Have you ever tried to bake a cake in a creative way with judges watching your every move like on “The Great British Bake Off?” Or have you tried to design an entire room to the needs of your clients as a high schooler? From April 4 to 6, members of North’s Family, Career and Community Leaders of America club competed in the state competition in Springfield, where Nora Doherty and Marley Mueller won silver in Child Development, Rezimena Okemena and Kayla Claussner got most outstanding in Child Development, and senior Tori Landau won gold for fashion in Visual Display.
“State went well,” said Katalena Chanth, senior in FCCLA. “I think it was a great experience, especially if you want to pursue a career in the categories FCCLA holds.”
FCCLA is a family consumer science club that provides students with opportunities to develop skills in the following categories: Fashion/Interior Design, Baking/Culinary Arts and Child Development. The club competes at a regional competition that will then progress with some members reaching State Level and Nationals. In these competitions students compete in multiple mock professional interviews of the three different skill sets of each category.
“The [Students competing in Child Development] set up a lesson plan and teach it to a fake little class of students,” said Landau. “Then they have a certain rubric that the judges go off of.”
In these interviews, the judges grade each student’s performance in their skills in the specific category. Whether that be acting out a lesson plan you would use to teach children for Child development, or baking a pie a certain way for Culinary Arts.
Many students join FCCLA to enhance skills they would use in the professional world. Members recommend the club to students who want to do fun activities, while expanding their knowledge and confidence in skills of culinary, interior design or child development.
“From my personal experience, joining FCCLA has strengthened my leadership skills tremendously,” said Chanth. “It has helped me explore my passions, and open doors to new ones. Everyone in FCCLA is also really friendly and welcoming.”
Students interested in joining FCCLA should contact advisers Kandace Brink, Beth O’Connell and Laura Absolon.
