Civic Engagement
A Year In Review
Phi Theta Kappa is celebrating a successful year of promoting civic engagement by encouraging members to be change agents within their community. Members have taken on diverse roles that range from empowering their community to assist with tsunami relief fundraising to registering citizens to vote in the recent Presidential Election. Phi Theta Kappa members have been hard at work stocking the shelves at local community relief agencies and literacy organizations, and providing encouragement and support to our troops overseas. Hundreds of chapters throughout the Society have taken part in numerous civic engagement activities in the last year, making Phi Theta Kappa truly the Engaged Honor Society.
Phi Theta Kappa Chapters Voice Their Vote
2004 was a pivotal year in American Politics. Statistics from recent Census reports had shown that political engagement was very low, particularly among college students. Phi Theta Kappa chapters from every region of the Society took up the call to educate their communities on the importance of voting wisely. Through the efforts of local chapters, over 15,000 citizens became newly registered voters, and more than 75,000 individuals received information about the voting process. Chapters found a multitude of ways to get involved in Voice Your Vote. The Phi Theta Kappa chapter at the University of Wisconsin-Barron County Campus held Presidential Debate viewings and discussions, while the chapter at Irvine Valley College in California formed a partnership with the Orange County Registrar of Voters and the League of Women Voters and established their college campus as an early voting site. Irvine Valley College chapter advisor Kurt Meyer says, "Empowering others to vote is arguably the single most important activity our chapter did this past year."
Changing Lives, Changing Communities...
Project Graduation
Over 200,000 books and food items have been donated through Project Graduation since 2002. The last year saw record-breaking numbers in an already successful program that has allowed community college graduates to make an impact in their community by donating. The Ohio Region gave a new spin to Project Graduation by implementing the program at the All-Ohio Academic Team Luncheon. Honorees were encouraged to bring books to the luncheon, which were then donated to the Ohio Reads Program, Ohio's literacy program targeting students in kindergarten through fourth grade. This year, over 400 books were donated to Ohio Reads. Countless other chapters have involved their local high schools and universities, resulting in the collection of hundreds of thousands of books and food items.
Members Reach Out Across Borders
On December 26, 2004, tragedy struck Southeast Asia as one of the greatest natural disasters in recorded history claimed the lives of almost 200,000 people. Almost immediately after the disaster, Phi Theta Kappa chapters sprang into action, collecting clothes and non-perishable food items to donate to the Red Cross and UNICEF for relief purposes. In three short months, chapters had raised over $16,000 and collected many items to send to the affected areas. Members at Asnuntuck Community College in Connecticut collaborated with other campus organizations to raise money for the tsunami victims. The chapter raised over $2,000 from their tag sale and bake sale. All proceeds from the day went to the American Red Cross. "The Tsunami Tag Sale brought together members of our campus and community to help meet needs half-way around the world," said chapter officer Deb Pham. "I don't know if there's a better feeling than to put all your efforts into a project and have it become so successful."
Chapters Support American Troops
Chapters throughout the nation have encouraged students on their campus to write letters to soldiers overseas. The chapter at Copiah-Lincoln Community College in Mississippi has participated in the Friends of Our Troops program for the past two years. Through their efforts, the chapter has sent over 2000 cards to United States service men and women. Currently over 50 Phi Theta Kappa members in the military are known to be serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.
If your chapter has implemented civic engagement programs on your campus, let us know about them by emailing chapter.programs@ptk.org or calling Chapter Programs Coordinator Garon Tate at 601.984.3555.
