DECA

The DECA Program is in its eighth year at Hamilton Wenham and has over 270 members. The program is led by Business Teacher Laura Wheeler with student leaders–Senior Officers and Ambassadors–who prepare the team for competition and mentor members through their DECA experience. Additional support is provided by Assistant Advisors Julie Cahill-O'Shea and Johanna Wilson. For more information, email DECA@hwschools.net. 

What is DECA? See my Welcome to DECA Presentation to learn more about DECA, competition, and the opportunities our members have this year. 

The CORE DECA experience is competition. All members will attend the District Competition.  Mark these dates on your calendar:

• District Competition Testing: November 19, 2025
  The 100 question business test will be during the school day at 7:40 am. Focus and do your best! A good score is 50-80. 
• District Competition Field Trip: December 10 or 11, 2025
  Students attend one day or the other depending on their category. Parents and caregivers, help your child plan their outfit ahead by reviewing the Dress Code. Don’t have clothes that fit the dress code? I can help, just email me! 
• State Conference Boston Seaport: March 12–14, 2026
• International Conference Atlanta, GA: April 25–29, 2026 (*This trip leaves during April school break)

What are the options in DECA? Check the DECA Opportunities Calendar. All students can build their transferable skills by choosing DECA activities that match their interests. A few upcoming opportunities:

• Stock Market Game: Every year from September through December. Teams of 1-3 DECA members work together to manage an investment portfolio of stocks, bonds, and mutual funds. 
• Virtual Business Challenge: Test your skills in one or all of the online business simulations: Entrepreneurship, Fashion, Restaurant, Hotel, Sports, Personal Finance, Retailing, and Accounting. Sessions run in October and January. 
• The Generals Store: Learn job skills––from customer service and inventory management to pricing and financial reporting. Earn community service hours while gaining valuable skills in POS (point of sale) system operation, customer service, and inventory management. Email Mrs. Rogal at s.rogal@hwschools.net to apply for a position. 
• #OneDECA Call: Virtual meeting with members from across the country. The next call is November 5 to meet and network with students from across the globe. 

What are transferable skills?
These are skills you learn in one place that can transfer to another place. You are learning these skills in school to transfer them to the job world. They include public speaking, communication, active listening, organization, creativity, decision-making, and interpersonal skills. Interpersonal skills, like teamwork, are focused on having positive interactions and relationships with other people. Transferable skills apply to everyone, no matter what job or career you choose to enter! 

Competition:
The main DECA experience is competition. It may sound scary, but don’t be intimidated! Every year in December, Hamilton Wenham DECA attends a district competition with surrounding schools. Competition is very low pressure and does not require a lot of preparation, especially for roleplays. Competition is what you make of it. There will be times to practice during powerblocks and after school. Competition has two main categories:

• Roleplays: students solve a business problem. You read the role play, prepare notes, and then meet one-on-one with a judge. Most first-year members will do SOLO role plays in Principles that are only for first-year members. 

• Written Projects: As a first-year member, you cannot do a project without special permission from Ms. Wheeler.

DECA Time Commitment
Your time commitment can vary based on how much you want to put into DECA. Preparation for Districts, States, and ICDC looks different for everyone. Some types of competition require more preparation than others. Some basic time commitments may include:

• Mandatory Meetings: All team meeting in September, New-member Orientation in October, State Qualifier meeting in January, ICDC qualifier meeting in March
• Competition testing the week before Thanksgiving
• Attendance at Districts in December
• Optional: competition prep, mock competition, skills meetings, speaker series, etc.