Streamlining STAR Events at the State Level

At the state office, we have a love/hate relationship with STAR Events. (Okay, maybe that's little too strong....)

We love them because through participation in a STAR Event, students can learn, grow, and lead. But sometimes we hate (or really dislike) them because of the time and effort it takes to make it all 'work.' We love the way we see students jump up and down when they've earned their gold medal, and we really dislike the large amount of paperwork and stress involved with the implementation of the state level events. But, you can't have one without the other - or can you?

Over the summer, our staff is thinking about ways to relieve the stress of running STAR Events. One aspect we're discussing is the level of recognition we provide to chapters and members through certificates. Do members really want certificates? Do chapters? Do they each need to be personalized or can they be generic? As we asked each other these questions we decided to also ask our counterparts in other state FCCLA associations. Here's what we found regarding recognition of STAR Events participants at the state level. 34 state associations responded to our survey.

• 78% provide certificates
• 46% provide a certificate with name of participant (not one for the chapter)
• 42% provide a certificate with name of participant and medal designation
• 94% provide STAR Events medals
• 31% provide 1st place trophies

Some states no longer provide certificates due to time and money issues. Some only give medals to their gold winners. Some get pins. Some provide trophies only if the chapters order them (at the cost of the chapter). Some only give medals to the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place participants - the rest get certificates only. I think it's safe to say no two states do exactly the same thing when it comes to STAR Events recognition.

As the State Executive Council meets this summer, the type of recognition that is given to state STAR Events participants will be discussed. If you or your chapter members have any preferences or suggestions, please share them with us at the state office or with your region's state executive council member.

Behind the scenes, we're already revising headquarters room procedures so that the entering of data and the production of reports are more streamlined. We are also thinking about ways to streamline the STAR Events Recognition Session. Should we continue to have every participant come across the stage? If we still have state winner trophies, should we only announce those but have the trophies placed in the chapter packets so we don't have confusion on stage?

As always, your comments (and great ideas) are appreciated.