Phi Theta Kappa to Continue Partnership with Keep America Beautiful

Phi Theta Kappa will continue its partnership with Keep America Beautiful, Inc., the nation's largest nonprofit community improvement organization through its "Operation Green: Improving Our Communities" International Service Program, through 2010.

Phi Theta Kappa's International Service Program allows chapters to focus their considerable resources toward a common goal. The four focus areas of "Operation Green" are Education and Raising Awareness, Recycling, Beautification and Clean Communities.

Phi Theta Kappa conducts its International Service Program on a biennial basis, and Keep America Beautiful is the only organization other than the American Cancer Society to have this relationship renewed beyond the initial two-year commitment.

While participation in the service program is not a requirement for membership in the Society, it is strongly encouraged. More than 600 Phi Theta Kappa chapters participated with Keep America Beautiful in the first two years of participation, with members devoting approximately 59,700 volunteer hours and reaching nearly 582,000 people.

Keep America Beautiful will continue to engage Phi Theta Kappa members in a variety of education/awareness, recycling, beautification and clean community programs in partnership with its network of nearly 1,000 affiliates and participating organizations.

"In the past two years our chapters and members have enthusiastically embraced the mission and programs of Keep America Beautiful and its network of affiliates," said Phi Theta Kappa Executive Director Rod Risley. "The leadership of Keep America Beautiful, and the dedication and energy of our army of scholars, has created hundreds of new anti-litter, recycling and restoration programs. Most importantly, Phi Theta Kappa chapters have helped educate people all around the world on the need for environmental responsibility. Together we will move forward to continue this vital work."

"Keep America Beautiful is extremely honored to have this relationship continue to grow and flower," said Keep America Beautiful President & CEO Matt McKenna. "Reaching out to communities with the help of energetic college students is a tremendous boon for our organization and can only enhance young people's motivation to be a significant contributing factor for the betterment of the communities in which they live and attend school. We are looking forward to even greater engagement with these honor students."

Keep America Beautiful, Inc., established in 1953, is the nation's largest volunteer-based community action and education organization. With a network of nearly 1,000 affiliate and participating organizations, Keep America Beautiful forms public-private partnerships and programs that engage individuals to take greater responsibility for improving their community's environment. To learn more about Keep America Beautiful, go to http://www.kab.org/.

Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society, headquartered in Jackson, MS, is the largest honor society in American higher education with 1,250 chapters on two-year and community college campuses in all 50 of the United States, Canada, Germany, the Republic of Palau, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, the British Virgin Islands, the United Arab Emirates and U.S. territorial possessions. More than two million students have been inducted since its founding in 1918, with approximately 100,000 students inducted annually.