Every February, the CTE community celebrates CTE Month® to raise awareness of the role that CTE has in readying learners for college and career success. CTE Month is also a time to recognize and celebrate the achievements and accomplishments of our CTE partners at the local, state and national level.
This month, we turn the reins over to Mrs. Breanne Lynch, CTE Coordinator for the District, who will interview our CTSO advisors and student leaders. Today's episode features HHS's longstanding FCCLA program. Joining us are:
Every February, the CTE community celebrates CTE Month® to raise awareness of the role that CTE has in readying learners for college and career success. CTE Month is also a time to recognize and celebrate the achievements and accomplishments of our CTE partners at the local, state and national level.
This month, we turn the reins over to Mrs. Breanne Lynch, CTE Coordinator for the District, who will interview our CTSO advisors and student leaders. Today's episode features HHS's longstanding FCCLA program. Joining us are:
Transcript
00:00:03 JoAnne
We're giving you more than just the 411. This is the Harrisburg 412 podcast coming to you from Southern Sioux Falls and Harrisburg, SD.
00:00:16 JoAnne
It's CTE month around the nation, and here in Harrisburg we continue to celebrate our programs that provide our students the opportunity to explore different careers, find their interests and get involved in their communities.
00:00:29 JoAnne
Today, Brianne Lynch, CTE coordinator for the Harrisburg School District, is joined by Erika Starr, FCCLA , chapter president and Mrs.
00:00:39 JoAnne
Deb Rombough.
00:00:39 JoAnne
FCCLA Co advisor will once again turn it over to Mrs. Lynch.
00:00:46 Breanne
Welcome to this episode of the CTE CTSO podcast.
00:00:49 Breanne
We're really excited.
00:00:50 Breanne
You are joining us again today.
00:00:51 Breanne
We're going to focus on FCCLA and we have Erika star and Mrs. Rombough and they're going to go ahead and share their name, their office, and maybe something that has surprised them about being in FCCLA .
00:01:05 Erika
So hi, my name is Erika Starr.
00:01:07 Erika
I currently serve as the chapters president and I'm currently a junior at Harrisburg High School.
00:01:14 Deb
Mrs. Rombough I am.
00:01:16 Deb
The Co advisor of our FCCLA chapter.
00:01:20 Deb
This is my ninth year in Harrisburg and I have 20 plus years experience in education.
00:01:26 Breanne
So with 20 plus years of experience in education, what's the one thing right now that comes to mind?
00:01:30 Breanne
That's surprising about your years in FCCLA
00:01:34 Deb
Well, I just think the progression it's really fun to see where learners are going, I think the career focus has really changed.
00:01:43 Deb
There's so many different events that students can be involved in, so that's probably one of the biggest changes.
00:01:50 Erika
Yeah, I mean I I love FCCLA .
00:01:52 Erika
Originally I just kind of started out.
00:01:57 Erika
Just kind of following after my sister and it was something to kind of get into with high school.
00:02:02 Erika
Just entering in not really knowing a lot about career preparations or just things like that so I didn't really even know what a resume was or like cover letters.
00:02:12 Erika
So being in FCCLA more specifically, doing star events and just.
00:02:18 Erika
Competing in things like job interview have really been helpful.
00:02:21 Erika
They've really just expanded my kind of professional outlook on things, so it's a really great organization to be a part of, and it just kind of.
00:02:30 Erika
Makes you automatically mature a little bit more, and it really just expands.
00:02:36 Erika
Kind of your outlook on the world.
00:02:40 Erika
It doesn't just have to do with high school, so.
00:02:44 Breanne
Awesome, so let's jump a little bit into those career development opportunities.
00:02:47 Breanne
So Mrs. Rombough, what areas can learners compete in as an FCCLA ?
00:02:50 Breanne
Remember and maybe how does that tie into the facts?
00:02:54 Deb
OK so we are Co curricular so an example of that would be.
00:02:58 Deb
I'm also the culinary arts teacher here.
