Family Career and Community Leaders of America

FCCLA is an affiliate of the National Future Homemakers of America Organization. It is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States. Established in 1945, it encourages personal growth and leadership development in teens through family and consumer sciences education.

The Berlin High chapter, along with the rest of the chapters in our state, changed their name from FHA to FCCLA on Friday October 24, 1997. The reason for the name change is because the new name better reflects the purposes and mission of the organization.

This organization challenges members to assume leadership roles at local, state and national levels. Chapter members raise funds to attend leadership conferences and to create and carry out projects that address concerns like: self-esteem, family relations, peer pressure, career exploration and training, teen pregnancy and parenthood, managing finances, fitness and nutrition, alcohol and drug abuse prevention, the environment, and care of children and the elderly.

FCCLA is an opportunity to learn new solutions and thoughts on how to improve yourself and the community. As a member of FCCLA, one can enjoy participating in leadership training. One conference that BHS FCCLA has attended in the past is Cluster. This provides a great chance for members to travel to a part of the United States they may not have visited before. It also gives them a chance to meet new people. Previous Cluster meetings have been held in: Greensboro, North Carolina, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Little Rock, Arkansas. Another conference that is held and allows members to travel around the country is the National Leadership Conference. Members attended the National Leadership Conference 1997 held in San Diego, California and 1993 held in Anaheim, California. Nationals have also been held in Orlando, Florida and St. Louis, Missouri. Conferences held within the state are the Fall Rally and the Spring Conference. These meetings provide the participants with new important ideas for fundraising and community service and most importantly the motivation to carry them out. At the Spring Conference, members compete for a chance to earn national recognition at the National Leadership Conference.

FCCLA is involved in many community service projects. Past projects include: a Family Fun Day, Haunting of the Rocks, food drive for the Salvation Army, visiting the nursing homes, making the pies for Intramural Olympics, teaching children about traffic safety and nutrition.

Fundraisers include: selling Yankee Candles, grinders, candy bars, items from the Tom Watt catalog, bake sales, raffles, and a donkey basketball game.

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