DECA jr. business club impacts students

Story by Arjun Purohit

Students love DECA JR because they can collaborate on projects with their friends, and they can talk with each other. Another reason students love DECA JR is that it has a creative aspect when students are coming up with their ideas.

“I think that students should join DECA, Jr. to learn about themselves, to learn about how a business works, how to work with others, and how to help the community around them,” Michelle Janson, Clay Middle School Counselor and DECA JR sponsor, said. DECA (Distributive Education Clubs of America) JR Business Club is an after-school club where students learn the basics of business and entrepreneurship. DECA is held in room 115 at Clay Middle School. It started at the end of September and is held every two or three weeks.

Srikrishna Ganeshan, seventh grade, said DECA helps students succeed in the future.  “It helps students improve their public speaking skills which can benefit things such as presentational skills,” he said.

In DECA, students need a business idea (similar to the high school version of DECA).  This business idea is a product or idea that is supposed to help the community.

An example might be a  portable phone charging cart. Students present their idea to judges who pick the best idea and give the students money to make the product. On an average day in DECA, students have the day’s lesson about business, marketing, or entrepreneurship.  These lessons are usually taught by high school DECA students or occasionally by guest speakers.

Then students split into groups to work on their business idea presentations. Finally the club ends and students either take the late bus home or get picked up.

See Janson in Student Services if you have any questions.

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