00:03:00 Deb
Just so a student could actually take what they've learned in my class and then be in a culinary type event, maybe it's knife skills.
00:03:11 Deb
Maybe it's a competitive, not just a competitive but a team event where they actually have to plate and present the food that they make.
00:03:19 Deb
There's entrepreneurship.
00:03:21 Deb
Where they design a business.
00:03:23 Deb
There's fashion industry interior design Erika mentioned like public presentations and job interview.
00:03:32 Deb
All of those we have a lot of them to choose from.
00:03:35 Deb
So just about any interest area that a learner would have.
00:03:39 Deb
They could probably tie it into a competitive event.
00:03:42 Breanne
Yeah, so quibble F.
00:03:45 Breanne
The Harrisburg FCCLA team has been really successful in Quiz Bowl.
00:03:49 Breanne
Can you explain the format of.
00:03:50 Deb
That yes, so we have a team.
00:03:52 Deb
We can have a freshman team and we can also have a high school 10 through 12 team and we've had both at Harrisburg High School this year.
00:03:59 Deb
We are focusing on 10 through 12.
00:04:01 Deb
It's a team of five and they have different areas that they specialize in, so each student has maybe one student that has health and safety and another student might have like government for example, and then they all need to know general knowledge of FC LA and they compete in a knowledgeable format and then can advance to state and in some situations to the national competition as well.
00:04:24 Breanne
Awesome, so Erica, you've had quite a bit of experience in Star events.
00:04:27 Breanne
Would you like to explain a little bit more about that, yeah so.
00:04:30 Erika
I love star events because they're so open to really anything.
00:04:36 Erika
They don't have a whole lot of guidelines.
00:04:38 Erika
There's just kind of a basic rubric just making sure that like you fill in like your times.
00:04:46 Erika
You just kind of meet all the requirements, but you can really make it about anything like last year.
00:04:52 Erika
I know I did a professional presentation and it was about healthy habits of the heart.
00:04:58 Erika
I kind of recognized a problem within the Community, actually, nationally.
00:05:03 Erika
Where, uh?
00:05:05 Erika
Heart disease is just such a big problem, so I decided to make my focus more on health care.
00:05:09 Erika
Even though I'm an FCCLA , so I think that's that's really great.
00:05:14 Erika
I mean you have those skills where yeah, you can tie your interests into like professional presentations, but you're also working on your presentation skills, your strengthening your soft skills.
00:05:27 Erika
Your ability to communicate with adults, which is actually one of FCCLA 's main purposes, is kind of bridging that gap between adults and students.
00:05:35 Erika
So it's really nice to just compete and then you feel more comfortable kind of presenting your knowledge to people.
00:05:44 Erika
More comfortable just.
00:05:47 Deb
Well, it's it's a great way to earn recognition by doing things that you're already doing anyway.
00:05:52 Deb
So I think that's I think that's really important.
00:05:55 Deb
Exactly what Eric is saying is, it's like taking something that you find that you have a passion for.
00:06:01 Deb
Also that maybe you found a concern for in the Community or in you know nationwide even and then you can take and educate people.
00:06:09 Deb
Our central focus is family.
00:06:11 Deb
That's what sets us apart from any other.
00:06:13 Deb
CTSO, so everything that we do whether it's career based or it doesn't really matter.
00:06:20 Deb
It all comes back to make every person a stronger member of a of a family.
00:06:25 Breanne
Right, and our definitions of family has changed so much, probably from when you started FCCLA chapters way back in the day, right?
00:06:31 Deb
Very much so.
00:06:32 Deb
I was a member in high school and I carried that passion into my career into the CTSO and into my teaching.
00:06:39 Deb
So yeah, it's there's. I mean blended. We were just starting to talk about blended families when I was in high school, so that's I'm dating myself.
00:06:46 Deb
But it's it's a family.
00:06:48 Deb
Can be anything, right?
00:06:49 Deb
And a family might just be me.
00:06:51 Deb
At the.
00:06:52 Deb
Isn't time so make helping students recognize that and helping other members of the society recognize that.
