Mid-America Leadership Conference
The Mid-America Conference is a leadership conference with training for State Officers and advisors with specifics on how to run a local chapter. The Conference is held yearly, the fourth weekend of October, at the New World Inn, Highway 30 & 81 South, Columbus, Nebraska, 68601, (800) 433-1492.
The Mid-America Leadership Conference began as the Region IV SkillsUSA Leadership Conference that held its first meeting at the Holiday Inn in Kearney, Nebraska in 1977. The states that make up Region IV are: Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Texas. The states of Colorado, Illinois, Montana, Wisconsin and Wyoming also participate due to their past association with the conference.
At the Conference students and advisors will be divided up into chapters, and they will run an entire year program in three days. The students will be planning, implementing, and completing community service projects, fundraisers, officer elections, contests, and all necessary elements to have a successful chapter. Participants will have many opportunities to network and interact with participants from other states.
Missouri SkillsUSA views the Mid-America Leadership Conference as an important step in the training process of officers and advisors. The Conference is based on the SkillsUSA Outstanding Chapter Guidelines. The participants work hard and learn more than they could imagine while having fun. The participants will return motivated. This Conference is designed to provide hands-on learning experiences and will aid all participants in running leadership activities. Participants will also gain valuable insight into other state and local SkillsUSA chapters and what they do.
SkillsUSA official attire shall be worn during all General Sessions. The SkillsUSA National Code of Conduct shall apply to this Conference, as in all SkillsUSA functions. Participants need to bring some casual clothes, in addition to SkillsUSA official attire. Do not overpack!
The bus will leave the St. Louis area on Wednesday at approximately 9:00 a.m. It will travel along I-70 to Kansas City, then North on I-29, with the final pickup at St. Joseph. Pickup and drop-off places and times will be determined by those who will be attending. The bus will depart Columbus, Nebraska at approximately 10:30 a.m. Sunday and arrive in St. Louis by 9:00 p.m.
The registration fee will include meals, room, and travel arranged by the Missouri SkillsUSA Association. Registrations will be the responsibility of the local Chapter.
Missouri SkillsUSA has reserved one bus for transportation to Nebraska. All Missouri SkillsUSA participants must ride the bus to and from Nebraska. It is the responsibility of the local chapter to transport the students to and from the pickup point. The participants need to bring enough money for meals on the bus trip and for additional items at the Conference. For information or if special accommodations need to be made , please contact Paul Light, State Director, Missouri SkillsUSA at 573-751-4460 or E-mail Paul.Light@dese.mo.gov no later than the registration deadline (October 1st).