Students from St. Clair County Technical Education Center’s Education and Early Childhood Development program showcased their talents and skills at the Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) State Contest, held in Southfield, Michigan, on February 25 and 26. Competing in various categories, TEC students demonstrated their expertise in early childhood education, teaching strategies, and creative learning tools, earning top honors for their work.
FCCLA, a Career and Technical Student Organization, focuses on equipping students with leadership skills, career readiness, and community engagement through hands-on experiences and competitive events. This year’s competition highlighted the innovative and impactful projects students developed to support children’s education and development.
CONTEST: Toys that Teach: Storybook
Participants designed and constructed an original storybook tailored to the developmental and educational needs of a specific age group.
Gold Medal: Sara Stansell, 11th grade, Marysville High School
Gold Medal: Sylvie Larch, 11th grade, St. Clair High School
CONTEST: Teaching Strategies
In this individual event, participants demonstrated their knowledge, expertise, and proficiency in applying research-based teaching strategies. Each student designed an original lesson plan tailored to any grade level and content area.
Silver Medal: Autumn Markel, 12th grade, Marine City High School
CONTEST: Teach or Train
This individual event recognizes participants who demonstrate their ability to explore and experience the career of teaching or training.
Bronze Medal: Kate Sutherland, 11th grade, Yale High School
CONTEST: Focus on Children
In this event, participants applied their Family and Consumer Sciences skills to design and conduct a child and development project aimed at making a positive impact on children and the community.
Bronze Medal: Aleciana Johnson, 11th grade, Port Huron High School, and Mackenzie Federspiel, 11th grade, Marysville High School (Team Event)
“We are incredibly proud of our students for their hard work and dedication,” said Tom Koehler, Education and Early Childhood Education Instructor at St. Clair TEC. “These competitions give TEC students the opportunity to gain real-world experience and build skills that will benefit them in the future.”
The FCCLA competition encourages students to apply their knowledge to real-world projects, preparing them for both college and career success.
About FCCLA
Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) is a national student organization that helps young people become leaders and address personal, family, work and societal issues through Family and Consumer Sciences education curriculum. Since 1945, FCCLA has empowered students to make a difference in their communities while preparing them for college and career success.
Pictured Above (L-R): Kate Sutherland (Yale High School, Bronze Medal), Sylvie Larch (St. Clair High School, Gold Medal), Autumn Markel (Marine City High School, Silver Medal), Aleciana Johnson (Port Huron High School, Bronze Medal), Mackenzie Federspiel (Marysville High School, Bronze Medal), and Sara Stansell (Marysville High School, Gold Medal).