The Competitive Events Program is as motivational as it is instructional, providing guidance and inspiration for students, while setting high goals for achievement. While “competition” and “recognition” are used to enhance performance, it is also true that competition is a fact of life in a market-driven economic system. Since Career Association members must compete at school, at work, and in society in general, classroom and chapter activities must build a foundation of personal, leadership and employability skills before members will be ready to achieve their personal best.
2021-2022 NCA COMPETITIVE EVENTS PROGRAM
INDIVIDUAL EVENTS
Event | Event Purpose |
Career Preparation | Career Preparation provides members with the opportunity to study and gain knowledge related to the individual’s specific career interest. This event aims to inspire NCA members to be proactive in a selected career field and gain confidence in speaking about why the career is the right career fit for them. Members will provide a verbal overview of their selected career and judges will ask questions to determine if the career is the right fit. |
Employability Skills | To provide students the opportunity to compete for a simulated job opening by developing a letter of application and a resume. Successful applicants will complete a job application and experience a simulated employment interview. |
Financial Literacy | To encourage students to develop skills related to financial literacy that could include – money management, budgeting, bank accounts, interest rates, basic investing, credit cards, saving money and financial safety. |
Public Speaking | To provide members with the opportunity to improve knowledge and skills regarding effective oral communications. Competitors develop a speech related to a selected national NCA topic. |
TEAM EVENTS
Event | Event Purpose |
Business Plan | To provide 2-4 member teams the opportunity to develop and present a business plan to a set of judges. |
Creative Decision Making | To provide members with the opportunity to apply their problem-solving skills in creating a solution to a hypothetical problem. This event consists of 2 rounds and each team consists of 3-4 people. Round One consists of a written test and the score will be used to qualify the team for Round Two. In Round Two teams will be given a potential problem related to a specific problem and have 30 minutes to analyze the problem. At the end of the preparation time, teams will present their solution to a panel of judges. |
PBL Showcase | To provide members the opportunity to present a PBL project, the process, and the team’s decision to a panel of judges. |
NCA Knowledge Bowl | To provide teams of 4 members with the opportunity to gain knowledge and skills on various curriculum topics, JAG, and parliamentary procedure. Round I is a written test and Round II is the NCA Bowl with items given by a moderator in a “buzzer style” round. |
NCA News & Views | To provide a 2–3 member team the opportunity to gain knowledge and skills to communicate information about the NCA chapter that celebrates chapter members and their achievements and shares relevant information with readers that contributes to their successful academic studies, high school graduation, employer engagement, employment and advancement opportunities, pursuit of a postsecondary education, collegiate scholarship recipients, etc. The team will select a communication tool to share the “news & views” of the chapter (print or electronic newsletter, website, blog, social media platform, etc.) with a set of judges. |
CHAPTER EVENTS
Event | Event Purpose |
Outstanding NCA Chapter | To provide chapters the opportunity to develop and present a publication that documents the plan of work for the membership year. A panel of judges will review the publications in Round I and interview the Top Ten chapter representatives based on the purpose of the publication and the content of the Chapter Publication. |
NCA Service Project | To provide chapters with a nationally identified volunteer service and fundraising partner. Chapters plan local service projects to support the selected partner. Chapters document their involvement and submit documentation to earn recognition at the state and national levels. Chapters are expected to track volunteer hours and money raised. A set of judges will review the documentation and present recognition certificates and awards. |