Phi Theta Kappa Chapters Win National KAB Awards
Two Phi Theta Kappa chapters are first place winners in Keep America Beautiful's
2008 National Awards competition.
Recognized for their efforts
in support of the environment are chapters at Delaware County Community
College in Pennsylvania, for beautification; and Copiah-Lincoln Community
College, Wesson Campus, Mississippi, for litter prevention.
The
chapter at Delaware County Community College involved participants in
a summer youth program in a neighborhood cleanup. Children aged 6-12 joined
chapter members in picking up litter, sweeping streets and weeding.
The
children also participated in a chapter-sponsored essay contest on the
importance of recycling. The project received widespread publicity and
resulted in other beautification opportunities for the children.
"Our
main goal was to teach children that when you give unconditionally to the
community, you become an affluent citizen," said chapter officer Rosalyn
Mitchell in the chapter's entry, which incorporated elements of Phi Theta
Kappa's International
Service Program and Honors
Study Topic. "We are affluent people when we work together and
teach our youth the importance of healing our land through recycling and
beautifying our surroundings. These children made a big difference in
their community."
At Copiah-Lincoln Community College, chapter
members sponsored litter prevention programs by holding recycling drives
for phone books and aluminum cans and scheduled five campus cleanup days.
The
chapter involved the entire community in the litter prevention efforts,
working with a local elementary school and high school, with churches and
other campus groups.
Over a two-year period, the chapter collected
and recycled more than 5,000 phone books, collected 44 pounds of aluminum
cans and over 150 pounds of trash. The chapter raised more than $1,200 to
promote awareness of environmental issues and purchase supplies. Altogether
volunteers worked more than 1,500 hours.
"Even though we are
only college students, we are attempting to eliminate litter through awareness.
We want to educate our campus and community ... we want to be the change we
see in the world," said chapter president Ashlee Richardson in the contest
entry.
Both chapters have been invited to Keep America Beautiful's
annual national conference in Washington, D.C., December 3-5, to accept
their awards. Keep
America Beautiful is Phi Theta Kappa's partner in the current
International Service
Program, Operation Green: Improving Our Communities.
This
marks the second consecutive year that Phi Theta Kappa chapters have won
first place in Keep America Beautiful's competition. Read about the 2007
winners.
