Feb. 24-28, 2025
Friday Flash
Download this week’s Friday Flash. Friday Flash is published each Thursday at 5 p.m. for state directors to distribute on Fridays to their state advisor list or to incorporate into your own state newsletter. If you have feedback on Friday Flash, please send it to Jane Short.
Congratulations on Exceeding Last year's Membership!
Chelle Travis is delighted to announce that our state associations in North Dakota and Wisconsin High School have exceeded student membership last week compared to the end of last year. Congratulations to Tracy Becker and Jake Mihm. Their dedication has a direct impact on membership and our ability to continually reach and create career-ready students.
SkillsUSA National Signing Day Registration Opens March 1
SkillsUSA National Signing Day is when SkillsUSA chapters across the nation give skilled professionals the spotlight they deserve. On Signing Day (whether that is on May 6 or another date of your chapter’s choosing), students will be recognized by their school administrators, teachers, elected officials, alumni, family and friends for signing letters of intent to pursue careers or further education in the skilled trades. Registration opens on March 1. Download our Signing Day Toolkit and learn more about SkillsUSA Signing Day and see how chapters celebrated last year. Let’s get ready for an even bigger celebration this May. Signing Day is a wonderful celebratory event that recognizes students as they complete the school year and transition to employment or further education.
National Leadership & Skills Conference Staff Applications
SkillsUSA is currently accepting applications for 2025 National Leadership & Skills Conference (NLSC) staff in several different roles. See each job description for all the details, including the number of days required and the stipend for completing this role. The application priority deadline is March 7. If you would like to attend and support NLSC, please review the job descriptions and apply here: NLSC 2025: Conference Assistant Application.
Save 2024 NLSC Data Now
SkillsUSA will archive last year’s NLSC data soon so be sure you save all 2024 NLSC reports or hard copies of invoices no later than March 8 if you were using the system to invoice schools last year. Once archived, your attendee names, reports with counts and invoices will no longer be available. Steps to archive conference reports can be found on the Gateway>State Association Management Resources>Reports section>End of Year Member and Conf Reports. Questions? Contact Patty Duncan.
Seeking Feedback on Student Leadership Programs
We know this is a busy time for state directors, but your insight is crucial as we evaluate the future of student leadership programs including Leverage, Delegates, the Washington Leadership Training Institute (WLTI) and the State Officer Continuum (SOC). Our newly formed Student Leadership Task Force will meet March 14-16 to assess how these programs should evolve to better serve students — both in curriculum and the overall experience.
Your feedback will directly inform these discussions. Please take a few minutes to complete the Student Leadership Programs Survey by Wednesday, March 12, at 11:59 p.m. ET to ensure your state’s perspective is heard. Your leadership shapes these programs — help us make them stronger. Thank you for your time and expertise! Questions? Contact Dan Kelly.
Send Us Your State Conference Photos
We are collecting photos from your 2025 State Leadership & Skill conferences to share in a national Flickr album. You can either email a link to your photos to Craig Moore or submit them directly on Dropbox.
State Advisor of the Year Awards for 2025
SkillsUSA will provide state-level Advisor of the Year (AOY) awards for 2025 honorees. Each state may order one secondary and one postsecondary award. To order your AOY awards, send an email to Kim DeVenuto at the SkillsUSA Store and include the following information:
· Subject of the email: SkillsUSA State Advisor of the Year Award
· The correct spelling of the name of the advisor to be honored
· Your state association
· Your shipping address (no P.O. boxes)
· The date you need your award to deliver (awards are custom-produced and shipped from the manufacturer, please allow at least three weeks for delivery)
Questions? Contact Karolina Belen.
Advisor of the Year Resources and Awards
This year’s Advisor of the Year (AOY) resources for state directors are available on the SkillsUSA State Association Gateway. Visit the program page for AOY program guides, state AOY award ordering information and more. The deadline for state directors to submit/advance their state recipient's application for regional nomination is April 1. Questions? Contact Karolina Belen.
Celebrating the Stories of our Champions
As your state conference season is under way, state directors and their staff are asked to be on the lookout for story leads for the SkillsUSA Champions digital magazine staff. Good storytelling is crucial for SkillsUSA because it allows us to connect with people on an emotional level and build greater empathy and understanding for our mission. Ultimately, our stories inspire action such as increased partner support, enhanced advocacy efforts and more national attention for SkillsUSA. By showcasing the real impact our work has, it makes the SkillsUSA mission relatable and memorable.
What makes a good story? Here are a few ideas:
· Alumni success stories
· Individual students with a compelling leadership journey or skill
· Students who are much younger or older than the typical NLSC attendee
· Teachers who have made unique contributions or who were former student members
· Highly engaged partners or technical committee members who were former members
· Non-traditional students in the trades
· Students who have overcome challenges to succeed at their school or job
· Chapter community service projects that made a real impact in their community
If you have members or supporters who will be attending the 2025 National Leadership & Skills Conference who could be interviewed for a potential story, please fill out this short “Submit a Story” form. We will follow up with you and/or the individual shortly before NLSC to schedule an interview and photos in the SkillsUSA Media Office. You are also welcome to stop by B-209 to share potential stories at NLSC.
