Business teacher Carla Block-Ropiecki, left, helps Tyice Jones-Mccoy, 17, manage her simulated personal finance activity, which the students use during their DECA competitions. PLEASANTVILLE – This fall a new club was offered at Pleasantville High School, and the initial group has had remarkable success, according to their advisor.

“For just getting exposed to the software and information a few months ago, they are doing extremely well,” said Carla Block-Ropiecki, a business teacher who runs the new DECA club.

DECA, which stands for Distributive Education Clubs of America, has been in existence nationwide for more than 60 years. The clubs aim to prepare students to be leaders and entrepreneurs in the marketing, finance, hospitality and management industries.

Though the members are in their inaugural year in the club, Block-Ropiecki enrolled them in a series of national competitions sponsored by Knowledge Matters, a developer and publisher of simulation-based business and personal finance curriculums for high schools. DECA clubs across the country compete against each another for cash prizes, classroom grants, scholarships and bragging rights.

The first two heats of the competition pit schools against each other on a state level. The top teams in each state then compete against the other states, Block-Ropiecki said.

Three different competitions are running concurrently: personal finance, retail management and sports marketing. Pleasantville’s team is currently in first place for sports marketing, second place for retail management, and seventh place in personal finance. The rounds will conclude in January. If the Pleasantville students win the top prize, they can continue in the competition and will travel to compete on a national level.

The sports track encourages DECA members work at managing a football franchise. The participants have to sign athletes to contracts, market their team and facility, and fill seats.

“One way they figure out how to do that is to conduct a survey on how much people would pay for tickets,” Block-Ropiecki said. “If they charge too much, people won’t buy them. If they charge too little, they won’t make a profit.”

Senior Jamell Crouch, 17, who works on the sports marketing component, said he wanted to learn about the business.

“You have to pick the right players, the right prices and make money with it,” he said. “It took a little practice, but I’ve done pretty well.”

The H&R Block Dollars and Sense National Challenge is an opportunity for DECA members to demonstrate their personal financial literacy. In this challenge, students compete online for more than $50,000 in college scholarships. In addition, the top four teams will receive a $1,000 classroom grant.  This track requires the students to find a place to live, pay rent, buy furniture, schedule time to exercise, work, pay bills and sleep. It is often trial and error, she said.

“I can’t tell you how many times we’ve had our sims die because we forgot to schedule time for them to eat,” Block-Ropiecki said.

Sophomore Eunice Colon, 15, said she has learned a lot about managing money from participating in the personal finance competition. “You want to have a good net worth,” she said. “I’ve learned how to cash and deposit checks and how to save money in the bank to pay bills.”
Finally, the retailing track encourages DECA members to test their skills at managing a retail convenience store. They have to order supplies, conduct inventory, and manage prices, advertising campaigns and schedules of employees.

The members, who are also enrolled in the retail marketing elective class, are allowed to work on their simulated businesses after class work is complete or after school. Block-Ropiecki said a little motivation is all her students needed to engage with the subject matter.

“I have one student who had a D in math last semester. After he began participating in this program, he earned an A this semester. State tests do not say all. You just have to find a way to get these kids to apply themselves,” she said. “They just have to get motivated.”

The participating club members are Gladys Arias, Eunice Colon, Jamell Crouch, Jessica Cruz, Yamilex Cruz, Evelyn Fernandez, Troya Gibson, Joneika Gilliam, Aleya Green, Khalid Huggins, Tyice Jones-McCoy, Lillian Lopez, Faith Morris, Diamond Murphy, Jean Pepe, Quintayva Ragland, Keith Spence, Leidy Torres, Kamal Williams and Melvin Zelaya.