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The Technology Student Association (TSA) is a national student organization created to develop skills in
science, technology, engineering, and mathematics Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is an umbrella term used to group together the distinct but related technical disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The term is typically used in the context of ...
(STEM) as well as business education. TSA aims to develop leadership, academic, and business management skills in the workplace among students and leaders within the community. The organization has 250,000 members.


Competition

Competitive events are separated into middle school and high school levels, with students competing only with their respective age group. Competitions take place at the local, regional, state, and national level. A component of leadership is often entailed in events at both levels, with some events being devoted to leadership (such as Leadership Strategies MS). All TSA competitions are correlated with national science, technology, engineering and mathematics and business standards. Sample middle school events include Biotechnology, Career Prep, Video Game Design, and Inventions and Innovations. High school events include
Animatronics Animatronics refers to mechatronic puppets. They are a modern variant of the automaton and are often used for the portrayal of characters in films and in theme park attractions. It is a multidisciplinary field integrating puppetry, anatomy a ...
,
Computer Aided Design Computer-aided design (CAD) is the use of computers (or ) to aid in the creation, modification, analysis, or optimization of a design. This software is used to increase the productivity of the designer, improve the quality of design, improve co ...
(CAD), Dragster Design, Promotional Design, System Control Technology, Flight Endurance,
Software Development Software development is the process of conceiving, specifying, designing, programming, documenting, testing, and bug fixing involved in creating and maintaining applications, frameworks, or other software components. Software development invol ...
, and Webmaster. For the 2022-2023 season Audio Podcasting,
Drone Drone most commonly refers to: * Drone (bee), a male bee, from an unfertilized egg * Unmanned aerial vehicle * Unmanned surface vehicle, watercraft * Unmanned underwater vehicle or underwater drone Drone, drones or The Drones may also refer to: ...
Challenge (UAV), and Virtual Reality Visualization were added as high school events and the Cybersecurity event was removed. Scores are out of 100 points and based upon a nationally developed rubric. Winners are chosen based on these scores. In many events, semi-finalists (top 12) move onto a second round of competition which usually involves an interview with the judges about the project. First, second, and third-place winners are awarded a trophy, and finalists (top 10) are recognized at the national level.


Program initiatives

The Technology Student Association has partnered with many groups to promote other skills. Junior Solar Sprint is a national program allows students to design solar-powered cars.
Tests of Engineering Aptitude, Mathematics, and Science Tests of Engineering Aptitude, Mathematics, and Science (TEAMS) is an annual competition originally organized by the Junior Engineering Technical Society (JETS). TEAMS is an annual theme-based competition for students in grades 9–12, aimed at gi ...
(TEAMS) is an annual one-day competition where students use their skills to solve issues facing our global society. TSA has partnered with the VEX Robotics Competition to allow students to design and create robots to complete specific tasks. UNITE is a summer program funded by the
U.S. Army Research Office The U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Army Research Laboratory (DEVCOM ARL) is the U.S. Army's foundational research laboratory. ARL is headquartered at the Adelphi Laboratory Center (ALC) in Adelphi, Maryland. Its largest sing ...
that encourages high school students to pursue engineering careers. Every TSA middle school and high school member is required to submit LEAP (Leadership. Education. Achievement. Personal Growth.) documentation as part of every competition in which they compete. LEAP documentation tracks the leadership activities and experiences a TSA member has completed as part of each competition.


History

TSA became an independent organization in 1978, when AIASA Inc. was formed to oversee the activities of the American Industrial Arts Student Association. Between the foundation of AIASA as an independent organization (it had formerly been a part of the American Industrial Arts Association) and 1988, the association grew and began to take shape. In 1988, the AIASA changed its name to the Technology Student Association as part of a shift in focus from industrial arts to mainstream technology. This action followed a similar name change by the Texas state delegation the previous year. In 1989, the official logo, submitted by a chapter advisor, was adopted. In 1990, the logo received a trademark from the
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is an agency in the U.S. Department of Commerce that serves as the national patent office and trademark registration authority for the United States. The USPTO's headquarters are in Alexa ...
. Today, the association has grown to include more than 250,000 members in more than 2,300 secondary schools across 48 states. It has established an Honor Society, manages numerous competitive events and has partnerships with several organizations. Since TSA was chartered in 1978, more than five million students have participated as members. As part of its national service project, TSA has a partnership with the
American Cancer Society The American Cancer Society (ACS) is a nationwide voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer. Established in 1913, the society is organized into six geographical regions of both medical and lay volunteers operating in more than ...
(ACS). TSA members raise money to help fund research, education, advocacy and patient services provided by the ACS, and the ACS presents Spirit of Service awards to chapters that participated in fundraising.


National conferences

Students elect a National Officer team annually at the Technology Student Association national conference. The 2022 national conference was held on June 26 - June 30 at the
Gaylord Texan Resort Hotel & Convention Center Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center is an American hotel and convention center, opened in Grapevine, Texas 30 minutes from Dallas - Fort Worth, on April 4, 2004. It has of meeting space and 1,814 guest rooms. Gaylord Texan is owned by Ry ...
in Grapevine, Texas. The 2023 national conference is scheduled to be held at the Kentucky International Convention Center in Louisville, Kentucky.


Notable alumni

* Hunter Hayes - Country singer and music star, Tennessee TSA * Andy Hertzfeld - Member of the original Macintosh development team and computer entrepreneur *
Chad Hurley Chad Meredith Hurley (born January 24, 1977) is an American webmaster and businessman who serves as the advisor and former chief executive officer (CEO) of YouTube. He also co-founded MixBit. In June 2006, he was voted 28th on Business 2.0's "5 ...
- Co-founder of YouTube, Pennsylvania TSA * Sal Khan - Founder of Khan Academy, Louisiana TSA *
Carrie Underwood Carrie Marie Underwood (born March 10, 1983) is an American singer. She rose to prominence after winning the fourth season of ''American Idol'' in 2005. Her single "Inside Your Heaven" made her the only country artist to debut atop the ''Bill ...
- Country singer and music star, Oklahoma TSA *
Mark Zuckerberg Mark Elliot Zuckerberg (; born ) is an American business magnate, internet entrepreneur, and philanthropist. He is known for co-founding the social media website Facebook and its parent company Meta Platforms (formerly Facebook, Inc.), o ...
- Founder of Facebook, New York TSA


References


External links


Official TSA Website
{{authority control Career and technical student organizations Honor societies High school honor societies Student organizations in the United States Organizations based in Virginia Student organizations established in 1978 Engineering education in the United States