About DECA

DECA offers the kind of practical experience and leadership opportunities that your student cannot get anywhere else. It provides tools that teach the practical skills of career preparation, encourage exploration of career fields, and provide experience in the world of work.

Here is what DECA adds to students' educations:   ​

​Future Planning: DECA focuses the student on defining their college and career goals and emphasizes the relevance of core studies. More than any other program, DECA, along with a marketing education course, takes English, math, science, economics, and other areas of study and applies the skills learned in those classes to real-world situations. 

Relationship Building/Networking: With over 200,000 student members in all 50 states, as well as other countries, including Canada, Germany, Mexico, Guam, and Puerto Rico, your student has a strong network of friends and mentors who are focused on positive, worthwhile projects. Whether through a local chapter activity, at a state or international conference, or via relationships that are formed through interaction with like–minded DECA members, those relationships and skills can last a lifetime. 

Leadership/Recognition: DECA offers every member the chance to become recognized as a leader. Leadership training exists at each major DECA venue. Opportunities to demonstrate leadership traits take a multitude of forms – from team building group exercises to event planning; from holding office at the local, state, or national level to winning an individual or team competition. 

Résumé Enhancement: High school can be so much more than just classes and sports. Colleges and businesses want to see that students have a well–rounded foundation on which to build their academic or professional careers. Because DECA members have developed business and leadership skills, participated in community service projects, and perfected their talents through competitions, their college applications and Résumés are a cut above the rest. 

Work Experience: Students can get practical experience in the business world in a variety of ways through DECA and their high school curriculum. They role–play actual workplace situations in the classroom and in DECA competitions, and they can participate in DECA online business simulations. 

Citizenship: DECA members learn what it takes to make a difference in society. Civic Consciousness is not just a point of the DECA Diamond; community service is a major theme throughout our programming. Making the world a better place for all of its citizens can start as small as a DECA–sponsored school clean-up day or be as big as a DECA district, state, or nationwide event.