Career and Technical Student Organizations

Participate in a Leadership Laboratory – Join a Career and Technical Student Organization

What if... you could take the lead and make a difference in your home, school, or community in some significant way? You can, through a Career and Technical Student Organization (CTSO).
A CTSO is the student-led part of a career and technical education program. Activities of each CTSO build on the knowledge and skills members are developing in their career and technical education classes. CTSO members identify needs, develop projects to meet those needs, and experience the satisfaction that comes with success. CTSO projects may involve improving communication among family members, conducting a shopper survey for local businesses, sponsoring a farm safety camp for children, starting a recycling program, doing home repairs for low-income senior citizens, or any one of hundreds of other options. Through these projects, CTSO members learn how to lead efforts that make good things happen in their schools, communities and beyond. CTSOs are “where the action is.”

How Can a CTSO Contribute to My Career Goals?
Employers expect two kinds of skills from their employees:
• technical skills – the ability to perform the tasks needed to create and/or deliver the product or service your employer provides;
• “people” skills – the ability to communicate, make decisions, solve problems, work as part of a team, take responsibility, and balance the demands on your time and energy.
As a CTSO member, you can practice and refine both kinds of skills through chapter projects, district or state activities, and even national and international opportunities.

What Are the Benefits?
Current and former CTSO members identify a variety of membership benefits:
• learning to work successfully with many different kinds of individuals, both students and adults;
• developing confidence when speaking before a group;
• trying something new and succeeding -- or experiencing failure and learning how to “bounce back”;
• working on home, school, and community issues related to their career interests;
• testing knowledge and skills by participating in competitive events;
• expanding horizons through state, national, and international activities;
• being recognized as part of a group that “gets things done” and being asked by others to lead, coordinate, or participate in important school or community projects;
• making contacts with persons in business, industry, and community who can become role models, mentors, and even employers.

What Are the Options?
In North Dakota, the career and technical programs and their CTSOs include:

Expand your career and technical education experience by joining a CTSO. If your career and technical education program does not have a CTSO, contact the Department of Career and Technical Education (at the address in the previous article) for information on how to organize a chapter.