The Journey
         A newsletter for Phi Theta Kappa chapter advisors, chapter officers, and regional officers.  

America Reads Challenge
      From Words to Action!

Since the introduction of Phi Theta Kappa's International Service Program at the International Convention last April, Phi Theta Kappans have enthusiastically embraced the America Reads Challenge. Read on for a sample of how Society members have already taken up the cause of improving youth literacy...

"It should be a fun year for our chapter," says Duane Oakes, advisor at Chandler-Gilbert Community College in Chandler, Arizona. "We are very committed to the America Reads Challenge." 

Oakes, who serves as Director of Student Life, is also in charge of the college's service learning program. Realizing the potential the America Reads Challenge offers to service learning programs, the chapter promoted America Reads at the National Campus Compact for Community Colleges, a conference for service learning professionals at two-year colleges. "We wanted to encourage other colleges' service learning programs to get involved with their Phi Theta Kappa chapters to work together on America Reads."

Last May, the chapter invited campus student leaders, faculty and staff members to participate in the U.S. Department of Education's satellite town meeting, "Reading Partners: Teaming Up to Help Children Read Well." A videotape of the town meeting has already been used by the chapter to spread the word about the importance of literacy.

Children in Missouri will learn reading skills with the help of Petey K. Bear, the Missouri Region's mascot. The Region is compiling a "Petey K. Bear Says Reading Is Fun!" workbook to help teach children the alphabet. Each chapter in the Region is creating two workbook pages - one focusing on their assigned letter of the alphabet and the other featuring exercises, such as scrambled word puzzles, matching games, etc.

The finished workbooks will be distributed to chapters at the Missouri Regional Convention in February. Chapters are encouraged to make as many copies as they wish and distribute to local day care centers.

Many chapters focus only on their local communities when developing service projects, but the Phi Theta Kappa chapter at Community College of Denver in Colorado, has reached out all the way to the East Coast. Jackie Trainer, chapter president at Community College of Denver met Karin Public, chapter president at Pennsylvania's Bucks County Community College, in her Seminar Group at the International Honors Institute. The friendship has led to a joint service project. Both chapters have adopted a third grade class in their area and are now establishing a pen-pal program between the elementary students in Denver, Colorado, and Newtown, Pennsylvania.

Phi Theta Kappa chapter officers at Ivy Tech State College in Fort Wayne, Indiana, took advantage of the college's Open House to stress reading fundamentals to the community. The officers prepared computer-generated bookmarks promoting National Family Literacy Day, celebrated every year on November 1. The officers designed two bookmarks -- one targeted at children with a simple "I Love to Read" message; the other, an informational bookmark aimed at adults.

Phi Theta Kappans at Community College of Southern Nevada in North Las Vegas are continuing their reading program, now in its third year, entitled "Read Aloud to Children." The program targets children with HIV/AIDS, children with cancer and disadvantaged children. Chapter members collect donated books from book drives on campus and in the community, then deliver the books to childcare facilities. As part of the program, the members  offer to perform a "read aloud" presentation including singing, dancing and reading aloud. "It's a very easy program to sponsor," says Kandy Aranda, public relations secretary for the chapter and director of the Read Aloud Program. "It has been one of our chapter's favorite projects."

If your chapter is interested in implementing the "Read Aloud to Children" program in your community, an information packet is available by contacting Kandy Aranda at 702.651.4012.

Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society
Center for Excellence
1625 Eastover Drive
Jackson, MS  39211
800.946.9995