SkillsUSA National Signing Day Makes Big Media Impression
From print to social media to television (including ESPN and Good Morning America), SkillsUSA was featured nationally in hundreds of news stories on May 4 during our National Signing Day, which featured events held at schools in 27 states. In print, SkillsUSA achieved 355 news stories with a total reach of 119.2 million and a calculated publicity value of $79,000. On social media, we reached over 57,000 total impressions with a total reach of 34,000. On television, the event was covered through 166 news stories with a total reach of 141,950,039 and a calculated total publicity value of $870,663. In addition, our SkillsUSA national press release found a potential audience of 86,940.
As far as the value of seeing our passionate SkillsUSA Champions showcase their commitment to the skilled trades while — in the case of SkillsUSA Massachusetts students Nyssa Lewis and Brian Lopez Mejia — being featured on national television? That was priceless! SkillsUSA is grateful to our partners — 84 Lumber, The Home Depot, Klein Tools and NC3 — for making it all happen. Visit our site for full details, photos, videos, and more.
Celebrate Your Champion Through New “Parent/Supporter” Ads!
SkillsUSA students have shown their incredible adaptability, flexibility and resilience this year as they’ve continued to learn, build, create, craft, design, and work. In short, they’ve more than lived up to the “Champions at Work” phrase that makes up SkillsUSA’s slogan! Whether you’re a parent, advisor, partner or SkillsUSA supporter of any kind, the 2021 National Leadership and Skills Conference is the perfect time to give a national shoutout to that special champion in your life. To help make that happen, SkillsUSA is offering the opportunity to purchase “Parent/Supporter Ads” to showcase the accomplishments of individual students or an entire class or chapter.
These messages will appear on SkillsUSA’s social media pages leading up to and during the week of NLSC (June 21-24). They'll also be shared during the NLSC’s live virtual awards ceremony on June 24. Your $50 contribution will support SkillsUSA programming for all our members while showcasing your champion(s) with a photo and message. That message will live on after NLSC in a special photo album on SkillsUSA’s Facebook page. Advisors, we encourage you to share this information with the parents of your students. In fact, you may even consider recognizing your entire class or chapter with an ad. Purchase your parent/supporter ads here. The deadline for ad submissions is Tuesday, June 1.
Questions? Email Josie Wolfe, SkillsUSA 2018 national officer and 2015 national medalist, at jwolfe@skillsusa.org.
Earworm Alert! New Version of SkillsUSA’s Organizational Theme Song Drops After 15 years, SkillsUSA has produced a newly recorded version of our organizational theme song: “SkillsUSA: Champions at Work.” It’s the same song you know, love and can’t get out of your head once it’s arrived there, just newly performed and produced for 2021 and beyond. Check out our video for the new version, and you can currently find the song on Spotify or Apple Music, with more digital platforms coming soon. If you’re in need of the actual song or video file, contact Tom Kercheval, SkillsUSA’s director of communications. |
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$1 Million Available to Teachers Through Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Prize
Applications are open for the Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Prize for Teaching Excellence. The program recognizes outstanding skilled trades teachers and programs in public high schools in the U.S. Read how the prize impacted one SkillsUSA instructor’s program here. In 2021, Harbor Freight will award more than $1 million in prizes overall to 18 teachers and their programs. In 2020, the prize recognized seven SkillsUSA instructors. Applications are due by May 21. Learn more and apply online.
Save the Date! National Awards and Recognition Session Goes Live This June
A SkillsUSA year like no other demands a SkillsUSA Awards and Recognition session like no other! The awards, the cheers, the pride that our members feel for themselves, their classmates, and their trades — those are the elements of an emotional, inspiring, unforgettable Awards and Recognition session, the kind SkillsUSA has been known for since its founding in 1965 and the kind we WILL have again in 2021. We have spent this year apart but join us as we come together to celebrate the achievements of our members LIVE on Thursday, June 24 at 3:30 p.m., 5 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. ET, with a short break between each.
Consider joining us in one of three ways:
- As long as it’s safe to do so, host an in-person chapter watch party. Have your chapter officers (incoming and outgoing) plan fun activities for chapter members and serve food. (Who doesn’t love pizza?)
- Host a drive-in chapter watch party. Pull out your projector, purchase an FM transmitter online (they are inexpensive), and — bada-bing, bada-boom — your chapter has their own drive-in theater to watch the Awards and Recognition session.
- Not able to join in person? Host a simultaneous watch party by streaming the session on Zoom, Google Meets, etc.
P.S.: Don’t just include current members — invite former and prospective members, parents, partners, school administrators and local elected officials to join and celebrate with you.
Need funds to host a chapter watch party? Apply here for a $100 watch party grant. Grants are limited to the first 50 SkillsUSA chapters that apply.
Keep Up with Scholarships
Scholarship opportunities are an important benefit of SkillsUSA membership. Students must be active, dues-paid SkillsUSA members to be eligible for a scholarship through SkillsUSA or its partners. Current opportunities are listed below. Find full information and applications for each on our scholarships page.
- #KeepCraftAlive Scholarship
For SkillsUSA high school or college/postsecondary students who will continue their education or certification in construction-related fields. Deadline: May 30. - Larry Rash Memorial Scholarship
Two $2,500 scholarships in 2021 to support active SkillsUSA members who plan to further their education in architecture (or a related field). Deadline: June 1. - Bob Westphal Memorial Scholarship
Merit-based scholarships to high school or college/postsecondary students continuing their education to pursue a career in energy construction (oil and gas pipelines, gas distribution, solar, and wind). Deadline: June 1. - Rees Scholarship
Eight $2,500 scholarships to SkillsUSA high school juniors, seniors or college/postsecondary students in enrolled in a HVACR or a general construction program and who will be pursuing college/postsecondary career training in the HVACR industry. Deadline: Aug. 1.