Literacy Grant Spotlight: iHeart

Bethanie Pletcher (Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi) wants to get children reading. Her program, iHeart, which stands for Islanders Helping the Early Acceleration of Readers Together, is a program for kindergarten, first- and second-grade students who struggle with reading. And it’s the recipient of Phi Kappa Phi’s Literacy Grant program, which gives $2,500 to chapters and members for literacy projects.

iHeart’s students go to Kennedy Elementary School, a majority minority school in Corpus Christi, Texas. The program serves about 20 students chosen by classroom teachers. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi undergrads volunteer as tutors to work with the children under Pletcher’s supervision.

“The children enjoy working with their tutors since they are engaged in interesting activities and read books together in a relaxed environment,” she said. The Society’s grant will buy books for iHeart readers.

“The students are in need of high-quality guided reading books that contain bright photos and interesting stories and topics,” Pletcher said. “Having access to these materials would also be an extra incentive for undergraduate teacher candidates to serve as tutors at this school and will provide them with the experience of using these materials in classrooms.”

Phi Kappa Phi awards almost $1 million yearly to deserving students and professionals. Interested in applying for a Literacy Grant? Click here to learn more and apply by April 1.

Photo provided by Bethanie Pletcher – Bethanie Pletcher (Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi) was 2018 Literacy Grant recipient. Her program serves students at Kennedy Elementary School in Corpus Christi, Texas.

Phi Kappa Phi Career Resources

Are you a student who will be entering the job force soon? Or, a professional who is looking to make a career change? No matter your current situation, Phi Kappa Phi provides career resources to help you succeed. From internship scholarships worth up to $2,500 to the Phi Kappa Phi Career Center, you have access to resources that will assist in the advancement of your career.

Write a Winning Résumé

To rise above the competition, you need a résumé that is focused on your target, complies with modern screening apps, and promotes your value through accomplishments. Members can save $75 on any Seeking Success résumé writing package. Click here to learn more about Seeking Success and how to apply the savings to your package. A discount on LinkedIn profile writing packages is also available.

Hear advice from the Seeking Success team, including the award-winning, nationally-recognized career expert Tamara Dowling. The Seeking Success podcast series delivers current résumé, LinkedIn profile, and job interviewing advice in a quick format. Click here to visit the podcast series.

Visit our Career Guidance Resources to watch and learn How to Write a Winning Résumé and Cover Letter by Robin Ryan.

Society Logo Graphics & Membership Verification
Your membership in the Society is recognized as a stamp of academic excellence, and we encourage you to proudly display it on your résumé by including an official Society logo. Several styles, sizes and colors are available for download in PNG format at www.PhiKappaPhi.org/Logo-Graphics.

Verify your membership in the nation's oldest and most selective all-discipline honor society with a letter from Dr. Mary Todd, Executive Director. Email Deanna Landry at dlandry@phikappaphi.org to request your personalized membership verification letter.

Secure a DC-based Internship and Apply for a $2,500 Scholarship
Find the perfect DC-based internship and apply for scholarships worth up to $2,500 through Phi Kappa Phi partners DC Internships and the Washington Internship Institute. These programs provide members with opportunities to explore career options, while enhancing their leadership development potential. Visit www.PhiKappaPhi.org/Internship-Opportunities to learn more.

Apply for Your Dream Job
The Phi Kappa Phi Career Center connects job seekers to the perfect job opportunity. Job seekers can visit the Career Center to create a profile, post résumés and cover letters, customize email job alerts, search job openings and easily apply for jobs.

Applying to a federal agency? Phi Kappa Phi members seeking federal employment maybe eligible for a GS level upgrade according to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s General Schedule Qualification Policies. Keep in mind this is not a Phi Kappa Phi managed benefit—it is a federal policy. Questions regarding specifics of the policy should be directed to the Human Resources department associated with the position being applied for.

Nail the Interview
Join other Phi Kappa Phi members to share job search strategies, interview tips and all-around career advice in our exclusive Link community. Click here to sign in using your member login and start participating today!

Visit our Career Guidance Resources to watch podcasts and get advice on interviewing and dealing with stress.

Need a new suit for your interview? Sign up for your complimentary Brooks Brothers Corporate Membership Card and save 15% on regularly priced merchandise at all Brooks Brothers U.S. and Canadian stores, by phone and online. To sign up for the card, visit Membership.BrooksBrothers.com or call 1.866.515.4747 with organization ID 11755 and pin code 61431.

To use the discount online, members must create a separate Corporate Member profile, even if you already have an existing Brooks Brothers profile. Please allow 20 minutes after you receive your email confirmation before creating your online Corporate Member profile. Register for your separate Corporate Member profile here.