00:06:58 Deb
And then how can we fill everybody's needs?
00:07:00 Breanne
We've visited with some of the other CTSO's and they talked a lot about learners being able to find a place to belong, and that's what they really said.
00:07:07 Breanne
That was the main purpose of their CTSO.
00:07:09 Breanne
You know, at the end of the day when you come to an FCCLA .
00:07:12 Breanne
Meeting Erika how do you feel like you really focus on that family unit aspect?
00:07:17 Breanne
And how do those meetings draw you together?
00:07:20 Erika
Yeah, so I mean obviously we all come with something prepared.
00:07:24 Erika
We all come to compete.
00:07:27 Erika
Actually, we all kind of talk about how our Star event went like, oh, I wish I would have done that.
00:07:33 Erika
Oh, this went really well for me.
00:07:35 Erika
This is what one judge said.
00:07:36 Erika
So just kind of collaborating on ideas together kind of reflects upon like a family idea.
00:07:44 Erika
And I mean, we're all under one organization.
00:07:48 Erika
FCCLA , even though we come from a lot of areas like across the state across our region, we all kind of come together.
00:07:56 Erika
Sometimes we do workshops together, so there's lots and lots of opportunities to work together.
00:08:03 Erika
Not just compete against other students, but there's a lot of opportunities to really live those main 8 purposes and just remember, kind of why we're there.
00:08:13 Breanne
Sure, so you may not know, but I was a top gold champion in parliamentary procedure.
00:08:19 Breanne
The test back in the day.
00:08:21 Breanne
Yeah, so I have some.
00:08:22 Breanne
Ccla connections I also was one of those learners in FCCLA that swore I would never go into education and look at.
00:08:29 Breanne
Me now so.
00:08:29 Deb
And here you are.
00:08:30 Breanne
But I will think you know the thing.
00:08:32 Breanne
I liked about competing on the Parly Pro team.
00:08:34 Breanne
Was the team aspect and then you got to take the test individually and that test you know had to bump you into that finals round.
00:08:40 Breanne
And all of those different aspects.
00:08:41 Breanne
But it was always fun to get together at state conferences, and you know, connect with kids from across the state.
00:08:46 Breanne
I was in Nebraska.
00:08:47 Breanne
This is South Dakota, but there's lots of different ways where you can connect and really get to know people from West River, East River wherever you're at and wherever your chapter is located.
00:08:56 Breanne
So Mrs. Rombough, you speak a little bit, maybe to the connectivity that it provides kids and maybe the network that it helps build.
00:09:02 Deb
I was going to say, you know, looking at what Erika was saying too is that I think you talked about building networks.
00:09:08 Deb
One of the things I like the most about being an advisor is.
00:09:11 Deb
Having that extra connection with my students, it's I don't just see them in class and then you know, see them day after day.
00:09:19 Deb
It's they come to events.
00:09:21 Deb
I help them work on competitive stuff.
00:09:24 Deb
We have meetings where we might just get together and do something fun.
00:09:27 Deb
Maybe it's a movie night or a bowling night or whatever you get to know.
00:09:31 Deb
Kids on a different level and I think.
00:09:35 Deb
I have students from my first years of my first years of being an FCL FCL advisor that I still am in touch with that still reach out to me maybe for help or like hey can you give me a letter of recommendation or I know maybe it's somebody that I can hook up now with a student that can help them get a job.
00:09:56 Deb
So you never underestimate the power that you have of meeting and networking with people, because it's kind of a forever family.
00:10:03 Deb
They're you're never going to lose touch with.
00:10:06 Breanne
I think service too is at the heart of that right?
00:10:08 Breanne
So can you speak to some of the service projects that FCCLA takes on and how those benefit not only your membership but the outside community as well?
00:10:15 Deb
I would say one of the biggest ones that we've done here at Harrisburg is the Angel tree and now we do that in conjunction with the Counselor Counseling department, but just helping those families in need in our community that might might not have.
