Creating a Successful FCCLA Chapter

Do you aim to instill students with a love of learning? Advising an FCCLA chapter can be an excellent adventure with rich rewards, a stronger FACS / occupational program, closer relationships with students, and personal / professional recognition.  

Adviser Tips:

1. Find a Mentor:  If you are interested in consulting with an experienced adviser, please contact Nadine Standley, State Facilitator at nstandley@pa.gov.

2. Keep in Mind:  You don’t have to do it all!  FCCLA offers a variety of resources to help strengthen your FCS / occupational program and motivate students.  Your students are also a resource with their creativity and enthusiasm.

3. Remember your “WHY” for adding FCCLA into your curriculum:

• advancing student development

• professional development and curriculum resources

• teaching students employability skills

• a stronger FCS / occupational program

• a stronger connection to the community and partnerships

• involvement in professional organizations in your certification field adds to your yearly teacher evaluation

4. Start Small:  Take one step at a time.  

• Follow the Join FCCLA page for steps to affiliate a chapter.

• Start with an activity that gives your members an attainable goal.  Such as:

  • 1. Power of One Award (earns individual state and national award) 

    2. State Outreach Project (earns state recognition and may give individual resume service items)

• During your chapter’s first years, guide members toward projects that build member resumes or serve your local community needs.  

  • 1. Projects give members a chance to make a difference and take the lead.  

    2. Projects that give service or that give speaking experience can usually be placed on the member resume under Volunteer Experience.

    3. As members gain experience and build a tradition of chapter success, they will be ready to branch out into additional programs and events.

• Check the resources on the Chapter Advisers page.

• Look through the New Adviser Handbook, the New Adviser Checklist, and the National Adviser web page.

5. Create a Chapter Leadership Team:  A few members, from all grades who can help organize, research, and energize, will save adviser time, provide enthusiasm, and guarantee continuity of the chapter with returning leaders next year.  

• Assign the team to learn about FCCLA through the Member Page.  

• Put them in charge of earning chapter awards and organizing chapter projects.  This is their chapter.  The adviser’s job is to guide their decisions and serve as liaison with the administration.

• They can create a chapter bulletin board, chapter website, or social media pages.

• Once your chapter is established, your chapter can elect officers.

• In the spring, have your team plan a member social event and a recognition session.

6. Build Community Partners:  brainstorm member concerns, select a community partner, involve parents, create a project.  Adding yearly community partners and parents will provide a wealth of adult support.

7. Funding for FCCLA membership, events, and conferences:  

• While talking with administrators inquire about school funding for membership, FCCLA conferences, and professional development through FCCLA resources.  

• Many webinars and curriculum resources are provided through the FCCLA Affiliation Portal.  

  • 1. To have access to the Affiliation Portal, the basic membership/chapter affiliation fee of $234 needs to be paid.  

    2. This basic affiliation includes membership for the chapter adviser and 12 members and for all the curriculum and professional development resources.  

    3. If this amount could be included in the adviser’s school budget, the portal resources will always be available.  Otherwise, the chapter will need to collect dues from members, before the yearly affiliation can be completed.  If your school is willing to pay $234 toward basic membership, you have a chance to give rewards for membership.  Think of ways to motivate your students to join.  Ideas for membership rewards are:
       a.  First 5 who hand in membership forms get free membership
       b.  Next 5 who hand in membership forms get half price membership
               c.  Those who hand in membership forms by Oct 1 get a free chapter t-shirt

• The next decision will be how to fund membership dues and conference trips.  

  • 1. Maybe your school will accept all or part of these items on your school budget.  Take a look at what your school budgets for other curricular / department expenses.  In your FCS budget, any amount of expenses you can get covered will be that much less the members will need to pay.  In the budget, include
       a. Affiliation for FCCLA (at least $234) under CTSO membership, curriculum development, or professional development
       b. Professional development for adviser's trip, registration, and lodging to Regional Leadership Meeting and State Leadership Conference
       c. Member registration, lodging and transportation for Regional Leadership Meeting and State Leadership Conference

    2. If expenses are not covered in the school budget, let your members brainstorm this issue.  Do they want to bring payment from home or do they want to fundraise.  Do they want the fundraisers to be a mix of individual efforts like pizza sales or chapter efforts like community events such as Breakfast with Santa?

8. Attending Region, State, and National Conferences:

• Leadership training and competitions in STAR Events are held at region, state, and national conferences. 

• A chapter can ease into attending conferences by traveling with a few members to check out FCCLA.  It is recommended to include underclassmen so that you have continuity of experienced members and have not lost all your leadership experience to graduation.

9. Make a five-year plan:

• Integrate one FCCLA National Program and STAR Events into your curriculum each quarter as a class project.  Look for ones that you can fit with ease into your curriculum.  

• Teach about the FCCLA National Programs and let the members brainstorm a project that is right for them and the community.  Consider a community project that also provides a source of income like a face painting booth at a local festival.

• Have your officers develop a yearly program that includes fun social events, community service, career development, competition, member recognition, and participation in state projects and National FCCLA Week. 

• Make your FCCLA Chapter visible in the school with a showcase display, bulletin board, chapter t-shirts, participation in school assemblies, posting a FCCLA banner in your classroom, having members wear FCCLA red, publicize FCCLA STAR Events results and award winners in school-wide announcements, publish an article on the school website, FCCLA pictures in the school yearbook, using FCCLA officers in school events, etc. 

• Recognize the accomplishments of your FCCLA members.  Give as many member awards as possible.  You could have classroom winners and school-wide winners.  Create your own Chapter Participation Award and Outstanding Membership Award.  Keep emphasizing that FCCLA is a resume building opportunity.  Check out the Resume Building Information.

• Establish a FCCLA Wall of Fame in your classroom or display case.  Post pictures of award winners.  A Wall of Fame could include all the chapter’s gold medal winners.  The Wall of Fame could inspire new members to also achieve awards.

• Send as many members as possible to the FCCLA National Leadership Conference. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for member growth, resume building, and recognition.