The Natrona County High School DECA Chapter was recently awarded a Gold Level Certification for their school-based enterprise, the Mustang Market. This collaborative project truly connects students with all interests as they work together to see it as a success. Marketing students put their creativity and strategic communication skills on display as they create new designs and materials while Business class students learn about entrepreneurship and gain valuable experience in customer service, cash-handling, and more. The Mustang Market provides a fun real-life work atmosphere for students who often use their time working there as a starting point for building their resumes. DECA students are responsible for the operation of the Mustang Market and build upon its success by providing fundraising opportunities for other school clubs and organizations to place NCHS spirit items on the shelves.
DECA Advisor, Kristy Williams, sees the skills obtained in the Mustang Market and through participation in DECA support students in their success past graduation, “Students can take anything they learn in DECA and apply it to real world situations in Marketing, Finance, Hospitality, Management, etc. I love when DECA Alumni reach back out and let me know that they are actually pursuing a degree, certification, or working in an area they competed in throughout high school. Last time I checked about 87% of my students were pursuing interests in the areas of their High School DECA concentration areas.”
DECA prepares emerging leaders in the fields of Marketing, Business Administration, Finance, and Hospitality. NCHS is committed to preparing responsible and life-long learners who value themselves, contribute to society, and succeed in a changing world!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS TERRIFIC ACCOMPLISHMENT, CHECK OUT THE DECA ORGANIZATION RELEASE BELOW
NCHS DECA Recognized for Outstanding School-Based Enterprise (SBE)
Casper, Wyoming – The Mustang Market, the school-based enterprise at Natrona County High School was among 461 school-based enterprises achieving GOLD LEVEL CERTIFICATION for the 2021-2022 school year and will be recognized during DECA’s International Career Development Conference in Atlanta, GA. Gold Level Certification is the highest level of certification for this event.
A school-based enterprise (SBE) is an entrepreneurial operation in a school setting that provides goods and services to meet the needs of the market. SBEs are managed and operated by students as hands-on learning laboratories that integrate National Curriculum Standards in marketing, finance, hospitality and management. DECA advisors have utilized this effective educational tool for over four decades to provide their students with realistic and practical learning experiences that reinforce classroom instruction, enhance 21st-century skill development, and prepare students for college and careers.
The Natrona County High School DECA members who contributed to the certification were Maddie Grinstead, Shea Wolfe, and Emily Patten, with the assistance of their DECA chapter advisor, Kristy Williams The SBE at Natrona County High School has operated for 6 year(s) and is to be commended for this achievement.
“DECA’s School-based Enterprise Certification Program is a rigorous process designed to help DECA members demonstrate their classroom learning in a practical, learning laboratory, and then translate that into meaningful outcomes,” said Christopher Young, CAE, Chief Program Officer at DECA Inc. “These DECA members are practicing important workplace readiness skills while preparing for college and careers.”
DECA’s School-based Enterprise Certification Program provides recognition for outstanding achievement by school-based enterprises and to motivate SBEs to strive for excellence and growth. SBEs can be certified at three levels: bronze, silver or gold. In order to apply for the certification, SBEs must submit extensive documentation that explains how the SBE demonstrates the practice of various marketing and retail standards. A review committee evaluates the documentation to determine which level of certification has been achieved. DECA’s School-based Enterprise programs are sponsored by Intuit and Otis Spunkmeyer Inc.
About DECA Inc.
DECA is a career and technical student organization that prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs who are interested in careers in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management. DECA enhances the preparation for college and careers by providing co-curricular programs that integrate into classroom instruction, apply learning, connect to business and promote competition. DECA student members leverage their DECA experience to become academically prepared, community oriented, professionally responsible, experienced leaders. DECA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with more than 225,000 members in 4,000 high school and college chapters in all 50 United States, Canada, Guam, Puerto Rico and Germany.
For more information about DECA, visit http://www.deca.org.