00:10:31 Deb
A lot to look forward to like at the holiday season and trying to to make some of those wishes and needs happen, not just things they want but things that just everyday things that maybe some of us take.
00:10:41 Breanne
For granted, fundamental needs like clothing, socks, those types of things that we you know wouldn't be new.
00:10:47 Erika
And I mean and also Harrisburg the the school the high school in itself and the district is getting so big now.
00:10:53 Erika
So I really like helping out with industry because it kind of makes the community come back together because we're kind of spread out all over the place now.
00:11:00 Erika
So it just kind of makes everything feel a little bit smaller and I feel a lot more connected to.
00:11:05 Erika
My community.
00:11:05 Deb
That's a great example we have.
00:11:07 Deb
We have lots of different areas that kids can get involved with.
00:11:10 Deb
We have a families acting for community Traffic Safety which our kids can go out and do all different kinds.
00:11:16 Deb
Teaching kids about, you know, don't thump your melon.
00:11:18 Deb
Wear a helmet, bicycle.
00:11:20 Deb
Safety we talked about seat belt safety through that program.
00:11:24 Deb
We have a student body arm of our program which is healthy habits.
00:11:28 Deb
Kind of what Erika talked about with her public presence.
00:11:33 Deb
And having a healthy heart would fit into that.
00:11:36 Deb
We have a families first where it's just strictly like, you know, focusing strictly on family family needs.
00:11:43 Deb
So there's we. We just have so many different branches that I feel like we can reach out into the community.
00:11:48 Deb
We've helped at the banquet, food pantries, coat drives.
00:11:53 Deb
If if we see a need or if a student comes to us and says hey, this is really something that is important, then we can.
00:11:59 Deb
We can usually make it happen.
00:12:01 Breanne
So yeah, there's lots of different ways that FCA has touched the community.
00:12:04 Breanne
And I also think it's pushed other CTSO'S O's forward. I think many people would say that FCA was sort of the launching point for educators rising, seeing a lot of people interested in education professions.
00:12:14 Breanne
So this has opened the door for another CTSO to come about and then I also think HOSA was sort of an offshoot of that, seeing a lot of different kids interested in healthcare so.
00:12:22 Breanne
This organization, being sort of the OG right CTSO to the Harrisburg School District, FCCLA and FFA.
00:12:29 Breanne
For sure have really stood the test of time.
00:12:32 Breanne
So how do you feel that other business and industry partners could help support the FCCLA mission of family at the center?
00:12:43 Deb
Well, I think anytime we can partner with business and industry it's it just broadens the scope of what we can do as far as you know we do.
00:12:51 Deb
We we've we're so fortunate now with social media and being able, our outreach is bigger.
00:12:55 Deb
Just that.
00:12:56 Deb
OK, but you know matching funds.
00:12:59 Deb
For example, if we do a project and Angel trees are perfect example of that we get donations from, you know, anywhere from individuals to corporate type sponsors that that contribute to that.
00:13:13 Deb
And I don't.
00:13:14 Deb
I can't even tell you how much.
00:13:15 Deb
How much was donated this year.
00:13:17 Deb
But I think we helped like 3030 some families. So what when you look at the scope of?
00:13:23 Deb
That just it gives kids more of a real life experience to have like hey, this is out there and I think they see that and when they become that person that's out in business and industry and out in the real world then they remember and it helps them give back as well in the future.
00:13:39 Breanne
So we were able to collaborate with the Roar Store gives back, which is part of what FCCLA and all the other Csos have been helping sponsor.
00:13:47 Breanne
And learners are in there working every day alongside their advisors.
00:13:50 Breanne
How do you think student based enterprise has helped further FCCLA ?
00:13:56 Erika
I think it just kind of brings more attention to the kind of CTE hallway and just to the CTSO'S's in general.
00:14:04 Erika
I mean, if students go in there, you know like that's a great commodity and like that's a great commodity in our high school.
00:14:15 Erika
So having really cool stuff like that.
