Advisor Update November 2018
SkillsUSA Michigan
This newsletter contains the Advisor Update and the SkillsUSA Flash!
Great Lakes Giving Campaign
Be a part of SkillsUSA Michigan's Great Lakes Giving Campaign! You can change the lives of skilled trade students in Michigan! Your generosity helps ensure SkillsUSA members are equipped to become the most highly skilled workforce in Michigan and provides every SkillsUSA member the opportunity for career success. By supporting SkillsUSA Michigan, your gift will enhance programs and increase services to students across Michigan. Give today at https://tinyurl.com/miskillsusagiving. Please share this link with those who support Michigan's future workforce!
2018-2019 Membership Dues
- Student: $14.00 = $8.00 (national) and $6.00 (state)
- Professional: $26.00 = $20.00 (national) and $6.00 (state)
- NEW THIS YEAR! - All advisors MUST be professional members of SkillsUSA in order for their students to participate in any SkillsUSA activities!
2018-2019 Membership Registration Deadlines
November 15, 2018 is the deadline for your initial membership registration to be submitted to the National Office to be able to receive all four issues of Champions Magazine and free teacher items. All rosters are to be submitted online at http://www.skillsusa-register.org/. Schools are encouraged join by November 15, 2018 in order to ensure full membership services for the year.
January 15, 2019 is the deadline for your final membership registration to be submitted to the National Office. All students must be paid members of SkillsUSA Michigan by January 15, 2019 in order to participate in regional, state and national competitions and/or conferences. If you have any questions/concerns about this deadline, please contact me!
All membership registrations must be submitted online at http://www.skillsusa-register.org/. Paper rosters are discouraged. Please make sure that all membership checks are sent directly to the National Office. When registering, be sure to also register your section under the specific program name, not just Mixed Training. This information is very helpful to the national office in determining what programs are at what schools.
Membership Incentives
SkillsUSA Michigan is encouraging each chapter to increase their membership this year. Each chapter that submits their membership by the due date listed below will qualify for the following incentive(s). Membership must be submitted online at www.skillsusa-register.org by the due dates in order to meet the requirements.
State Incentive: Membership Increase by January 15, 2019
- For every five member increase over last year’s membership, the chapter will receive one entry into the drawing for a SkillsUSA blazer, a $99 value.
- Both student and professional members are included in the chapter’s total membership.
- Drawing will be held at the State Leadership and Skills Conference in April.
National Incentive: Membership Submitted by November 15, 2018
- As a special membership incentive, register at least 15 student members in your training program plus one or more professionals by Nov. 15, and you will receive a free educational resource item, The Four Pillars (value $4.95).
- Instructors who register with 100-percent membership plus one or more professionals will also receive a SkillsUSA Program of Work calendar (value: $5.95).
SkillsUSA Night with the Detroit Pistons
SkillsUSA Michigan members will have a one of a kind opportunity to meet professionals who work behind the scenes for the Detroit Pistons on December 7, 2018. Guest speakers will cover many aspects of the industry including marketing, sales, communications, public relations, internships and more. At the end of the day members will be guests of Little Caesars Arena as they watch the Detroit Pistons. Register early to ensure that your chapter members won’t miss out on this awesome opportunity. The registration form is available at http://miskillsusa.org/advisors/forms/ and is due November 2018.
2019 State National Anthem Contest
A SkillsUSA Michigan member will be selected to sing the National Anthem acapella at the Friday Opening General Session on April 5, 2019 at the State Conference. Interested members must submit an audition file of them singing the National Anthem in order to be considered. Student must be a current member of SkillsUSA Michigan and must pay the State Conference registration fee. Only individual entries are allowed, no groups.
All audition files must be posted via the online form available at http://miskillsusa.org/advisors/forms/no later than January 11, 2019. Audition files received after this date will not be considered.
SkillsUSA Michigan reserves the right to not have a student sing the National Anthem if it is deemed that there are no qualified entries submitted by the due date.
