What Is TSA?



The Technology Student Association is an American student organization consisting of roughly 180000 members, dedicated to promoting STEM subjects in high and middle schools. Currently, almost every sub-unit to be part of the TSA family is American except for three German chapters (Ostwald TSA being one of them) and TSA Turkey (since 2012).

Students taking part in TSA are working on projects related to different subjects including engineering, computer science, and creative subjects as well as Biology and other technology-related disciplines. The final aim is to take part in the National Conference, annually held in or near a major city in the United States, where the teams compete against each other with their project work completed throughout the school year.

However, TSA is not only about the competitive events. Rather than that, it helps its members in gaining skills in both technological and social areas, as we handle most of the projects in teamwork. There are also various opportunities to become a leader on regional, state and national level, allowing members to train their organization and leadership abilities and to give back something to TSA.
And last but not least, TSA offers, of course, fun at giving young students the chance to work and socialize with other students from within their school or even beyond the borders of the US.

The TSA ultimately prepares students for starting a career in technological fields equipping them with practical knowledge and management skills, to give them the confidence they need to succeed in life.

Motto and Creed


A national Sergeant-at-Arms
initiates the recitation
of the TSA credo.
The TSA's motto is "Learning To Live In A Technical World".

The motto refers to the firm believe the TSA has in its mission to give students the opportunity to attain knowledge and skills through independent project work, preparing them for a successful career in an industrialized, globalized and highly technical world.

The Technology Student Association's credo is recited by the full assembly at every National Conference:
  • I believe that Technology Education holds an important place in my life in the technical world. I believe there is a need for the development of good attitudes concerning work, tools, materials, experimentation, and processes of industry.
  • Guided by my teachers, artisans from industry, and my own initiative, I will strive to do my best in making my school, community, state, and nation better places in which to live.
  • I will accept the responsibilities that are mine. I will accept the theories that are supported by proper evidence. I will explore on my own for safer, more effective methods of working and living.
  • I will strive to develop a cooperative attitude and will exercise tact and respect for other individuals. Through the work of my hands and mind, I will express my ideas to the best of my ability.
  • I will make it my goal to do better each day the task before me, and to be steadfast in my belief in my God, and my fellow Americans.

Structure and Setup

The Technology Student Association is mostly organized by the students taking part in it. The officers are responsible for fulfilling certain duties to grant the prerequisites necessary for a successful competition. The advisor's counsel the officers as their experience can help them to see things from a different perspective.

There are many more awards
than trophies in TSA.


The three levels of organization are:
  • Regional (school chapters)
  • State (The US state's sub-units and international participants)
  • National (TSA as a whole)

Every level of organization has six officer ranks:
  • President (Leading sessions, organization, motivation, team communication)
  • Vice President (Support of the President, organization)
  • Secretary (Logging the sessions, gives advice to the president and vice president)
  • Treasurer (Coordination of funding activities, sponsor relationships)
  • Reporter (public relations)
  • Sergeant-at-Arms (chapter representation, attendance records)

The officers are not restricted to their resorts but cooperate, especially regarding decision making, with the whole board of officers and the advisors.

TSA membership and commitment is recognized through two awards which are not related to project work:
  • Honor Society (Award for outstanding dedication)
  • Gold Achievement Award (Award for the most successful and most dedicated members)

Every chapter's officers nominate members who are then needed to be confirmed by National TSA.

History of TSA


A special ribbon was
released in 2007 to
celebrate the anniversary.
  • 1978 First meeting of the Board of Directors of the AIASA (American Industrial Arts Student Association)
  • 1978 AIASA is officially becoming a student organization
  • 1979 First National Conference
  • 1988 Vote in favor of renaming AIASA into Technology Student Association
  • 1989 Official TSA logo is used at all levels
  • 1991 New membership program is launched, entailing member increase
  • 1993 Tonya Vandergriff becomes first female National President
  • 1994 More than 100.000 are member of TSA
  • 1995 American Technology Honor Society is founded
  • 1996 High School and Middle School are separated into two competitive branches
  • 2005 DuPont leadership academy is included into the TSA National Conference
  • 2007 30th Anniversary of TSA

Special Thanks to our sponsors!
Leipziger Stiftung
Sparkasse
Zonta Club of Leipzig Elster
Ingenieurkammer Sachsen
Fairnet
HTWK Leipzig
Sächsische Bildungsagentur
Fraunhofer Institut Zelltherapie und Immunologie

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See also

Legal Notice
Making of
Technology Student Association