00:14:17 Erika
Just around our high school is really great and most of that kind of came from the CTSO'S Department and so you know, having students go in there kind of wanting to give back to their CTSO'S.
00:14:28 Erika
Those keeping them running so there's just more attention brought to the CTSOs for sure.
00:14:34 Deb
I was going to say I think that you know the opportunity for kids to work in a small.
00:14:45 Deb
Retail environment I guess would be the best way to say it is amazing.
00:14:49 Deb
Customer service skills are huge no matter what career you have, you are going to need to be able to relate to people good and.
00:14:56 Deb
Bad, so you know now's a great time to like. Hone those skills and really, really figure out. And is this something I like?
00:15:04 Deb
Maybe maybe I'm much more a person that likes to sit behind the desk and not have to deal with people.
00:15:09 Deb
We don't learn those things until we get to practice them.
00:15:12 Deb
So the earlier the better our kids get in the Roar store get.
00:15:17 Deb
All kinds of experience, not just with FCCLA , but you know making products selling, product promoting product, dealing with customers, troubleshooting equipment, ordering.
00:15:28 Deb
It's it's all budgeting.
00:15:29 Deb
It's all in there.
00:15:31 Breanne
Yeah, we see a lot of overlap too.
00:15:32 Breanne
Sometimes we have learners like Erika that are in multiple CTSO’s.
00:15:36 Breanne
How do you juggle all that?
00:15:37 Erika
Erika definitely a balanced schedule. I try. I'm only in two CTSo's. I do think because I hold pretty high positions in both so.
00:15:51 Erika
I want to give 110% to both, so I do try to keep my schedule open when I can give myself some free time, try not to burn out. Kind of keep school balance somewhere in between, but it's.
00:16:05 Erika
It's kind of trial and error.
00:16:07 Erika
I mean you kind of figure it out.
00:16:08 Erika
You figure out what's most important, like obviously like our state conventions, our region conventions.
00:16:14 Erika
Those are really important, and I mean lucky enough most of the time it doesn't overlap, but when it does, I kind of have to say, oh, OK, I've been at this.
00:16:25 Erika
Where I've been giving a lot of my time to the CTSO'S maybe give a little bit more time to this CTSO.
00:16:32 Erika
So it's interesting, but it it is hard because I love both dearly so.
00:16:37 Breanne
The organization and time management, though that will carry you a long way in life, and we know that those soft skills are a primary goal of all CTSO organizations.
00:16:45 Breanne
So how does FCCLA focus on the development of soft skills?
00:16:48 Deb
Well, all of those things that I was talking about going back to just learning to manage your time prioritizing I think, is huge.
00:16:56 Deb
That's a hard skill even for an adult.
00:17:00 Deb
So having the opportunity our kids have at HS have so many different things that they can be involved in and we don't want to limit that.
00:17:09 Deb
But we also just like area Erika was pointing out. We you know, it's it's really easy to get yourself underwater, right? And then I can't give 110% so.
00:17:21 Deb
I think as advisors we we want that involvement.
00:17:25 Deb
We want those kids to do as much as they can, but we also recognize that there has to.
00:17:29 Deb
The there's a limit to what everybody can do so.
00:17:33 Deb
We we really do.
00:17:34 Deb
Work together, we have a great team here.
00:17:37 Deb
We want what's best for our kids and we will do, you know we we try to go above and beyond to say like hey we will make this work for you if we want you to be a member of this, even if you're an officer in this one and you don't, you can get as.
00:17:50 Deb
Involved as you want to get there. I don't think in any of our CTSO'S are that demanding where we say like, OK, you have to do this.
00:17:59 Deb
It's like find find your niche, find what interests you about this CTSO'S and then you know see what happens.
00:18:06 Deb
You know, give it a try.
00:18:09 Breanne
So Harrisburg High School CSO's were awarded the CSO Revitalization Grant and that's going to show a lot of collaboration between all of our CSO programs and so Mrs.
00:18:19 Breanne
Rambo and Erica.
00:18:19 Breanne
Can you maybe speak to some of those things that are in the works?
