Arizona DECA Students Prepare to “Get a Clue”

Submitted by Dennis Fiscus

On October 18, 2011 approximately 2000 Arizona DECA students, teachers, alumni and guests are expected to flood the Westgate City Center in Glendale, Arizona for the Annual Arizona DECA Fall Leadership Conference.

The conference begins inside the Jobing.com Arena with opening session featuring this year’s keynote speaker, Judson Laipply, who reached international fame with his YouTube video, “The Evolution of Dance,” which has been viewed by almost 200 million people world-wide. Following the conclusion of the opening session, students will be divided into 4 different leadership tracks as they participate in 2.5 hours of interactive leadership training inside the Jobing.com Arena, the University of Phoenix Stadium and the Westgate City Center shopping center.

This year’s theme, “Get a Clue,” highlights one of the most exciting, creative and challenging leadership programs ever created for high school students as 1/3 of all conference attendees will work in teams of 5 to solve a “Leadership Scavenger Hunt” puzzle created and developed by two different National Leadership Organizations (It’s a Clue and Tri Leadership Resources.) This marks the first time that this type of activity has been attempted at a State-level leadership conference.

Arizona DECA develops emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality and management and is currently operated in over 115 different high schools and colleges in Arizona with a membership of over 6500 students, teachers and business professionals. Arizona DECA is housed and funded in-part by the Career and Technical Education Division in the Arizona Department of Education, John Huppenthal – State Superintendent of Public Instruction.