Big Goals, Bright Futures: College Board Meets Career and Technical Student Organizations

Meeting the Next Generation of Business Leaders and Their Advisors 

Walk into any conference hall hosting a DECA, FBLA, or BPA national event and you will feel something unmistakable in the air: the nation’s strongest high-school-aged business minds. These are high school students who have spent months preparing competitive presentations, practicing financial analyses, and studying real-world business scenarios, all because they believe in the power of business education to shape their futures.  

This year, College Board’s Advanced Placement^® (AP) Program is proud to have been part of these remarkable gatherings. Serving not just as an event sponsor, but as the developer of AP Business with Personal Finance, a brand-new AP course launching in Fall 2026 that is designed to fit seamlessly within the activities of these critical CTSO programs. 

Three Distinct Organizations, One Shared Partnership Mission 

College Board has built meaningful partnerships with three of the nation's leading Career and Technical Student Organizations: DECA, the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), and Business Professionals of America (BPA). Together, these organizations serve hundreds of thousands of high school students each year, offering competitive events, leadership development, and a gateway into careers across business, finance, marketing, and entrepreneurship. 

At the heart of each partnership is a shared belief: that access to rigorous, high-quality business education should not depend on where a student grows up or what opportunities happen to be available in their school. 

This commitment led to the launch of AP Business with Personal Finance, a new AP course that College Board will offer beginning in the 2026-27 school year. Developed in collaboration with the National Business Education Association (NBEA) and with input from DECA, FBLA, and BPA, the course gives students a chance to earn college credit while building financial literacy and business skills that will serve them throughout their lives, whatever path they choose.  

DECA International Career Development Conference | Atlanta, GA 

In late April, the College Board team joined thousands of DECA members at the International Career Development Conference in Atlanta. DECA's ICDC is one of the largest student business competitions in the world, drawing competitors from all 50 states and numerous countries. Students compete across more than 60 event categories covering areas like marketing, finance, hospitality, and entrepreneurship, often going up against hundreds of peers who have already won at the regional and state levels. 

For many students, ICDC is the culmination of an entire school year's work. It is the stage where preparation meets opportunity, and where the next generation of business professionals takes its first real bow.  

BPA National Leadership Conference | Nashville, TN 

In May, College Board was at the BPA National Leadership Conference in Nashville. BPA serves students pursuing careers in business and information technology, and its NLC brings together competitors from across the country for skill-based events in areas like accounting, project management, digital communication, and administrative procedures.  

BPA's focus on practical, workforce-ready skills makes it a natural partner for College Board's work to connect rigorous academics with real-world readiness.  

FBLA National Leadership Conference | San Antonio, TX 

In late June, College Board joined FBLA at its National Leadership Conference in San Antonio. FBLA is the largest career and technical student organization in the United States, with more than 230,000 active members. The NLC features competitive events in dozens of business disciplines, from public speaking and economics to coding and social media strategy, drawing tens of thousands of students, advisers, and supporters each year. 

FBLA's reach and its commitment to inclusion make it a powerful platform for introducing students to the possibilities that AP Business with Personal Finance can open up.  

What We Heard 

One of the most valuable things about being present at these conferences is the chance to listen. Across our interactions with students at all three events, a clear picture emerged of where this generation sees itself heading. 

College Board brought an engaging interactive display to each conference for students and teachers to explore. Students took part in a special activity that asked them to imagine their lives ten years from now. They were asked to write about what they think they might accomplish and share it on a sticky note that was featured on the display wall. 

So much was learned about the students from this fun activity. Nearly one in four students wants to build or own something. Healthcare is the second most common aspiration, with many students describing paths in nursing, physician assistant programs, and community medicine rather than the traditional MD route. Tech and digital skills run through almost every category, even when students do not identify as future technologists.   

And across all of it, a strong thread of purpose: students heading into healthcare, law, and education consistently mentioned equity, underserved communities, and giving back as part of their vision. 

What this tells us is that business and personal finance education is not just for students who plan to go into business. It is foundational for every path. AP Business with Personal Finance was built with exactly that in mind, and the students we met this year are exactly who it was built for. 

“Every career is a business. Every student who takes AP Business with Personal Finance will benefit because any job, any career, any pathway they pursue involves a business.” said Hoffman Estates (IL) High School business teacher Kerri Largo.  

In Their Own Words 

Spend time at any CTSO conference and the students will tell you what this work means to them. 

One student described a vision rooted in community: "By 2036, I built a private medicine clinic that offers affordable healthcare to my local community, growing it from a small operation into a national business."  

Another brought the same entrepreneurial energy to a different problem: "By 2036, I built the number one handyman app in the world. Our mobile app alleviates all the pain points that both customers and contractors deal with. We are the Uber for home repairs."   

These students are not daydreaming. They are planning. And organizations like DECA, FBLA, and BPA, alongside courses like AP Business with Personal Finance, are giving them the tools to make those plans real. 

Looking Ahead 

College Board is grateful for the opportunity to be part of these conferences and to connect with the educators, students, and families who make these communities so extraordinary. The work of preparing young people for the future is never finished, and we are proud to be a partner in that effort. College Board is committed to building strong connections to these critical student organizations and with Career and Technical Education professionals, through regional and national conferences, integration into AP Business with Personal Finance coursework, and sharing resources for students and educators. 

To learn more about AP Business with Personal Finance and College Board's partnerships with DECA, FBLA, and BPA, click here.