00:18:22 Breanne
And people can look forward to.
00:18:24 Deb
We are so excited to have this opportunity.
00:18:26 Deb
So yes, we this was a collaborative effort and one of the things we really wanted to focus on was professionalism for our Members.
00:18:33 Deb
Like helping them be the best that they can be when they go and present when they're up in front of people when they're when they're planning a presentation.
00:18:43 Deb
Building that.
00:18:43 Deb
Confidence and that self esteem.
00:18:46 Deb
So we have there's many different legs to this grant that we wrote in.
00:18:50 Deb
We are going to focus on professional etiquette like meal etiquette when you're, you know, at a professional meeting, et cetera.
00:19:00 Deb
We're focusing on professional dress.
00:19:02 Deb
How do we conduct conduct ourselves in?
00:19:06 Deb
Different situations that we can represent not only because we're not just representing ourselves, but we're representing an organization and we're also representing it.
00:19:15 Deb
Harrisburg High school.
00:19:16 Deb
Whenever we go somewhere, and I think that's something.
00:19:19 Deb
That we really.
00:19:19 Deb
Are aware of and we stress with our Members.
00:19:23 Deb
You you need to.
00:19:24 Deb
Look, you know This is why we wear a professional uniform and and all of those things.
00:19:28 Deb
So we are we're super pumped to be able to bring some.
00:19:32 Deb
Bring in some professionals and have some of those experiences through this grant opportunity.
00:19:37 Erika
And I mean like how cool as a high school student like being able to take some of these opportunities to learn about.
00:19:44 Erika
Professionalism because it just puts you so far ahead in the game like I feel like most.
00:19:49 Erika
People don't really learn this until like maybe their first job out of college or like late into college or they learn it the hard way and so this is a really great opportunity and most of the time it's like state officers that really get these opportunities.
00:20:07 Erika
So it's kind of bringing down what maybe state officers are expected to do and.
00:20:11 Erika
Kind of like those opportunities for them.
00:20:13 Erika
Like when we talk about the etiquette like dinners and just how to conduct yourself in a professional way.
00:20:21 Erika
Kind of down so more people can try it out.
00:20:23 Erika
And it's not just a certain.
00:20:27 Erika
Thing like a certain level that you have to be at in order to be exposed to some of this stuff.
00:20:31 Erika
So I think it's great that.
00:20:34 Erika
I mean you can just be a member and you're exposed to some of these things.
00:20:37 Deb
That's a perfect example, because what what our one of our goals was is that all of our officers in our organization would get some of this basic training, and then they in turn not just model it, but then bring it back and teach it to members.
00:20:51 Deb
We'll have some things where all of our Members get to be involved, but we really wanted to focus on, you know, our.
00:20:57 Deb
Our young leaders.
00:20:58 Deb
And how they show them they can really make a difference and they can.
00:21:03 Deb
They can be the ones that people are going to look to for.
00:21:05 Deb
This information too.
00:21:06 Breanne
Yeah, speaking about Littles, you know with no career development is a lifelong process, and in Harrisburg we do a really good job.
00:21:12 Breanne
I think of exposing kids kindergarten through 12th grade plus and always being a resource and providing experiences for them.
00:21:18 Breanne
We get the opportunity to host Journeys 5th graders this past fall and FCCLA got to host some sessions.
00:21:24 Breanne
Field House how do you feel that that went over and tell us about those experiences working with some elementary kiddos?
00:21:30 Erika
They are very rambunctious, they're very cute.
00:21:32 Erika
I love them.
00:21:34 Erika
We did three main booths that focused on topics within FCCLA , particularly health and safety.
00:21:42 Erika
They seem to have a lot of fun.
00:21:45 Erika
With it, I think they were.
00:21:46 Erika
It was very interactive.
00:21:48 Erika
They seemed to do a pretty good job listening, so I think at least I hope that they kind of retain some of that.
00:21:55 Deb
Yeah, I think our outreach is amazing.
