, there are still many ways to take yourself and your Collegiate DECA chapter to the next level!

Video Call Tips and Tricks
Practically overnight, video calls have become a new societal norm. This guide will provide you with a few tips and useful tricks to help improve your online learning or telecommuting experience.

A Quick Guide to Understanding Servant Leadership
The concept of leadership has been around since the days of Aristotle and Plato and has evolved countless times throughout the centuries. But in 1970, a new theory emerged. Developed by Robert Greenleaf, servant leadership is the idea that empowered leaders serve their followers and to enable them to live and work to their full potential.

The Ethics of Leadership
Ethical leaders exist in all walks of life. They are the individuals who step forward when crises occur, come to the rescue of others and generally do what's right—no matter what. Anyone can talk the talk, but can they walk the walk? In today's high-visibility, social world, more people are taking note of leaders’ behavior and holding them accountable.

DECA Direct Magazine: Next Level Leadership
A new school year brings new chances to elevate your leadership to the next level. Discover fresh ideas to enhance your chapter and become a leader worth following in your school, community and beyond.

The Next Level is Inclusion
It has never been more important for emerging leaders to be characterized by teamwork, innovation, competency and integrity. Fortunately, those are the valued characteristics of DECA’s student leaders. What if this moment needs you and the unique values that drive your leadership?

Top Tips for Socially-distant Membership Recruitment
Building your chapter’s membership is one of the most important ways to set it up for success in the new school year. But what are the best ways to recruit within the “new normal” of more virtual interactions and less in-person activities? Learn how to recruit new members the socially-distant way with these top tips.

The Power of the Diamond
Throughout your DECA career, you’ll wear the blazer, throw up a DECA diamond symbol and add lots of blue to your wardrobe. You will also undoubtedly hear DECA’s core values and mission statement more times than you can count. But have you ever stopped to think about what they really mean?

Cultivate Your Chapter’s Culture
2020 is a year that has changed all of our lives. If your DECA chapter has experienced a decline in recent months, struggling to cope with virtual meetings and maintain engagement, your chapter culture may need a boost.