State Standards of Excellence Program
SkillsUSA Michigan was recognized for achieving the Gold level of the 2018 State Standards of Excellence program. Started in 2017, the purpose of the State Standards of Excellence Program is to ensure state associations have in place policies, procedures and structures that deliver a high level of service to its members.
Envision Tomorrow Today Newsletters Sent
The Fall 2018 issue of the Envision Tomorrow Today newsletter was sent to all Lead Advisors last month. Your school received a copy for each SkillsUSA Michigan member in 2017-2018. Please be sure to distribute them to your students. The newsletter is also posted on our web site at http://miskillsusa.org/students/newsletters/.
SkillsUSA Flash
Youth Service America Offers Grants to Engage Volunteers
Youth Service America (YSA) is accepting applications for Martin Luther King Day of Service Grants to activate young volunteers. Funded by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, these grants offer youth development organizations and schools the funding and training to effectively recruit and engage young people in meaningful service activities.
Grants are $1,000 to activate a minimum of 500 youth during the MLK Day weekend (Jan. 18-21). Applicants should focus on engaging middle- and high-school-age youth from underserved communities to lead service or service-learning projects through which they can acquire 21st Century Skills (collaboration, communication, creativity and critical thinking). The application deadline is Nov. 4. For more information, go to: http://ysa.org/grant/mlkday/.
Seeking Talented Singers to Open Conference
SkillsUSA is seeking talented student or adult performers to sing the national anthem at the Opening Ceremony for the 2019 SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference. Audition videos can be submitted via: https://skillsusa.wufoo.com/forms/national-anthem-auditions/ and must be the singing of the national anthem.
Auditions must be received by Feb. 4. SkillsUSA does not pay any travel expenses for the selected singer to attend the national conference. Questions may be directed to Heidi Walsh at 703-737-0615 or hwalsh@skillsusa.org.
Free Safety Resources Available for Postsecondary Educators
Statistics indicate that every day, two to three workers die on construction sites in the United States. New and young workers are at highest risk for injury. But through safety education, career and technical programs can help keep future workers safe.
Free resources are available to help postsecondary instructors and administrators:
- Assess your program, using the online assessment tools, to determine how it’s doing in the areas of safety and health management systems, instructor qualifications and support, effective teaching and learning, and offsite learning
- Learn how to prepare students to work safely in hazard-filled environments
- Download and share handouts that can be used at your meetings
The free resources are now available at: http://bit.ly/cte-guide.
SkillsUSA has supported this effort, based on research conducted in 2015-16 by the University of California Berkeley’s Labor Occupational Health Program and West Virginia University’s Injury Control Research Center. Other supporters include the Association for Career and Technical Education, the Association for Skilled and Technical Sciences, and the National Council for Workforce Education. Funding came from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), through CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training.
Register by Nov. 15 to Receive These Membership Incentives
Why is it important to register yourself as a professional member of SkillsUSA? Becoming a professional member of SkillsUSA is one of the best ways you can demonstrate to your students the importance of the organization and the opportunities that membership will provide. As a professional member, you will receive online access to the following: 2019 SkillsUSA Championships Technical Standards, Jump into STEM! curriculum and SkillsUSA Career Essentials: Foundations.
SkillsUSA professional members, as a no-cost member benefit, receive the aforementioned items when they have submitted a current and accurate email address along with their membership details. The 2019 SkillsUSA Championships Technical Standards is available online to professional members as part of their paid membership. Once membership has been submitted, an email will be sent to the address on file that will include a PIN to access the items electronically.
As a special membership incentive, register at least 15 student members in your training program plus one or more professionals by Nov. 15, and you will receive a free educational resource item, The Four Pillars: Your Personal Leadership Journey (value: $4.95). Instructors who register with 100-percent membership plus one or more professionals will also receive a SkillsUSA Program of Work calendar (value: $5.95).
