Check out these upcoming exciting webinars, which are being offered as part of the March of Dimes Volunteer Leadership Institute Executive Leadership Program:
Generating Awareness for March for Babies
Date: Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Time: 1:00 PM -2:00 PM EST
Join us to learn more about ways to promote your upcoming March for Babies events. From earned media to social media, we will share a host of strategies and tactics to help you plan, pitch and implement awareness and media activities.
I’m Winning Because of You: African Americans and the March of Dimes
Date: Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Time: 1:00 PM-2:00 PM EST
Led by archivist, David Rose, the webinar will cover the history of African Americans and the March of Dimes from the beginning of the NFIP to the present, with photos largely from the March of Dimes Archives.
Act Out Loud 2012, a program of the National Organization for Youth Safety, is an awesome opportunity for FBLA to get their chapters involved in youth traffic safety AND to win cash prizes for both their chapter and FBLA! The grand prize is $10,000. Additionally five (5) national organizations can win $10,000 if they can get 25 of their chapters to register. Each chapter gets a FREE toolkit to help in your promotions. Registration ends January 31, 2012. Don’t delay! Enter today by registering at www.ActOutLoud.org.
This year during FBLA-PBL Week (February 5-11) our organization has a special opportunity to collectively come together to serve others in a nationally synchronized service project. This project is called Service In Sync and our innovative efforts will shed light on an important issue—Elementary Education Literacy.
On Thursday, February 9th of FBLA-PBL Week your FBLA National Officer Team is asking FBLA local chapters to join them in reading to elementary students in their local school districts. This is an easy way for FBLA chapters all over the nation to come together and benefit the local communities that support our organization on all levels. After you have completed your role in our synchronized service effort, please complete the brief survey to let us know about your experience.
Your FBLA National Officer Team is excited to participate in this event and we are excited for you to join us in reading to elementary students all across the country. Even your FBLA National President Taylor Sarman will be reading his personal favorite, Hop on Pop, to first graders in the Union School District in Oregon!
So schedule a time for your local chapter to read to local elementary students on Thursday, February 9th and look for more updates to come!
For more than 30 years, FBLA-PBL and the March of Dimes have partnered to raise money and to support the mission of the March of Dimes.
The March of Dimes provides grants to reward members and chapters for their support of the partnership and to identify and support innovative ideas and project that enhance the growth, recognition, and support of FBLA and the March of Dimes partnership.
Tony Jones, 2011-2012 FBLA Southern Region Vice President
For the past 40 years a strong relationship has been kindled between the March of Dimes and FBLA-PBL. Together we have raised more than $500,000 a year to help put an end to the number of premature births. This effort is something we should all be proud of and use to look optimistically toward the future. Due to the hard work of both organizations, we can proudly say we made a great impact on such a great problem facing our society.
For a while my own conception of what the March of Dimes did was misconstrued. I thought their sole purpose was to put an end to premature births. While this is a big part of what they work toward, another big item the organization fights for is health awareness for all. They don’t just wish to eradicate premature births but also unhealthy living.
In their efforts to reach out, the March of Dimes’ Team Youth division has special opportunities available to benefit FBLA-PBL members. One opportunity is the Teen2Teen Health Education Series. Through these innovative discussions members can take part in an experience that is more centered toward them. This series is a great tool to utilize during chapter meetings. The items discussed allow members to learn more about the March of Dimes while learning how to better their lives as well as the lives of others.
The relationship between the March of Dimes and FBLA-PBL has allowed for a great deal of growth and development on both sides. Through various opportunities like Teen2Teen and other community service activities, we are making this world a better place one person at a time. There is no doubt in my mind that the March of Dimes and FBLA-PBL will be going strong for another 40 years!
Nadine Goldberg, 2011-2012 FBLA National Parliamentarian
It’s that time of year again! As you take time to make your personal commitments and goals for 2012,don’t forget to make some New Year’s resolutions for your FBLA chapter too. Maybe you want to create a fundraising committee or encourage your members to earn the Business Achievement Awards and run for office. Personally, I’m hoping to organize more opportunities for my school’s members to bond as a chapter. A potluck dinner or an ice cream social sounds like just the thing.
I also love the idea of holding a mid-year officer retreat! Set aside a few hours to meet up with the rest of your officer team and revisit the Program of Work you wrote over the summer or at the beginning of the year. Which goals have you achieved? Where are you falling behind? And most importantly, what steps do you need to take in order to get back on track? Once you’ve talked it all out, break out a laptop and create an updated version of your POW. When everyone is satisfied with your new plan, you can celebrate your hard work with sundaes or a movie – it is the holiday season after all!
Here’s to making 2012 your chapter’s year to shine!
The March of Dimes is excited to announce a temporary, part-time position recruiting youth fundraising teams for March for Babies in a field office from January to May 2012. They are looking to hire this position in three locations:
This position will grow March for Babies revenue through recruiting and developing youth teams, including schools and youth clubs. By recruiting, developing and managing these youth fundraising teams, the specialist will also increase walker participation at our key signature fundraising event. As a dynamic position, the specialist will be expected to attend on-site meetings with youth teams and develop communications and speaking opportunities to engage students and teachers/advisors in the March of Dimes mission and the March for Babies event. The specialist must be able to attend various school related activities, such as faculty meetings, pep rallies, and PTA events. Ability to provide personal transportation is required.
