Haiti Disaster Relief
SkillsUSA is joining the world in seeking to alleviate the suffering from the recent earthquake in Haiti. Get the details.

2010 Toyota International Teacher
Program to the Galapagos Islands
Toyota is pleased to announce that the application is now available for the 2010 Toyota International Teacher Program to the Galapagos Islands, a fully-funded professional development program for U.S. educators. Funded by Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc., and administered by the Institute of International Education, the program aims to advance environmental stewardship and global connectedness in U.S. schools and communities.

The program will take place Nov. 20 - Dec. 4, 2010 and the deadline to apply is May 26, 2010. Full-time classroom teachers and librarians of all subjects for grades 6-12 are eligible to apply!

Please www.toyota4education.com for application instructions, FAQs, and to apply online.

ASK Kick Off Webinar
SkillsUSA held a national Web conference on Feb. 25, 2010 to kick off the new ASK CD-ROM and present several other programs.

If you missed it, you can see and hear the archived version here. Note: please allow time to load.

How Supportive is your School Administrator?
A SkillsUSA advisor’s job is much easier when you have the full support of your school administrator. We are trying to update our school administrator list, and ensure we have the correct people in our database.

Please take a minute and complete our short survey about school administrators. Advisors or school administrators are welcome to complete the survey. Click here

PDP Online Web Conference Archive
SkillsUSA held a national Web Conference to demonstrate the all new PDP Online on Oct. 14, 2009, at 11:30 a.m.

If you missed it, you can see and hear the archived version here.

Get Your SkillsUSA Chapter Involved with MDA
The Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) is interested in partnering with local SkillsUSA chapters. MDA serves hundreds of thousands of children and adults who have over 40 forms of muscle-wasting diseases. MDA’s 200 offices across the country serve local families living with muscle disease and can work with your school to make a difference.

There are lots of fun and rewarding ways in which your students can become involved with MDA. To continue the SkillsUSA commitment to leadership, teamwork, citizenship and character development, MDA has opportunities including:

• Volunteering for a week as a counselor at MDA summer camp.
  
• Youth-based special events and community service fundraising projects
  
• Help with MDA events like the Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon

For more information on how your students can help make a positive difference in the lives of others, please contact Kim Bruna, MDA director of program development at kbruna@mdausa.org or (520) 529-5406.

New SkillsUSA Merchandise Available
SkillsUSA’s all-new online store for clothing, branded items and chapter supplies has launched at SkillsUSAStore.org.

Log on today to see new products, stylish fashion apparel, accessories and gift items. From new personalized products — such as name badges and toolbox plates — to new tools to help students get organized this school year, all products have been carefully selected to help SkillsUSA instructors and students show their pride.

Now more than ever, value is important. SkillsUSAStore.org offers more than 40 items for under $20 and more than 20 products under $10. There is truly something for everyone and every budget at SkillsUSAStore.org.

We hope you’ll visit the Web site soon and encourage your students to do so as well. New catalogs will be arriving at SkillsUSA chapters soon, but there’s no need to wait. Browse and shop anytime online, even when using a school purchase order.

Chapter Activity Planner
The Chapter Activity Planner is a tool that makes planning and conducting chapter activities fun and effective! The planner makes it easy to brainstorm ideas, set goals, create an action plan, track assigned tasks and evaluate progress. Get the details here.

Personal Leadership Inventory
The Personal Leadership Inventory is a series of self-assessments SkillsUSA members may use to evaluate and grow important skills for life and career. Get more info.

Advisor Training Modules
Several advisor training modules have been developed for the Champions for Change program. They were designed to help build succesful SkillsUSA chapters. All advisors are welcome to use the training modules anytime, anywhere to learn how to develop a strong SkillsUSA chapter.

Get them here.

Join the Safety Community
and Enter to Win $250
The Ansell-sponsored website, www.SafetyCommunity.com, has created a dedicated group for SkillsUSA students, faculty and staff. The group was created to offer SkillsUSA leaders the opportunity to find safety training resources and share knowledge with industry professionals. The SkillsUSA group is located at www.safetycommunity.com/group/skillsusa.

The SafetyCommunity.com SkillsUSA Group features:
A tips and networking discussion forum for students, faculty, staff and safety professionals to share advice on education, best practices, training and safety.
Networking capabilities so that SkillsUSA leaders can connect and converse with professionals and experts in the field.

A helpful links section where students, faculty and staff can find links to websites that offers information on the safety industry and ways to get involved in the field.
News feeds with updated information on industry trends and happenings.

Enter the Safety Community Contest
Connect with 15 new SafetyCommunity.com members (non-SkillsUSA folks)

Post two original blog posts related to safety and how it relates to your coursework at SkillsUSA. Start or reply to one discussion in the Safety Community forums.

Grand prize: Five lucky winners will earn a $250 American Express gift certificate!

For more info visit here.

SkillsUSA Certificate of Participation
SkillsUSA offers a SkillsUSA Certificate of Participation that can be personalized and printed for any student’s employment portfolio. The certificate allows for an advisor signature with check-offs for activities including Program of Work, PDP, community service, competition, committee member or officer. To obtain the SkillsUSA certificate, please visit the Members Only section of the Web site.

If you prefer, you can also contact your state association director to request the file.

Technical Career Information Available
If you want to learn about potential technical careers, what skills are needed, the occupational outlook, potential earnings and more, visit Career Voyages online. This web site is the result of a collaboration between the US Department of Labor and the US Department of Education. It is designed to provide detailed information and videos for students, parents or educators on a variety of careers in automotive, construction, energy, information technology, health care, hospitality, manufacturing, transportation and more. More information is available at www.CareerVoyages.gov.

Advisor Discussion Forum
Connect with other advisors and share ideas in this interactive discussion forum.