00:21:57 Deb
Through HHS, our administration is very supportive and they see that those those kids need to.
00:22:03 Deb
Who have be exposed to these different careers and these different topics?
00:22:08 Deb
Personally I think it's awesome when the kids can come into our building.
00:22:12 Deb
It doesn't always work, but when they can, it's just they get to see.
00:22:15 Deb
For example, they you know they've probably never seen a culinary kitchen and industrial kitchen before, or a wood shop, or some of those areas so.
00:22:24 Deb
The welding aspect.
00:22:25 Deb
All of those things.
00:22:27 Deb
It's like kind of.
00:22:27 Deb
I never got to do those things as an elementary kid and I think it would have just been mine.
00:22:32 Deb
Glowing to be able to to come in and like look at that, you know, see a car up on a hoist and go.
00:22:38 Breanne
Wow, you know?
00:22:39 Breanne
So in conjunction with the FCA sponsored sessions, FFA hosted a session.
00:22:43 Breanne
We did a whole CTE tour of the high school.
00:22:44 Breanne
They got to walk underneath a car that was up on a lift that was like the highlight of their day.
00:22:48 Breanne
Keep in mind, their 5th graders, which was really cool.
00:22:51 Breanne
They got to learn about the potatoes.
00:22:53 Breanne
They grew in their own garden beds over at Journey and Mrs.
00:22:56 Breanne
Rambo had learners that they had had translated that into potato bread and they got to practice knife cuts.
00:23:01 Breanne
And so just the experience that you can craft for kids early.
00:23:05 Breanne
Often I think too is also part of that FCCLA mission.
00:23:08 Breanne
The outreach, the service learning, and those aspect.
00:23:10 Deb
Yeah, actually being a part of that room or that that team where when we go into their classrooms it's great, but it's we can't.
00:23:17 Deb
It's hard to take that along just to clarify the knife cuts.
00:23:20 Deb
We're not with real sharp knives safety.
00:23:22 Breanne
Yes, be plastic knives at playdough.
00:23:25 Breanne
Yes, safety first here with all CSOS, always safety first.
00:23:30 Breanne
Speaking of safety in our business and industry partners and all of those different things, we know that there's lots of classes underneath the facts designation.
00:23:39 Breanne
So we have hospitality and things like Human Services and education and training.
00:23:44 Breanne
What's your favorite class?
00:23:46 Breanne
Erika underneath sort of the FCCLA facts umbrella.
00:23:50 Erika
Ohh, that's a tough one.
00:23:54 Erika
Actually, I'm going to have to say.
00:23:57 Erika
I think.
00:23:58 Erika
Human development, right?
00:24:00 Erika
That's just a cool class in general.
00:24:01 Erika
I have a lot of friends who have like taken home babies and just like seeing just how interactive it is, you know, like I, I like going to classes, but if you know you don't necessarily get to like, take something.
00:24:18 Erika
Home or something?
00:24:19 Erika
It's not as interactive and I'm a very tactical learner.
00:24:22 Breanne
You can't see this because it's a podcast, but Erika is literally the mimicking like holding a newborn infant.
00:24:27 Breanne
Yes, so.
00:24:28 Erika
But no, it's very fun, and it's important.
00:24:32 Erika
I mean, I feel like everybody should really take that.
00:24:35 Erika
Class everybody should at least know you know where they came from, what they looked like when they were little baby processes, life processes.
00:24:40 Erika
So that's probably my favorite.
00:24:44 Breanne
One, how do you think that parents and the public have been more or less receptive to classes on like family development, life development?
00:24:53 Breanne
I know for a while.
00:24:53 Deb
There was think it very much cycles I think.
00:24:56 Deb
What at least what I've seen or what I've I've noticed in the years that I've been in education.
00:25:02 Deb
We kind of nationally. We kind of go through this phase.
00:25:05 Deb
Where why are kids taking this and our kids don't need this and there's other things that are more important and then we don't have it or or it's not as widely known about.
00:25:14 Deb
For you know 5 to 10 years and then suddenly people are like well, why doesn't my child know about this?
