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of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

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    Career & Technical Student Organizations (CTSO)

    Pennsylvania coordinates eight student organizations that provide career awareness, leadership, motivation, and recognition for career related skills. The career and technical student organizations (CTSOs) are an extension of the classroom instructional program by integrating academics and career and technical skills into real work experiences. 

    State Confe​​​rence Calen​​dar: ​​2026

    • DECA: February 18 – 20, 2026, Hershey Lodge and Convention Center, Hershey, PA
    • FBLA: April 13 – 15, 2026, Hershey Lodge and Convention Center, Hershey, PA
    • FCCLA: March 23 – 25, 2026, Kalahari Resort, Pocono Manor, PA​
    • FFA: June 9 – 11, 2026, Pennsylvania State University, University Park campus, State College, PA
    • HOSA: March 11 – 13, 2026, Hershey Lodge, Hershey, PA
    • SkillsUSA: April 8 – 10, 2026, Hershey Lodge and Convention Center, Hershey, PA
    • TSA: April 15 – 18, 2026, Seven Springs Mountain Resort, Champion, PA​

    DECA - An Association of Marketing Students

    DECA enhances marketing, management, and entrepreneurship education. Students develop skills and competencies for careers, build self-esteem, experience leadership, and practice community service. DECA promotes the partnership of education and business.

    FBLA - Future Business Leaders of America

    ​FBLA prepares students for leadership and careers in business through business-related education and entrepreneurial skill development, community service, and partnerships with the professional sector.

    FCCLA - Family, Career and Community Leaders of America

    FCCLA builds strong leaders and addresses important personal, family, work, and societal issues through family and consumer sciences education.

    Nadine Standley | Pennsylvania FCCLA Facilitator
    Department of Education | Bureau of Career and Technical Education
    607 South Drive| Harrisburg, PA 17120
    Cell Phone: 814-244-9593 | Office Phone: 717-783-6672
    Email: nstandley@pa.gov

    FFA - An Association of Agriculture Education Students

    FFA makes a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth, and career success through agriculture education.

    HOSA - Future Health Professionals

    HOSA's two-fold mission is to promote career opportunities in the health care industry and to enhance the delivery of compassionate, quality health care to help students meet the needs of the health care community. HOSA's goal is to encourage all health science technology instructors and students to affiliate and be actively involved in the HOSA-HSTE (Health Science Technology Education) Partnership and serve as a major pipeline of health care professionals in the future.

    PYFA - Pennsylvania Young Farmers Association

    PYFA educates students by promoting the environmentally appropriate production, marketing, and processing of food, feed, and fiber.

    SkillsUSA

    SkillsUSA is a national student organization that strives to make each student more employable through the development of participatory, and leadership skills to complement the occupational skills developed by students in technical education classrooms or work-based learning sites. SkillsUSA is an integral part of approved technical education occupation programs.

    Dodie Amigh, Executive Director
    373 Edna Street
    Hollidaysburg, PA 16648
    814-312-4924 | dodieamigh@skillsusapa.org

    TSA - Technology Student Association

    The Technology Student Association (TSA) is a national career and technical student organization (CTSO) of students engaged in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). TSA’s intracurricular program includes competitions and leadership activities. As a student organization of 300,000 middle and high school technology and engineering students, TSA provides its members the opportunity to explore a wide variety of STEM career interest areas. All TSA competitions—more than 75 middle and high school competitive events combined— are correlated with national STEM standards to enhance the academic curriculum. Since 1978, more than five million students have participated in TSA.

    Brandt Hutzel, Pennsylvania State TSA Advisor
    Pennsylvania Department of Education
    607 South Drive | Harrisburg, PA 17120
    Cell Phone: 717.903.1442 | Office Phone: 717.214.9391
    Email: brhutzel@pa.gov