Career Academy
& Technical Center

Career & Technical Education (CTE) Student Organizations

The Bismarck Career Academy & Technical Center support three very involved student organizations: SkillsUSA, TSA, and FFA.

SkillsUSA is a student organization that is committed to preparing students for leadership in the world of work. It prepares students through competition and leadership training. SkillsUSA members participate in a Leadership Conference offered in the fall and the State National Competition offered in the spring. Those students from around the state who place first in their area of competition are given the opportunity to participate in the National SkillsUSA Competition which is held every June.

North Dakota State SkillsUSA is committed to preparing students for leadership in the workplace through occupational and leadership competition and training. It provides quality education experiences for students in leadership, teamwork, citizenship, and character development, while building self-confidence, work attitudes and communication skills. It emphasizes total quality at work, high ethical standards, superior work skills, lifelong education, and pride in the dignity of work. SkillsUSA also promotes understanding of the free enterprise system and involvement in community service activities.

National SkillsUSA is a partnership of students, teachers and industry representatives, working together to ensure America has a skilled work force. It helps each student excel.

SkillsUSA is a national nonprofit organization serving teachers and high school and college students who are preparing for careers in trade, technical and skilled service occupations, including health occupations.

Technology Student Association (TSA) provides leadership and opportunities in technology, innovation, design and engineering. Over 150,000 middle and high school students nationwide aspire to be future engineers, scientists and technologists through the TSA. In a word, it is about INNOVATION! It is about how people think! It is how to apply technology in the solution of problems facing society! The aim is to solve problems and create opportunities within a realistic context. That context can start with the student's everyday environment and progressively move into more global issues.

Examples of technology problems and learning situations could be the cleaning of a stream that has become polluted, the creating and fabricating of an invention to solve a household problem, or the designing and building of a habitat for a unique situation. The thinking process is closely related to that of an engineer, hi-tech worker, designer, or an architect.

TSA students use their ingenuity with tools, materials, processes and resources to create solutions and opportunities for themselves and others. The nature of learning goes from the very early years of just "knowing" to more developed applications that relate to the medical, agricultural, energy and power, information and communication, transportation, manufacturing and construction technologies. It is a new and dynamic subject in our schools that is as fast moving and as up-to-date as the thinking of technology in our society! It is future workforce thinking!

Future Farmers of America (FFA) Future Farmers of America is the organization for students preparing for careers in the industry of agriculture. FFA activities and award programs complement instruction in vocational agriculture/agribusiness. A major emphasis of the FFA is the development of leadership skills. FFA students participate in Greenhand Roping competition, Annual Fruit Sales, and the National Convention.

North Dakota State FFA is dedicated to making a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education.

The National FFA Organization is dedicated to making a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education.

The National FFA Organization operates under a Federal Charter granted by the 81st Congress of the United States, and is an integral part of public instruction in agriculture. The U.S. Department of Education provides leadership and helps set direction for the FFA as a service to state and local agricultural education programs.