00:25:19 Deb
My kid really needs to understand.
00:25:22 Deb
Human development and how to relate to other people and how to you know how to hold a knife correctly and how to be safe in all these situations and how to change the oil and.
00:25:32 Deb
And then it and then it becomes kind of important again.
00:25:35 Deb
And so I at least that those are the things that I've noticed.
00:25:38 Deb
I think right now CTE has never been more prominent and that a lot of that is stemming from the career need that we have out there.
00:25:47 Deb
Everything that we teach in our classes is hands on.
00:25:50 Deb
It's practical, it's career readiness.
00:25:54 Deb
From soft skills to those hard skills of yeah.
00:25:56 Deb
How do I?
00:25:57 Deb
How do I make a medium dice right?
00:26:00 Deb
How do I?
00:26:01 Deb
What's an effective parenting skill?
00:26:03 Deb
All of those.
00:26:03 Breanne
How do I correlate heart?
00:26:05 Breanne
Issues and concerns into a public presentation that's to listen to.
00:26:07 Deb
Exactly, exactly how do I know how to maintain a healthy diet and what's a healthy weight and BMI for myself that you might learn right?
00:26:16 Deb
Nutrition and Wellness.
00:26:17 Deb
Those kind of things.
00:26:18 Deb
So I think I think the the public society is really seeing that we need this now.
00:26:25 Deb
And and probably really, there's just been so many events with the pandemic and things have happened in the past couple of years that has has helped CTE come to the forefront too, because they're essential skills that people can use in a lot of different career fields.
00:26:40 Breanne
And the CTSO'S's are providing an extension of that curriculum and finding a place where kids can practice those skills with a safety net.
00:26:46 Breanne
But also then yes, maybe extend themselves and push themselves into realms they didn't know were possible.
00:26:51 Deb
I've had I've had fellow teachers, parents, other people tell me like if I had had a class like some of these in high school, I might be in a completely different career field.
00:27:02 Deb
I might be doing something.
00:27:03 Deb
That you know this guy's the limit, I just didn't know about it, so I think that right there is proof that the more we can expose our students, we just broaden their horizons.
00:27:15 Breanne
So if there's one final thought you'd like to leave with listeners about FCCLA , and about CTE in general.
00:27:21 Breanne
What would you like to share?
00:27:23 Deb
I just think family, I think it's never been more important.
00:27:28 Deb
We all have needs and we all need somebody family, whether it's biological or not.
00:27:36 Deb
I think learning how to reach out and help other people and realize that we all really are all connected and we all can make a difference if we pull together.
00:27:46 Erika
Yeah, I I was just gonna say family. I mean I love FCA's main focus of family and it's fairly peculiar actually.
00:27:55 Erika
I mean, you know all the other CTSO'S's they mainly have like a career focus and all that stuff, but I feel like when I come into FCCLA .
00:28:04 Erika
There isn't really anything I can't do like I can be interested in law.
00:28:10 Erika
I can be interested in medicine.
00:28:12 Erika
I can be interested in even agriculture.
00:28:15 Erika
Don't tell us if I said that, but you can be interested in all these things.
00:28:21 Erika
You can come wanting to make friends.
00:28:23 Erika
And FCCLA will be that family for you because our main focus is all built upon family and I really appreciate that and respect that.
00:28:31 Breanne
FCCLA seems like it's the the whole person CTSO'S O where everybody can find a space.
00:28:38 Deb
I I do really fully believe that I've been involved with it for a long time and it is.
00:28:44 Deb
We believe that everybody can.
00:28:46 Deb
Everybody can come and get involved and to what level is up to you, but we have a place for you at the table basically.
00:28:53 Breanne
All right, well if you'd like to get involved with our Harrisburg high School FCCLA chapter, you can reach out to the contacts below this podcast in the show notes.
00:29:01 Breanne
Thanks for.
00:29:01 Breanne
Joining me today.
00:29:02 Erika
Thank you, thank you.