Have your parents ever been skeptical about allowing you go to a BBYO event, convention, or summer program?  Let them know there is NO reason they should be worried because BBYO helps you learn practical skills that will help you succeed in school.  Next time your parents tell you they don’t want you going to an event, let them know why you should go with a list of the Top Eleven Ways BBYO Helps in School and the Real World.

1. Presentation skills

Presentation skills are not just useful for class projects, they can be applied through the simple act of pitching an idea or advocating for your academic success. BBYO allows teens to develop public speaking skills, which in turn builds confidence and a professional image. If you have the best idea for how to plan your chapter’s next fundraiser, you can learn to advocate for your idea to a board member or advisor and make it happen. Being able to communicate clearly and effectively in a presentation or one on one setting is an essential skill that BBYO will help you develop.

2. Leadership

BBYO allows you to take part in leadership positions, including board, committees, and more.  The experiences you have in these positions can carry over into the real world. When you need to take a leadership on a group project, enter the workforce, or get involved in other student organizations in high school and later in college!

3. Teamwork

Just about every part of BBYO requires you to engage in teamwork. Whether it is working to plan an event, writing a skit for a convention, or planning an inductions ceremony, BBGs, and AZAs work collaboratively all the time.  These skills can be applied to the real world in a group setting, such as group projects, sports teams, and meetings .

4. Perseverance

Serving on chapter, regional/council,International board, or in any other leadership role is a huge honor, but not everyone ends up in these positions. If an Aleph or BBG loses a position, they are bound to be disappointed, but this loss can spark a new found motivation. These moments teach members how to recover and perservere , which is an amazing practice for setbacks later in life.  The people that don’t fail when they are younger are not prepared for the challenges the real world presents.

5. Discovering your passions

People often dislike their jobs in the future because they are not passionate about them.  By exposing Alephs and BBG’s to so many opportunities, this organization helps members discover what they love; therefore, allowing them to be aware of this in the future when making big, life-changing decisions such as choosing a job or applying to college.

6. Time-management

Being in BBYO is a time commitment, no matter you role, BBYO can still take up a lot of time and energy. By making room in your schedule for BBYO, you learn how to balance other aspects of your life.  This is helpful in school and the future when the workload becomes more intense and you have more priorities to balance.

7. Professionalism

A big part of BBYO is communicating with advisors and parents about events, ideas, and recruiting members.  Communicating with these adults requires an amount of professionalism.  This professional context is a great way to learn how to interact with future peers and coworkers.

8. Communication

On board, in order to succeed, you need to be in constant communication with your co’s and counterparts.  This includes sending and responding to emails, texts, and calls.  By having to communicate with others on and off screen you learn the valuable skill of EFFECTIVE and appropriate communication that is crucial in the workforce and school.

9. Hard-work

Being a leader in BBYO is hard. It requires dedication, a lot of hard work, and time; however, it is incredibly meaningful when your hard work pays off and the results are fulfilling. Putting in hard-work teaches you to diligence and patience that results in some pretty incredible rewards.

10. Open-mindedness

BBYO includes Jews from all around the world of all backgrounds, beliefs, and identities. Being around all these different people that are united by a single common thread, Judaism, truly helps you accept others and find connections with people you might not have interacted with otherwise. This will enrich your life and enable you to spread this same love to the people around you.

11. Happiness

Simply put, BBYO is an organization that makes people happy. They say people who are more happy are more successful. You only live life once, so doing what you love is reason enough to do it. Keeping a positive mindset will help you get through the ups and downs of life. So go to a program and add a little more happy energy into your life.

All in all, BBYO helps you prepare for your future and it helps you enjoy your childhood.  So, why wouldn’t you join?