Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) is a student organization that connects teenagers from all over the world. Some colleges have FBLA Collegiate, a version of FBLA for college students getting ready to step into their professional career fields. FBLA offers many practical experiences to students.
Students compete in events through tests, presentations, speeches, etc. Skills needed for these events can be applied to future careers. Being exposed to these situations early helps students to better prepare for real-world opportunities when it knocks.
Students can volunteer and help their community through connections the club has with local businesses and organizations. FBLA has local connections to Quiet Valley Historical Farm and Stroudsburg United Methodist Church Soup Kitchen. It also helps coordinate volunteers for school events like Craftsfest and Musicfest.
For clubs like the National Junior Honor Society (SJHS) and the National Honor Society (NHS) which require a certain number of community service hours, FBLA is a great place to find places to volunteer.
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“I love being in FBLA because of the environment. Everyone is so supportive of others in their events, even to people who don’t compete. There’s so many opportunities that can come from being in FBLA, and I think it’s an opportunity everyone should take advantage of.”
— Zoey Charles, 10
.sno-pullquote-66e0edbedf937 { display: flex; float: right; margin: 30px 0 30px 30px; width: 50%; border-color: #888888; border-top-width: 5px; border-right-width: 5px; border-bottom-width: 5px; border-left-width: 5px; background-color: #dddddd; } .sno-pullquote-66e0edbedf937 p.pullquotetext, .sno-pullquote-66e0edbedf937 p.quotespeaker { color: #000000 !important; } .sno-pullquote-66e0edbedf937 .pullquotepic { width: 33%; margin-left: 25px; } .sno-story-body .sno-pullquote-66e0edbedf937 p.pullquotetext { font-size: 22px; line-height: 1.4em; } .sno-pullquote-66e0edbedf937 .quotebar { background: #dddddd; flex: 0 0 90px; margin-top: -15px; margin-left: -15px; padding-left: 15px; padding-top: 15px; margin-right: 15px; } .sno-pullquote-66e0edbedf937 .largequote { color: #8F0000; } .sno-pullquote-66e0edbedf937 .quotebody { width: unset; }Students get to travel for different events at various levels of competitions, attend workshops virtually, and sometimes even get to travel to other states. Every year, the State Leadership Conference is held at Hershey, Pennsylvania. If a student advances in their competitive events, they can attend the National Leadership Conference which is set to be hosted in Anaheim, California, this year.
It looks great on a college resume. FBLA participation instills strong leadership skills, teamwork, problem-solving, adaptability, and public speaking skills. These qualities set students apart from other applicants.
If a student advances to state competition, they can plan to attend workshops with around 6,000 other students, stay at a five-star hotel, and even go to Chocolate World.
Pick up a membership form at the FBLA Fair on September 11 in the SHS cafeteria. More information on the club, as well as food and drinks, will be available.
Membership forms are also available in Mrs. Haggerty’s room, G107, or Mrs. Stephani’s room, H222. Questions or concerns can be emailed to Mrs. Haggerty at jhaggert@sburg.org.