Technology Student Association

The Technology Student Association (TSA) is an international organization made up of technology education students from different schools and their advisors. Forty-eight of the U.S. states and a handful of other countries are members of the organization. A notable absence is California (home of Silicon Valley) because the California legislature has continually rejected efforts to allow Career and Technical Student Organizations (CTSOs) such as TSA, FBLA, HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America), and others into the state, although CTE's such as FFA and FCCLA exist in large numbers.Fact|date=March 2008 In addition to the states, Germany, Scotland, Taiwan and more recently Peru and have active chapters.

The largest associations are generally Florida, Mississippi, North Carolina (NCTSA), Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. Both middle schools and high schools compete in many events (different for each level), competing against the other schools. The word "technology" in the name pertains not only to computers, as many would assume - instead, the term is much more inclusive, including such events as digital photography, aerodynamics (balsa wood planes and CO2-powered cars), and desktop publishing. However, website design, computer-aided drafting and design, and other computer-related events are also some of the organization's competitive events. Competitions also include such events as public speaking, parliamentary procedure, technical research, and general technology trivia; with the main focus on "learning to live in a technical world", TSA's official motto.

TSA is the "only student organization devoted exclusively to the needs of technology education students and teachers." It is also largely student-run, as is FFA, with students campaigning to be elected to offices at the chapter, state, and national levels (with national office being the highest position; other countries are considered "states" because of their very small numbers).

Every year TSA holds a national conference where students compete for coveted finalist pins. The election of national officers and the annual business meeting is held there. The 2007 Conference was held in Nashville, Tennessee, at the Gaylord Opryland. The 2008 Conference was held in Orlando, Florida and this year's Conference will be held in Denver, Colorado.

Major national decisions, especially of financial nature, are made by the TSA, Inc. Board of Directors. The President of the Board of Directors is Kathleen Squibb of North Carolina. The TSA national office also runs a great deal of the day-to-day activities and is headed by Executive Director Dr. Rosanne White.

Notable alumni

*Chad Hurley - Creator of Video Sharing Program Youtube

National Conference Locations

External links

* [http://www.tsaweb.org Official TSA Website]
* [http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ovae/pi/cte/vso.html Office of Vocational and Adult Education (USDOE)]
* [http://www.tsaweb.info Germany's TSA]
* [http://www.techstudentforums.com Unofficial Forums created by Past and Present Members for the TSA Populus]
* [http://www.tsapins.com TSA Lapel Pin Database and Collector Hub]