WAKEFIELD — Superintendent David DiBarri is pleased to announce that Northeast Metro Tech’s in-school store, NE Things, has been recognized by DECA Inc.
NE Things, which operates inside the school Monday to Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 1:20 p.m., offering various Northeast Metro Tech clothing and gear, achieved Bronze Certification as a school-based enterprise (SBE) for the 2022-2023 school year, and will be recognized during DECA’s International Career Development Conference in Orlando, Florida. The store has been in operation for seven years.
A school-based enterprise (SBE) is an entrepreneurial operation in a school setting that provides goods and services to meet the needs of the market. At Northeast Metro Tech, Business Technology students operate the store with support from DECA Chapter Advisor Jaime-Lyn Pickles.
SBEs serve as hands-on learning laboratories that integrate National Curriculum Standards in marketing, finance, hospitality and management. DECA advisors have utilized this effective educational tool for over four decades to provide their students with realistic and practical learning experiences that reinforce classroom instruction, enhance 21st century skill development, and prepare students for college and careers.
The Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational High School DECA members who contributed to the certification were Melissa Domingos, of Revere, and Ashley Estrada Ramos, of Revere, with Pickles’ assistance.
“DECA’s School-based Enterprise Certification Program is a rigorous process designed to help DECA members demonstrate their classroom learning in a practical learning laboratory, and then translate that into meaningful outcomes,” said Christopher Young, CAE, Chief Program Officer at DECA Inc. “These DECA members are practicing important workplace readiness skills while preparing for college and careers.”
DECA’s School-based Enterprise Certification Program provides recognition for outstanding achievement by school-based enterprises and motivates SBEs to strive for excellence and growth. SBEs can be certified at three levels: bronze, silver or gold. NE things is one of 461 school based enterprises nationwide to earn bronze certification.
In order to apply for the certification, SBEs must submit extensive documentation that explains how the SBE demonstrates the practice of various marketing and retail standards. A review committee evaluates the documentation to determine which level of certification has been achieved.
“Achieving this certification is a major challenge, but our students stepped up to the plate and earned certification while also spreading school spirit with each sale,” said Superintendent DiBarri. “We are proud to have earned this honor, and I hope this will encourage more members of our Northeast community to check out all that NE Things has to offer.”
To view the products on sale at NE Things, visit: https://nethings.square.site/.
About DECA Inc.
DECA is a career and technical student organization that prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs who are interested in careers in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management. DECA enhances the preparation for college and careers by providing co-curricular programs that integrate into classroom instruction, apply learning, connect to business and promote competition. DECA student members leverage their DECA experience to become academically prepared, community oriented, professionally responsible, experienced leaders. DECA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with more than 225,000 members in 4,000 high school and college chapters in all 50 United States, Canada, Guam, Puerto Rico and Germany.
For more information about DECA, visit http://www.deca.org.
