The HHS Store, the school-based enterprise (SBE) at Hightstown High School (HHS), was among 461 SBEs achieving Gold for the 2021-22 school year and will be recognized during DECA’s International Career Development Conference in Atlanta.
An SBE is an entrepreneurial operation in a school setting that provides goods and services to meet the needs of the market. SBEs are managed and operated by students as hands-on learning laboratories that integrate National Curriculum Standards in marketing, finance, hospitality and management, according to information provided by DECA.
DECA advisors have used this educational tool for over four decades to provide their students with realistic and practical learning experiences that reinforce classroom instruction, enhance 21st century skill development, and prepare students for college and careers.
The HHS DECA members who contributed to the certification were Jayden Tang, Alexa
Rea and Meredith Hoeflinger with the assistance of their DECA chapter assistant advisor, Kelly Gaskill.
The SBE at HHS has operated for six years.
“DECA’s SBE Certification Program is a rigorous process designed to help DECA members demonstrate their classroom learning in a practical, learning laboratory, and then translate that into meaningful outcomes,” Christopher Young, chief program officer at DECA Inc., said in the statement. “These DECA members are practicing important workplace readiness skills while preparing for college and careers.”
DECA’s SBE Certification Program provides recognition for outstanding achievement by
school-based enterprises and to motivate SBEs to strive for excellence and growth. SBEs can be certified at three levels: bronze, silver or gold.
In order to apply for the certification, SBEs must submit extensive documentation that explains how the SBE demonstrates the practice of various marketing and retail standards. A review committee evaluates the documentation to determine which level of certification has been achieved.
DECA’s SBE programs are sponsored by Intuit and Otis Spunkmeyer Inc.
