Sept. 20, 2024
GHS business teacher Aundrea Hill was awarded the 2024 Missouri Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) Marketing Educator of the year.
This award recognizes the finest marketing teachers at the middle/secondary school level who have demonstrated innovation in the classroom, commitment to their students and dedication to the improvement of CTE in their institutions and communities.
“I feel strongly that a high-quality CTE program starts with a rigorous curriculum. In my years at Springfield Public Schools, I have written and led curriculum writing through four different adoptions, with a major focus on writing school-based enterprise activities into marketing courses," Hill wrote in her application for the award. "I truly feel that teaching students to work together for a common goal by succeeding in the day-to-day operations of a real world business, challenges them to do more than learn the basic coursework. It inspires them to plan, execute, problem solve and celebrate their learning in a collaborative environment, which is why writing curriculum for CTE is some of the most meaningful work I have done in my career.”
Hill has also served as a DECA Advisor for over 20 years.
The first and most notable effort led by Hill is starting one of Missouri’s first Gold-level School-based Enterprises called The Nest. In 2012, Glendale marketing students and DECA members started this in-school SBE. And in 2018, they created www.glendalenest.com and sold merchandise online. This experience has allowed students to use targeted advertising, select merchandise, and find solutions to financial and staffing problems.
In 2021, Glendale DECA members worked on a DECA Startup Business Plan and proposed the first Bass Pro Tournament of Champions SBE, the TOC Store. This store is the sole provider of apparel and accessories for the highest attended high school basketball tournament in the United States.
“From concept to completion, we planned, implemented and executed a three-day store with a $20,000 startup budget,” said Hill. “Every detail from the design of the merchandise to the setup and layout of the store space, was decided by the students. I love to lead CTE by having practicum students observe and hosting student teachers. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to teach, lead and grow with the next generation of educators.”
