Montana BPA 2023 State Leadership Conference
The 2023 Montana BPA State Leadership Conference was held in Billings on March 12-15, A total of 1264 members and local chapter advisors from the middle level and secondary level attended in a spirit of friendship and goodwill. BPA Montana Association assisted the members through participation in the areas of competitive events, leadership, community development, and professionalism.
Students from 95 Montana schools demonstrated their knowledge in business and technological skills and abilities in 81 different competitive events from within the five core assessment areas of Finance, Business Administration, Management Information Systems, Digital Communication & Design, Management, Marketing & Communication and Health Administration.
Local chapters donated $16,013.72 to Special Olympics Montana as their state-wide philanthropic organization. Colstrip High School, Capital High School, Ronan High School and Joliet High School were recognized for their donating as the top four schools. BPA Montana also held a Special Olympics Walk during the conference that raised an additional $1,835 for Special Olympics Montana.
Community members and Montana businesses also played a tremendous role in the success of the state conference by serving as judges for the competitive events and presenters of workshops. In addition, Montana BPA has received more than $32,000.00 in financial support and/or in-kind support from Montana business and education institutions as part of the corporate sponsor and education partnership program.
In non-event awards, Montana BPA awarded Silver Star Awards for Chapter Development to Billings Senior, Capital High School, Flathead High School, Helena High School, Joliet High School, Shelby High School, Simms High School, Skyview High School and Twin Bridges High School.
Alyssa Emineth of Red Lodge High School was recognized for her design efforts for creating the SLC conference logo, trading pin and t-shirt design. Peyton Njos of Red Lodge High School created a BPA Montana Sticker.
|
During the state conference, the following members were elected to office for the 2022-23 school year:
- President: Trey Kinamon, Conrad High School
- Vice President: Julia Kunau, Fergus High School
- Secretary: Reegan O’Rear, Laurel High School
- Membership Director: Cian Lloyd, Froid High School
- Public Relations Director: Kaitlyn Gouchenour, Conrad High School
- Communications Director: Hunter Rohrer, Simms High School
BPA Montana students will now have the opportunity to travel to Anaheim, California to compete at the 2023 BPA National Leadership Conference which will be held April 25-30, 2023. Business Professionals of America is the leading CTSO (Career Technical Student Organization) for students pursuing careers in business management, finance, office administration, information technology, health administration and other related career fields.
Join Us at This Year’s Montana STEM Summit
Growing STEM Learning Across the Big Sky, April 13 in Helena
Since 2017, the Montana STEM Summit has been bringing together representatives from education, business, afterschool, government, industry, and nonprofits, along with other engaged citizens, to discuss and showcase STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) opportunities from across the state.
At this year's STEM Summit, attendees will have the opportunity to learn, discuss, share, and showcase how to grow STEM engagement for youth in Montana.
Register Here
MBEA Hosts a Successful WBEA Conference
in Helena, February 16-19
The Montana Business Education Association (MBEA) hosted the Western Business Education Association’s 2023 Conference—Distinctly Business Education, Uniquely WBEA—in Helena, February 16-19, 2023.
Held in Helena’s Last Chance Gulch at the Best Western Premier Helena Great Northern Hotel, the WBEA 2023 Conference brought Business Education professionals from Arizona, British Columbia, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. DeLayne Havlovic, the National Business Education Association President, from Nebraska was also in attendance.
The WBEA 2023 Conference kicked off with the Opening Session and Keynote Activity on Friday, February 17, with the Keynote Activity facilitated by James Easton, Montana Chamber Foundation, and Jim Masker, Empowered. The interactive keynote activity utilized The Trading Game from Empowered’s curriculum to help provide a hands-on approach to learning how to facilitate the activity in the classroom. Following the Opening Session was the Exhibitors’ Reception, which offered thanks and support to the 12 conference exhibitors and six conference sponsors. This year’s conference exhibits featured:
- Business Professionals of America, Montana Association
- Certiport, a Pearson VUE Business
- CYBER.org
-
DECA, Inc., Montana Association
- Empowered
- EVERFI, Inc.
