MISSION AND HISTORY

DECA is an academic, professional association of high school and college students with an interest in careers within the fields of marketing, finance, hospitality/tourism, culinary arts, fashion merchandising and retail, and business management. DECA's purpose is to:

integrate into classroom instruction through authentic, experiential learning methods that prepare members for college and careers,
apply learning by having members put their knowledge into action through rigorous project-based activities that require creative solutions with practical outcomes.
connect to businesses to provide members realistic insight into the industry and to promote meaningful, relevant learning.
promote competition which drives members to excel and improve their performance.

These purposes determine the character of our chapter activities.  Through these DECA prepares the next generation to be academically prepared, community oriented, professionally responsible, and experienced leaders. 

DECA is comprised of over 220,000 members in the U.S. and internationally.  Louisiana DECA currently accounts for over 1,300 of these members.

DECA is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.