Job responsibilities include:
Recruit, develop and manage youth fundraising teams for the March of Dimes signature walk fundraiser, March for Babies.
Develop and supply targeted communications to youth volunteers during primary fundraisers as well as throughout the year.
Attend events at schools such as faculty meetings, pep rallies, club meetings and PTA events to promote March for Babies involvement and engage more students, parents and faculty in the fundraising and March for Babies team process.
Develop plan to keep youth teams involved beyond March for Babies 2011 as March of Dimes volunteers, promoting long term involvement in future fundraising efforts.
Working with templates and resources provided, update collateral materials for youth teams.
Collect money during campaign and update schools and teams on funds raised.
Collaborate with staff team to ensure consistent plans are in place for MFB Day-of activities at every event site.
Qualifications:
Should be able to demonstrate successful fund raising experience including knowledge of sales best practices and current trends.
Interest and passion in working with youth volunteers and teachers/advisors.
Excellent verbal and written communications skills required – the ability to gracefully handle rejection and bounce back assuring goals are met. Strong interpersonal and presentation skills required; ability to cold call, grow local contacts and build and nurture effective relationships to increase March of Dimes visibility, brand awareness, volunteer staff and revenue.
Ability to travel via car to assigned geographic region; potentially on nights and weekends.
Excellent computer skills including Microsoft Office with complete knowledge of Publisher and PowerPoint.
American Business is a unique 2-week summer program designed to introduce American and Chinese high school students to a possible career in business.This program takes place at Bentley University in Waltham, MA. In a team-based simulation, students learn about the business world by running their own company and competing with other teams. One of the many highlights of this program is students experiencing working in cross-cultural teams and examining cultural differences as they solve daily business challenges.
The program will be held July 21-August 3, 2012 (an optional third week concludes on August 10).
Whether you’re an entrepreneur with the excitement of dreaming up a new product or service, or a manager at Ben & Jerry’s or Apple Computer, it takes a range of skills and talents to successfully run a business. During this program, students will learn about thekey areas of business – accounting, finance, marketing, human resources, and operations; learnproblem-solvingand how towork effectively in cross-cultural teams; explore business as a possible college major/minor by performing key business roles in leading a company; as well as develop strong friendships with Chinese students and start building important future connections in China.
Visits to Boston area companies will enhance participants’ understanding of possible careers within the business sector.
Scholarship Amounts:
$6,000 scholarships (10 scholarships for 2012) are available to active members of FBLA on a competitive basis. See our application at: http://www.sinoamericanscholars.org/
Criteria:
16-18 years of age by July 2012
U.S. citizen
Accepted to American Business’ 2012 program
Completed scholarship application to American Business and essay
Benefits Received:
$6,000 toward 2012 program fee
Deadline: Rolling admissions and on a competitive first-come, first-served basis. Limit: 10 scholarships
[Due to poor audio quality, Taylor Sarman's speech is included below the video]
“The future is dependent on you.” I’ll forever remember these words that my 5th Grade teacher said to us one day before class started. The future is dependent on you. His words served as the inspiration I needed, to realize that if change was to be made in the world, it was to happen in the very place I was sitting—a classroom.
My 5th grade teacher inspired me to believe that the world could be changed. Lives could be made better and the future could be brighter, but that responsibility lied within each of us. I reflect back on that moment as the time I knew that Public Service lied deep in my heart, and it was the career path for me.
You see, I share this story as a reminder of the role that an educator plays in the classroom. As educators, you provide the solid direction and focus that students need to lead our generation into a brighter future. People do not vary greatly in their abilities to achieve success. Instead they vary in their desires to achieve that success. But just like my 5th grade teacher did for me, every day you all inspire students to achieve the desire that will move them to the next level. For many of you, you are the igniters of change in student’s lives. You provide the hope that the world can be changed and that their lives and futures can be better. And you do it every day through Career and Technical Education.
Through Career and Technical Education, you equip students with valuable real-life skills and show them exactly where they can apply these skills in the workforce post-graduation. As a student, that’s inspiring. It’s a reminder that in our careers, we can change the world, make lives better, and create a brighter future.
It is often said that education opens the door to the future, but what isn’t frequently mentioned is that Career and Technical Education is the framework that supports that door. For some, Career and Technical Education courses are the driving force for students to be successful. Career and Technical Education serves as the reminder that what we’re doing in the classroom applies to what is happening in the real world.
For me, my personal commitment to Career and Technical Education and Career and Technical Student Organizations is derived from my involvement in the Future Business Leaders of America. For over 70 years FBLA has been committed to the same idea that my 5th grade teacher lectured about—“The future is dependent on you.” In FBLA we have been committed to providing our over 250,000 members with the skills they need to have successful occupations and impact the world through our over 60 competitive events. 13,000 communities across the United States have Local FBLA Chapters—that’s 13,000 communities that are being positively impacted by community service, youth leadership, and career-driven students. The only thing greater than these breath-taking statistics are the countless personal stories I have heard as the National President of FBLA. It the story of the students from all across this nation who’s lives have been impacted that truly make being National President so rewarding.
As I leave you, I want to thank you for your continual commitment to your classrooms, students, and career and technical education. Thank you for taking the spark of student organizations and lighting up your curriculum and providing your students with invaluable tools that will ensure their preparation for the future. Thank you for always reminding your students that the future is dependent on them and always giving insight to a brighter future.
Scholarship Amounts: 