- Fenworks
- MICEK12
- Montana Chamber of Commerce
- Montana Council on Economic Education
- Oregon Business Education Association/Western Business Education Association 2024 Conference
- Success N Fundraising, LLC
|
One Montana Business Educator Elected and
One Reappointed to WBEA Executive Committee
The Western Business Education Association’s 2023 Executive Board meeting was held Friday afternoon, February 17. The Executive Board meeting is the annual business meeting of the association and also includes the election of incoming officers and the review and approval of current and upcoming conferences.
During the meeting, Jessica Goosen, Charles M. Russell High School, was elected to the position of WBEA President-elect for 2023-2024. Jessica’s term will begin July 1, 2023, and will run through June 30, 2024. As President-elect, Jessica begins a three-year leadership run with WBEA as she will become the WBEA President for 2024-2025 and then WBEA Past President for the 2025-2026 school year.
Huntley Project Schools’ Mark Branger is currently serving a one-year term as the WBEA Legislative Liaison for 2022-2023 and during the WBEA Executive Committee’s 2023 meeting held prior to the conference on Thursday, February 16, Mark was reappointed to a second, two-year term.
Jessica and Mark join two other Montana Business Educators—Eric Swenson (OPI) and Mandy Wichman (Hobson)—on the WBEA Executive Committee. For 2023-2024, Eric will be the WBEA Past President and Mandy will be in the second year of her two-year term as the WBEA Secretary.
The WBEA Executive Committee is made up of elected officers of the WBEA Executive Board and the WBEA Committee Directors.
Congratulations Jessica and Mark!
Jody Sandru, Twin Bridges, is WBEA’s 2023 Outstanding High School Business Educator
The WBEA 2023 Conference’s Closing Session and Awards Banquet was held Sunday, February 19, and recognized Business Education professionals throughout the western region. Montana’s own Jody Sandru, Twin Bridges High School, was awarded WBEA’s Outstanding Business Educator of Year–High School for 2023.
The WBEA Outstanding Business Educator of the Year–High School Award recognizes contributions to business education by WBEA members based on direct input to the classroom, participation and offices held in local S/T/P, regional, and national professional associations, conference and leadership activities, curriculum development, and other activities.
Jody began teaching in the fall of 1993 at Twin Bridges High School and is highly involved in activities outside of the classroom to be a champion for fellow educators and students, and also her community.
For the last 10 years, she has organized the Trick-or-Treat for the Food Bank event and for the last 27 years, she has been the organizer for the Twin Bridges Community Giving Tree.
Her friend and colleague from Oregon, Joey Running, had this to say, "Mrs. Sandru has become a part of my network of highly skilled and talented educators from across the nation that serve as my support, resources, and friends in what can seem very isolating in a one-person department."
Tim Ranzetta, co-founder of Next Gen Personal Finance, further expressed, "Jody consistently impressed us with her passion, her collaboration with other educators, and her creativity in developing activities and lessons that students love."
Congratulations Jody!
Montana FCCLA Chapter Named a Winner in the
LEAD 4 Change Awards
Bridger High School's FCCLA chapter was a $500 winner in the LEAD 4 Change - Student Leadership Program awards. This is the first time an FCCLA Chapter from Montana has won this award.
Congratulations...
Bridger High School, FCCLA chapter (Bridger, MT)
Vicki Kaufman, Advisor
|
Home and Garden Show to Host Raffle to Support the High School House Construction Program at GFPS
Stop by the Home & Garden Show to meet our students and purchase your raffle ticket to support construction students and the High School House program! $10 per ticket to win a shed made by our students!
Home & Garden Show: March 31, April 1st & 2nd.
#MontanaReady
High School House Video
The OPI is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to people with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation, require an alternate format, or have questions concerning accessibility, contact the OPI ADA Coordinator, 406-444-3161, opiada@mt.gov, Relay Service: 711.
|
