Advisor Update January 2020
SkillsUSA Michigan
This newsletter contains the Advisor Update and the SkillsUSA Flash!
2019-2020 Membership Dues
- Student: $14.00 = $8.00 (national) and $6.00 (state)
- Professional: $26.00 = $20.00 (national) and $6.00 (state). Reminder - All advisors MUST be professional members of SkillsUSA in order for their students to participate in any SkillsUSA activities!
2019-2020 Membership Registration Deadlines
January 15, 2020 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, 2020 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, 2020
- 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.
Calling all SkillsUSA Michigan members!
- Do you have cool school swag that others would love to have?
- Do you like to visit MI attractions?
- Do you like to go out to dinner?
- Are you someone that looks for unique gift items for family or friends?
- Do you like to try your luck at prizes and adventures?
The SkillsUSA Michigan Advisor Council is asking for your help! A silent auction fundraiser will be held at the 2020 SkillsUSA Michigan State Conference on April 17-19, 2020 in Grand Rapids, MI throughout the weekend, with bids closing on Sunday morning.
We are asking each school to contribute at least one item or gift basket reflective of your area in Michigan to be auctioned. Items or gift baskets should be valued at $25.00 or better and can be brought to the SkillsUSA Michigan SkillsUSA State Conference Headquarters at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel upon arrival on Friday April 17, 2020.
Schools are welcome to bring additional items for the silent auction. Examples of items or baskets could be: School SWAG items (shirts, hoodies, hats, etc.), gift cards from local businesses, area attractions, restaurants, items from local businesses, items that are specific to your location in Michigan, handcrafted items that are made at your school, and anything else you can think of!
Thank you in advance for your support of SkillsUSA Michigan! We appreciate your help supporting opportunities for students in SkillsUSA Michigan. All funds from this fundraiser will support the State Conference.
For more information please contact Carrie Warning at cwarning@geneseeisd.org.
Chapter Excellence Program
Chapter Excellence Program (CEP) is the single best way to build a successful SkillsUSA chapter. Every chapter is encouraged to participate in CEP and there are three award levels to recognize program involvement. The first two levels are acknowledged by a chapter’s state association and the third level is recognized nationally. Each level is designed to give chapters a benchmark for success and future improvement, leading to stronger chapters and more prepared students.
Start your CEP application today at http://www.skillsusa-register.org, it is due February 15, 2020. It is easy to do and if successful, you and your chapter will be recognized for your achievement at the State Leadership and Skills Conference on April 17-19, 2020. Bonus - for each CEP level achieved, the chapter will receive five entries into the incentive drawing for a SkillsUSA blazer, a $99 value.
Starting this year, achievement of CEP Level 1 will be required in order to be nominated for the State Advisor of the Year. More information about CEP is posted at https://www.skillsusa.org/programs/chapter-excellence-program/.
No State Run Contest Survey
For those contests that do not have a state-run competition, SkillsUSA Michigan can still send a contestant to Nationals to represent our state! If you are interested in any of the contests listed here http://skillsusa.org/competitions/skillsusa-championships/contest-descriptions/ that is NOT a state contest, please fill out this survey by February 1, 2020: https://forms.gle/dMcvcCmr4J7CqijQA.
Only those schools that have filled out the survey will be eligible! If more than one school is interested in a contest, I will contact the advisors involved and they will have to hold and run a state-level contest on a date and at a location of their choosing. The students in these contests need to be on your official roster by January 15, 2020 in order to compete.
FYI - This information is also used to determine interest in a contest that is not held at the state level and might need to be added in the future, so be sure to fill out this survey if you are interested in a contest that we do not hold in Michigan!
Save the State Contest Date!
Below is a preliminary list of state contests that are NOT on April 17-19, 2020 in Grand Rapids:
- March 13, 2020 - CPS Culinary Arts, Commercial Baking and Restaurant Service, Culinary Institute of Michigan - Port Huron
- March 14, 2020 - HS and CPS Aviation Maintenance, WMU - Battle Creek
- March 20, 2020 - CPS Welding and HS/CPS Welding Fabrication, WCC - Ann Arbor
2020 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 17, 2020 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 10, 2020. 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.
Advisor Code of Ethics
Don’t forget that an Advisor Code of Ethics needs to be on file at the state for all advisors. If you do not have an Advisor Code of Ethics on file, you can download the form at http://miskillsusa.org/advisors/forms/.
2020 Regional Qualifiers Numbers Chart
The 2020 Regional Qualifiers Numbers Chart is now available on our web site at http://miskillsusa.org/advisors/forms/.
Leadership Judge Nomination Form
We are in desperate need of Leadership judges for States! We have 18 Leadership contests and we would like a minimum of 5 judges per contest. That’s a total of 90 judges! If you know of someone who would be a great judge for a Leadership contest, please nominate them by February 1, 2020. The nomination form is available http://miskillsusa.org/wp-content/uploads/19sc_judgenomination.pdf.
Regional Competitions Reminder
All regional contests must be completed by March 1. Regional information will be posted on the web site at http://miskillsusa.org/conferences/regionalcontests/ as it become available. Please be sure that you are in the loop! Contact your regional representatives for information regarding your region’s competitions.
