The leadership program, Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) is a group that participates in serving the community, but there are also competitive events.

            “If you want the opportunity to travel across the country, meet new people, help your community, compete, and have something great to put on your college application, then FCCLA is something worth looking into!” said Audrey Koutny, the FCCLA President of the Michigan Chapter.

            There are competitive events like the FCCLA Contest where you show FCCLA spirit. There is also the skill demonstration contest, where members show their readiness for college and careers. Another contest is called the STAR event where members can be in a group or enter alone and the objective is to accomplish a specific goal.

            “STAR event stands for Students Taking Action with Recognition. At the State Leadership Conference students compete in events ranging from fashion design to culinary arts. You can do something as simple as a job interview to something as complex as creating a full blown business plan. The state competition is a 3 day trip to Midland, and if you place high enough to move on to the National Competition, it’s in San Antonio Texas.” said Koutny.

Kalamazoo Central and Loy Norrix are uniting and becoming one chapter. This opportunity can help in many ways. Becoming a member of FCCLA can help with applying to colleges it shows that helping the community, and learning leadership skills is important.

            Applications to join can be found in Secretary Betse Klepper’s office which is located in the main office. The membership fee is $25, return it to Klepper’s office along with the completed application.