PIQUA — Upper Valley Career Center SkillsUSA has been named as one of the top 24 chapters in the nation through the Models of Excellence program for 2021. The annual program recognizes the exceptional integration of personal, workplace and technical skills into SkillsUSA chapter activities. This is the highest honor bestowed on chapters by SkillsUSA, which is among the largest student organizations for career and technical education.
“Our Models of Excellence represent the very best in chapter achievement and community involvement,” said Chelle Travis, executive director of SkillsUSA. “These students represent America’s future skilled workforce and are future leaders in their local communities. It is a tremendous honor for these chapters and the recognition validates these outstanding SkillsUSA programs.”
The focus of Models of Excellence is student-led activation. This year the UVCC SkillsUSA local officer team held an Operation Christmas Child event which bettered the student member’s multicultural sensitivity and awareness, a skill that is crucial in every career field. Operation Christmas Child motivated students to bring in toys, food items, toiletries, etc. that were sent to children in need across the world to wake up to on Christmas morning.
The UVCC SkillsUSA local officer team was excited to be one of the top 24 schools in the nation to receive Models of Excellence. They have worked extremely hard this year to complete these activities, using it to better themselves and their peers. They are now working to present the student’s stories of how the work of SkillsUSA has benefited them throughout their time at Upper Valley Career Center to a panel of judges at the national SkillsUSA competition.
The Models of Excellence program promotes the intentional learning of personal, workplace and technical skills. Specific characteristics defined within each skill area provide tangible benchmarks for student achievement and chapter programming. Achievement is measured by student efforts in implementing essential workplace skills including personal responsibility, integrity, work ethic and organization in chapter activities. The hands-on approach of this program put the SkillsUSA mission of empowering members to become world-class workers, leaders and responsible American citizens into practice.
Judging for national Models or Excellence is currently underway, with the top three schools being announced during the national SkillsUSA convention at the end of June.
