Students in grades 6-8 pursue business, life skills
NEWS RELEASE
December 22, 2010
Middle Level Students Attend 2nd Annual FBLA State Leadership Conference
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The Missouri Future Business Leaders of America held its first statewide “FBLA Middle Level” leadership conference for junior high and middle school students on Monday (December 13). The Missouri Department of Education hosted the event for more than 150 youth in grades 6-8 and their advisers at the Resort at Port Arrowhead, Lake of the Ozarks. Lead by the FBLA state officer team, attending students heard a keynote address by motivational speaker Andrew McCrea, attended a series of leadership workshops and finished the day with an awards ceremony to highlight their work in middle level competitive events.
“The FBLA Middle Level conference develops emerging leadership and business skills and showcases their efforts and accomplishments in competitive events ranging from keyboarding to website development,” said Christina Hess, FBLA state adviser. “It also is a way to recognize their community service efforts.”
The students participated in educational and motivational sessions covering such topics as leadership, teamwork and overcoming challenges. Students also gained skills and knowledge in chapter management and fundraising.
“Middle school students see the value in developing life-long skills and look forward to getting involved in FBLA activities when they get to high school,” said Hess, who is a supervisor of business, marketing and information technology education in the department’s Division of Career Education in Jefferson City.
“Missouri FBLA at the high school level has consistently ranked number two in the nation for state membership size, and we know that these 15,000-plus students are benefitting from their experiences in terms of leadership, community involvement, and job performance,” she added.
FBLA Middle Level chapters started forming in Missouri in 2004 and now boast 297 members in 10 chapters throughout the state. This group of younger students is FBLA’s newest and fastest-growing division with 15,000 student members nationally. Members participate in a variety of activities including job shadow programs, community service projects and competitive events.
“By channeling the high level of enthusiasm and energy of middle level students now, we can only solidify Future Business Leaders of America as the premier business organization for students at any level.”
Middle Level students may attend the FBLA National Leadership Conference to be held June 28 - July 1, 2011 in Orlando, Florida.
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Established in 1937, FBLA is a career and technical student organization for students participating in business education programs. The non-profit organization also has divisions for “middle level” and high school students. Postsecondary students may continue their affiliation through Phi Beta Lambda, and adults may continue to support the organization through the Professional Division. Nationally, FBLA’s high school division has 215,000 members, while the postsecondary division reaches over 11,000 college students.
For more information, contact Christina Hess, FBLA adviser, at 573-751-3926.