• Membership continues to be encouraging. As of today, we’re up about 4,000 members over the same date last year.
• On Friday, January 9, we had a half-hour conference call with representatives of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The foundation is interested in SkillsUSA for a number of reasons, but at the moment its focus appears to be on transition from high school to college or credentials, particularly among vulnerable youth. And, there’s also a lot of interest in the Work Force Ready System and the Skill Connect Assessments. We’re scheduling a follow-up call.
• We’re now working with a firm called Automated Graphic Systems, Inc. to develop online PR and promotion for the SkillsUSA WorldTeam. The firm is also working on some viral fundraising and awareness. Thanks go to Lowe’s for underwriting PR activity for WorldTeam under the terms of its grant. SkillsUSA’s own media press kit is nearing completion as well.
• And, finally, on January 7, we had a conference call with all six of the vulnerable community pilot sites under the Champions for Change project. They’ve got some great things going and several have or will soon be participating in state and district conferences. 

Tags: Champions for Change, Gates Foundation, Membership, Work Force Ready System, WorldTeam

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