SkillsUSA Texas Champions at Work Make your Congressional Appointments here. The Power of One The Legacy of SkillsUSA SkillsUSA offers advanced training for students and advisors that focuses on the skills needed to be champions at work, in the communities and in their personal lives. It s known as the Washington Leadership Training Institute (WLTI). Student attendees must apply to attend the conference, which will focus on developing advanced leadership, citizenship and employability skills. To help students learn how an individual can effect change, sessions will cover the following areas: The impact of the individual as a leader Developing influence: how to manage for success Communicating: how to deliver persuasive messages Leading others: how to delegate and motivate The impact of the individual as a citizen Decision making: having an impact on a local event Serving the community: developing altruism and influence Legislating: how government leaders effect change The impact of the individual as an employee Risk taking: a dialog about success and failure Facilitating growth: teaching and reinforcing employability in others Becoming a change agent: developing vision and exercising focus Other WLTI activities will include: Congressional visits Guided tours Touring the Smithsonian Institution and Washington area monuments Laying of a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns, Arlington, Va. Pentagon Memorial Ceremony Opportunity to earn National Statesman award Tour of National Leadership Center Tour of Mt Vernon on Wednesday Afternoon Tour of Gettysburg National Park on Thursday
Advisor Sessions Like students, advisors will have opportunities to learn how to be change agents for career and technical education. Sessions for advisors will inspire advisors to lead the change process in their schools and districts, develop strategies to gain support for education issues, motivate supporters and learn from those who take risks. Who should attend WLTI? Members of SkillsUSA who are committed to the developing their leadership potential. Interested students need to apply to participate. Applicants must articulate their leadership commitment by submitting information on previous experiences and leadership training. Acceptance of students is based on a history of involvement demonstrating a commitment to leadership development. Applicants should describe their active roles in school, community, church and/or other organizations. If you attended Texas Summer Leadership academy and received your letter of eligibility you are good to go. If you did not attend summer leadership you ll need to complete the application at here. Registration online opens on August 1. Registration must be completed by Aug. 28, this is a Texas Deadline. If you must cancel, the final deadline is Aug. 29. Anyone canceling after this date will lose 50 percent of the package fee. Where are we staying? Hotel is the Hilton Alexandra Mark Center, 5000 Seminary Road, Alexandra, VA 22311. This is near Washington DC. The Texas state director will make all hotel and registration payments. Costs of the conference are found below. Please be sure to choose your hotel stay when registering online. Registration fees include: 4 nights package: Souvenir T-shirt, awards, participant notebook, conference materials, bus transportation (touring Washington, visit to National Leadership Center and Reagan airport shuttle), and eight meals at the hotel. 6 night package: all of the above + SkillsUSA Texas shirt, additional leadership training, entry fees to Gettysburg National Park, Mt Vernon with tour guides for each, and Lunch on Friday, Dinner on Friday, bus transportation to the above. Cancellation Policy: Participants canceling after Aug. 29 will lose 50 percent of their total package fees.
6 Night Package Plans Please make travel arrangements to fly into Reagan Airport. Arrive Saturday, September 22, 2018 Depart Friday, September 28, 2018 Price is per person Single 6 nights $1995.00 Double 6 nights $1515.00 Triple 6 nights $1390.00 Quad 6 nights $1315.00 4 Night Package Plans Please make travel arrangements to fly into Reagan Airport. Arrive Saturday, September 22, 2018 Depart Wednesday, September 26, 2018 Price is per person Single 4 night $1286.25 Double 4 night $985.00 Triple 4 night $900.00 Quad 4 night $850.00 Payment to be sent to SkillsUSA Texas WLTI Registration Deadline is August 28, 2018 Payment Deadline is September 5, 2018 Cancellation Policy: Participants canceling after Aug. 29 lose 50 percent of their total package fees. Is there anything I need to prepare or know before attending? WLTI Assignments: There are pre-conference assignments. Click here for more information. Note: For student participants, please remember to have your preconference assignments completed before the start of the conference. Please bring a hard copy of your paper and presentation on it with you! Congressional Visits: A highlight of WLTI is when students get the opportunity to visit with elected officials. It is the responsibility of each state association to make or coordinate visits and appointments for their delegation. You can download a sample appointment request letter here. When arranging for congressional visits, email your letter of request directly to your official s office, or fax or make a request by phone. Mail service has complex safety checks and is extremely slow.
Note: It is appropriate for each state/delegation to bring gifts (e.g. ball point pens, SkillsUSA pins, coffee mug) for each congressman/congresswoman and staff person visited. WLTI Statesman Award: The coveted WLTI Statesman Award is presented each year to participants during WLTI who have demonstrated their leadership skills and have mastered certain requirements in leadership training. You can download the requirements for the WLTI Statesman Award and begin preparing now. This is a competition offered only at WLTI. Gettysburg. If you re able to attend for 6 nights, research the home of George Washington and the battle of Gettysburg. Know the reasons for the Civil War and how it has shaped our country. We have tickets for the famous A New Birth of Freedom narrated by Morgan Freeman follows by the Cyclorama painting in the round You ll see Devils Den while exploring Little Round Top, walk Pickets Charge and visit the peach orchard, Texas monument, and so much more. We ll end the day with a historical tour of the town of What to Bring and Dress Code: Participants should bring SkillsUSA attire: Blazer, windbreaker or sweater, Black pants or skirts, Black socks/hosiery, Black professional shoes, Black ties (males only), white shirt. On the casual side, comfortable shoes, jeans, shorts, T-shirts; fun clothes, camera, spending money and sweater or jacket (September in Washington can be cool). Dress for WLTI is as follows: Pre-Assignments have changed be sure to review at https://www.skillsusa.org/eventstraining/washington-leadership-training-institute/statesman/ Opening Session Dinner Saturday night Official SkillsUSA attire Day of touring on Sunday Casual (conference shirt) Your own your own today be sure to have money for lunch and dinner. Day of training on Monday business/casual (i.e. SkillsUSA logo polo and khakis) Congressional visits on Tuesday Official SkillsUSA attire and comfortable black shoes. Have money for Lunch today. Statesman Interviews and closing breakfast Wednesday SkillsUSA attire, logo shirt or business attire: No jeans, flip flops or sweat suits. Lunch on your own Wednesday Afternoon, George Washington Mount Vernon National Park, Bring your district shirts or local chapter shirt, shorts, capris, jeans (not torn) with good walking shoes will be appropriate. Bring hat, sunscreen and water bottle. This is a walking tour of Mt Vernon. Dinner on us. Audio tour is available at an additional costs to each participant.
Thursday SkillsUSA Texas Polo, (given to you at conference) with shorts, capris, jeans (not torn) with good walking shoes will be appropriate. Bring hat, sunscreen and water bottle. Gettysburg Tour. This is an awesome experience with tour guide on the bus but you ll be walking in the footsteps of history. Maybe even someone in your family. Do the research before you go to find which military unit, regimen, division. We ll look for them when we are there. All meals today are included in registration price. Friday On your own. Plan your flight in the afternoon if you want to spend some extra time in Washington DC. Schedule your White House visit for today. Work through your congressional representative and be sure to make the correct flight arrangements. Resources Download additional information from our state web page at, click on conferences.