For more details on these incentives, see the membership kits or visit the SkillsUSA website:
www.skillsusa.org/membership-resources/membership-kit-2/high-school/5-register-students-members-skillsusa/ or you can begin to register yourself and your students at: www.skillsusa-register.org
SkillsUSA and Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Team Up To Support Outstanding Skilled Trades Students and Chapters
SkillsUSA has partnered with Harbor Freight Tools for Schools on a new grant opportunity for SkillsUSA chapters. Eligible programs can receive up to $5,000 to strengthen their local SkillsUSA chapter.
Act now — applications will be accepted through Nov. 15, and grant recipients will be announced Dec. 1. The grants are intended for SkillsUSA chapters established within the past three years that serve students enrolled in one of 29 construction, transportation or manufacturing occupational programs or contests.
To apply, chapters must complete an electronic application and explain how they will use the grant to improve the SkillsUSA program at their school. Applications will be evaluated based on proposed plans, community partnerships and sustainability of program improvements. Schools with 75 percent or more of their enrolled students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunches are encouraged to apply. Grant recipients will be required to complete an evaluation of their implementation during the 2018-19 school year, sign photography/video waivers and provide photos of students and teachers participating in activities funded by the grant.
Danny Corwin, executive director of Harbor Freight Tools for Schools, said, “Harbor Freight Tools for Schools could not be prouder to support excellence in high school skilled trades education through this partnership with SkillsUSA. The outstanding students, advisors and mentors of the SkillsUSA community demonstrate the great promise of the trades as a course of study and career.” SkillsUSA executive director Timothy Lawrence added, “Partnerships like these expand opportunities for our members and strengthen relationships between education and industry. SkillsUSA is thrilled to partner with Harbor Freight Tools for Schools on this program, which supports the growth of SkillsUSA chapters across the nation.”
The grant opportunity is available to high schools with SkillsUSA chapters established after July 1, 2015, in trade areas that align with the following SkillsUSA Championships competitions:
- Additive Manufacturing
- Architectural Drafting
- Automotive Refinishing Technology
- Automotive Service Technology
- Aviation Maintenance Technology
- Cabinetmaking
- Carpentry
- CNC Milling Technology
- CNC Technician
- CNC Turning Technology
- Collision Repair Technology
- Electrical Construction Wiring
- Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (HVACR)
- Industrial Motor Control
- Major Appliance and Refrigeration Technology
- Masonry
- Mechatronics
- Plumbing
- Residential Systems Installation and Maintenance
- Sheet Metal
- TeamWorks
- Welding
- Welding Fabrication
- Welding Sculpture
Grant restrictions: The grant may not be used for the purchase of tools, hardware, electronics or related items or accessories including automotive and motorcycle supplies or accessories, engines and generators, garage and machinery equipment or accessories, lawn and garden equipment, welding equipment or accessories, or material handling equipment and supplies.
To complete the grant application, go to: https://skillsusa.wufoo.com/forms/harbor-freight-tools-for-schools/
For more information, email Cathy Arrington at carrington@skillsusa.org.
Help is Only a Call, Email or Chat Away!
Hotline operators are ready to answer your questions on how to start a new chapter, engage chapter members and strengthen an existing chapter. Operators are on call from 8 a.m.–5 p.m. (Eastern time) Monday, Wednesday and Friday and from 11 a.m.–7 p.m. (Eastern) Tuesday and Thursday. Call the hotline toll free: 844-875-4557.
Don’t have time to call? Send the operators an email at operators@skillsusa.org or chat with them online at the membership registration site.
Fall Leadership Conference
Monday, Nov 5, 2018, 12:30 PM
Lansing Center, East Michigan Avenue, Lansing, MI, USA
State Leadership and Skills Conference
Friday, Apr 5, 2019, 12:00 PM
Grand Rapids, MI, USA
National Leadership and Skills Conference
Monday, Jun 24, 2019, 09:00 AM
Louisville, KY, United States
About Us
Email: info@miskillsusa.org
Website: www.miskillsusa.org
Location: Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI, United States
Phone: 734-487-3888
Facebook: www.facebook.com/miskillsusa
Twitter: @miskillsusa