2019-2020 Competition Theme
The SkillsUSA competition theme for the 2018-2019 is: SkillsUSA: Champions at Work, I'm Ready. The topic is to be addressed by contestants in the Chapter Display, Prepared Speech and Promotional Bulletin Board competitions. More information is available at http://skillsusa.org/competitions/skillsusa-championships/theme/.
Regional School Cancellation Policy
In the past, there have been school cancellations on the day of a regional contest, therefore the Advisor Council has approved the Regional School Cancellation Policy at their meeting on December 13, 2011. be aware that all regional contests should plan two contest dates: the original contest date and a makeup date. The policy is posted on our web site at http://miskillsusa.org/advisors/forms/.
Online Regional Direct to State Form due February 15
All Direct to State contestants MUST be submitted via an online form by February 15, 2020. The online form is available at https://forms.gle/kxutN21PaTuKrxEF9. This is a major change from the past in both format and due date. FYI - The old Direct to States form WILL NOT be accepted! This form MUST be filled out for both HS and CPS divisions. I cannot stress the importance of this form.
- Failure to submit this form will result in your student NOT being allowed to compete at the State Conference!
Regional Contestant Ranking Sheet
The Regional Contestant Ranking Sheet is REQUIRED for all regional contests so that we know what contestants have qualified for States. An accurate contestant count is necessary for contest supply orders, contest site set-up, conference registration, etc. This form MUST be filled out for all regional contests and for both HS and CPS divisions. The form is on the web site at http://miskillsusa.org/advisors/forms/ and are Excel compatible.
- The Regional Contestant Ranking Sheet must be signed by the contest coordinator and emailed or faxed to your regional representative no later than 2 days after your contest.
- Failure to submit this form to your regional representative will result in those students NOT being allowed to compete at the State Conference!
- If we receive a State Conference registration for a contestant NOT on the Regional Contestant Ranking Sheet, he/she will NOT be allowed to compete!
- NO EXCEPTIONS!
Intent to Compete on Web Site
The 2020 Intent to Compete Grid is now posted on our web site at http://miskillsusa.org/advisors/forms/.
SkillsUSA Michigan’s Advisor of the Year
We are looking for a few good advisors! Honor that special advisor that has gone above and beyond the call of duty by nominating them for SkillsUSA Michigan’s Advisor of the Year. The Advisor of the Year form is due February 15, 2020. The nomination form is available on our web site at http://miskillsusa.org/advisors/forms/.
Starting this year, achievement of CEP Level 1 will be a required in order to be nominated for the State Advisor of the Year. More information about CEP is posted at https://www.skillsusa.org/programs/chapter-excellence-program/.
Advisor State Conference Checksheet
An Advisor State Conference Checksheet is available on our web site at http://miskillsusa.org/advisors/forms/. This checklist is a great tool with tips to help you keep on track and organized for the State Conference.
State Officer Candidate Application
Being a state officer is one of the highest honors a student can achieve in SkillsUSA Michigan. It can also be one of the most rewarding experiences for a student. If you have a student who wants to run for a 2020-2021 state office, please have them complete and submit the State Officer Application by March 6, 2020. The State Officer Application is available on our web site at http://miskillsusa.org/advisors/forms/.
IMPORTANT - There are several major changes to the State Officer Candidate application and requirements this year, so please be aware of them, the due dates and the new state officer candidate rubric. All items must be completed and submitted by the due date in order to be able to run for state office!
Plan Now for 2020 SkillsUSA Week
SkillsUSA Week is Feb. 2-8 and you can participate in many different ways: hold an open house, invite local media to tour your programs, conduct a community service project, work with area businesses to build more meaningful partnerships, or engage with policymakers to talk about the value of career and technical education.
We encourage you to celebrate all week by planning activities that follow the daily schedule of events that will be held by local chapters nationwide:
- Monday, Feb. 3, Appreciation Day. Plan an event to celebrate and honor the support of advisors, teachers and administrators.
- Tuesday, Feb. 4, Advocacy Day. Plan public relations activities including presentations to legislators, school board members, administrators and community leaders.
- Wednesday, Feb. 5, Member Outreach Day. Visit other schools to recruit middle school and elementary school students into your CTE programs or plan a special an activity for current members.
- Thursday, Feb. 6, SkillsUSA Service Day. Support your local community by focusing on a day of giving through a service project or fundraiser for a local charity.
- Friday, Feb. 7, SkillsUSA Day. Celebrate SkillsUSA by wearing your favorite SkillsUSA shirt, hold a final SkillsUSA Week celebration and post to social media.
For a sample calendar, proclamation and press release, go to: www.skillsusa.org/events-training/skillsusa-week.
Visit www.skillsusastore.org to order SkillsUSA Week T-shirts and other products to support your week of celebration.
State Leadership and Skills Conference
Friday, Apr 17, 2020, 12:00 PM
Grand Rapids, MI, USA
National Leadership and Skills Conference
Monday, Jun 22, 2020, 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