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Spreading Kindness and Mulch

SkillsUSA Lowe’s grant helps Kennedy High students renovate a playground. Photo: Sofia Mejia, John F. Kennedy High School, Granada Hills, Calif. Used with permission. Students in architecture, digital design and filmmaking programs applied for and received a $2,250 SkillsUSA Lowe’s grant to help renovate the playground on the campus of John F. Kennedy High School in Granada Hills, Calif. The students wanted to complete a kindness-themed activity and came up with the plan to fix up that abandoned playground. They removed a tree and a fence, spread mulch and gravel, built planter boxes and painted a playhouse and a... Read More

It’s Their Move

Less electronics, more human interaction and exercise inspired Adam Taylor and Victoria Moreau to develop a chess/checkers garden for their community in Pocomoke City, Md. Large pavers were used to create the oversize game board, allowing players to walk through the pieces to make their moves. The Worcester Technical High School students also planted an herb garden nearby to add aromatherapy to the mental exercise of playing the games. Read More

An Art Gallery Shows Skills

(From left) Students Sydney Velandria, Armeen Afsharjavan, Julia Spewak and SkillsUSA National Vice President Brad Ridder enjoy a gallery opening for C.S. Monroe Tech Center students. Photo: Deborah Tripp, SkillsUSA Virginia. Used with permission. Graphics design students at C.S. Monroe Technology Center in Leesburg, Va., had the opportunity to show their painting, photography and digital work at an exhibit at the town hall. Locals were able to view student works at a gallery opening, and students had a chance to showcase their skills and talent. The show began five years ago as a partnership between the school... Read More

Developing a Safe Way

(From left) Jonathan Pena, Brian Hernandez and Joel Yahutentzi are helping the homeless. Photo: Sylmar (Calif.) Biotech Health Academy. Used with permission. Engineering club students at Sylmar (Calif.) Biotech Health Academy developed an idea for an identification card to be used by homeless people. Featuring a user photo and a scannable datamatrix code, the cards would help outreach workers and others track homeless individuals to better target resources. The code would connect users to a database. In addition, a social-media-style website would allow the community to learn how the homeless are being helped and to share ideas and resources. Job... Read More

WorldSkills Flag Circling Globe Stops in Atlanta

SkillsUSA represented the United States as the WorldSkills flag, which is traveling around the world in advance of the next competition, made a stop in Atlanta March 24. SkillsUSA Executive Director Tim Lawrence waves the WorldSkills flag on stage at Georgia’s state conference in Atlanta. Click to view full size. In each city where the international competition has been held, a patch is added to the flag. SkillsUSA executive director Tim Lawrence placed the U.S. patch on the flag to represent the organization’s 1981 hosting of WorldSkills in Atlanta. As with the Olympic torch, the flag relay... Read More

National Week of Service Challenges Members to ‘Show Off Your Skills’

This year SkillsUSA’s National Service Week is taking inspired service to the next level by recognizing the ingenuity of SkillsUSA chapters with the “Show Off Your Skills” challenge. That’s right! It’s time to show off your skills while competing for chapter-building grants up to $10,000. Thanks to the generosity of sponsor Stanley Black & Decker, one chapter will have the opportunity to win a grant of $10,000 with four other finalists receiving grants of $4,000 each. Additionally, the state association from the winning chapter will receive a $2,500 grant as incentive for encouraging chapters throughout their state to... Read More

SkillsUSA Logo Runs on the Dollar Shave Club Camaro

SkillsUSA’s logo was one of hundreds of companies featured on the No. 2 Dollar Shave Club Chevrolet Camaro at the March 10 NASCAR race at Phoenix ISM Raceway. The driver was rookie Matt Tifft, who was racing for his new team at Richard Childress Racing. SkillsUSA secured one of the coveted spots on the right side of the hood of the car. The race was televised as part of regular NASCAR programming. Thanks to Craig Moore, SkillsUSA’s Senior Manager, Web/Technology, who spotted this opportunity during a Dollar Shave commercial while watching the 2017 Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade. Tifft,... Read More

SkillsUSA Joins CareerSafe ‘One in a Million’ Celebration

SkillsUSA executive director Tim Lawrence received a Founders Award as part of a CareerSafe event Feb. 22 to celebrate the milestone of 1 million students trained in safety. In conjunction with Career and Technical Education Month, CareerSafe reached its goal of training 1 million students in foundational safety, health and security. The organization hosted an event at the Austin ISD Performing Arts Center, dubbed “A Million Safer.” The event included speeches from founding contributors and key supporters including administrators and teachers, the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) office, the Texas governor’s office, the Association for... Read More

Using Skills and Saturdays to Grant Wish

Students at Ada Professional Technical Center in Meridian, Idaho, have spent their Saturdays granting a wish for a local man fighting cancer. Heavy snow damaged the awning at the man’s home, so the construction trades students had the chance to apply their skills — not for a grade, not for extra credit, but simply to help someone in need. They partnered with Wish Granters, an organization that fulfills the dreams of adults who have terminal illnesses. See the students’ story told by ABC affiliate KIVI TV in Nampa, Idaho: http://bit.ly/2jbVXRq. Photo: Ada Professional Tech Center, Meridian, Idaho. Used... Read More