Please note, career resources are available to active members only and your member login will be required. Not active? Visit www.PhiKappaPhi.org/Renew to renew your membership today.

Questions? Contact Jamie Chapman at jchapman@phikappaphi.org or 1.800.804.9880, extension 217.

Chapter Update - February 2019

By Kay White

Chapter Development Director

There are many ways that smaller institutions work to build excitement about the invitation to Phi Kappa Phi. For example, students at Methodist University (342) look forward to receiving “the blue envelopes“ at this time of year. Chapter officers place the invitation letters for the April induction in blue envelopes and the deans from the five schools distribute them to the qualifying students at their Academic Council. Chapter president, George Hendricks says, “This is the third year in the process and the tradition keeps gaining momentum. It is always a special process.” We think that the students agree!

North Dakota State University (010) holds an initiation which is combined with a faculty speaker lectureship to exemplify the love of learning. The Phi Kappa Phi Faculty Lecture was established in 2015 by NDSU President Dean Bresciani to recognize faculty whose outstanding, high-impact research, scholarship, or creative activity consistently supports North Dakota State University’s top tier research status.

New initiates and their guests come in at 6 p.m. for the ceremony portion of the evening, which begins formally 15 minutes later and includes a brief history of the local Phi Kappa Phi chapter given by the chapter president. The chapter awards officer then gives a brief description of the local award offerings from their chapter, and initiates are called up individually for recognition and a certificate.

The second part of the evening begins months before with a call to faculty to apply for the Faculty Lectureship Award. Finalists, which usually number three or four, make a brief presentation to a selection committee. They receive a stipend of $500 each, donated by the chapter, for being a finalist. The person selected to make the presentation receives $2,500 and a framed poster of the event.

Following the initiation part of the evening, the chapter president shares a brief national history of Phi Kappa Phi, a thank you to the university president, and the introduction of the speaker. The presentation lasts about 45 minutes and is followed by a question and answer session.

This event has been very popular and represents the best of our Society, the love of learning and the recognition of deserving students, faculty, and staff.

If you have chapter events and updates that you’d like to share with the national office, email me at kwhite@phikappaphi.org.

Photos provided by Vidura Jayasooriya

Top: Chapter officer Dr. Dennis Cooley, right, recognizes new member Sanzida Rahman at NDSU’s initiation ceremony.

Bottom: Dr. Clay Routledge was the featured lecturer at NDSU’s Phi Kappa Phi Faculty Lecture held in conjunction with the chapter’s initiation.

Attend the Student Vice President Leadership Summit

Phi Kappa Phi is currently accepting applications for its 2019 Student Vice President Leadership Summit. The Summit will be held July 11-14 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Now in its fourth year, the two-day event will bring together student vice presidents from Phi Kappa Phi chapters across the country to engage in activities aimed at bolstering leadership development skills. Participants will also have the opportunity to network with other student vice presidents and learn strategies for enhancing Phi Kappa Phi chapters.

“I cannot stress enough how beneficial this Summit was for me,” said Jaime Staengel, a previous attendee. “The ability to hear what other chapters are doing or have done to improve was valuable, and I took some ideas away that I plan to implement at Murray State University.”

Applications for the event will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis until May 15, 2019. Nominations will be limited to one student vice president per Phi Kappa Phi chapter.

To be eligible to attend, students must be an active member of Phi Kappa Phi and currently serve as a student vice president within their chapter. Members must also be returning to campus as a full-time student during the 2019-2020 academic year.

Established in 2013 and hosted every other year, the Student Vice President Leadership Summit was developed to engage Phi Kappa Phi’s student vice presidents in personal and organizational development. Since its creation, more than 200 students have attended the event.

To learn more about the Summit and download an application, visit www.phikappaphi.org/summit. If you have additional questions, contact Kay White at kwhite@phikappaphi.org.

Featured Fellow: John Duff

Phi Kappa Phi awards nearly $1 million yearly to deserving students and professionals. The Society awards fifty Fellowships of $8,500 each, six at $20,000 each, and two at $35,000 each to members entering the first year of graduate or professional study. John Duff, a 2018 Marcus L. Urann Fellowship recipient, is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts in linguistics, classical languages and psychology.

He’s always been fascinated by language, unsurprising, he says, since he grew up in a family of teachers.

“Nevertheless, I never would have predicted then that I could use computational methods to search for connections between rhythm and meaning in Latin poetry, or that I’d be traveling to the borders of the Middle East to study and rebuild literacy for a dying minority language,” he said.

He will use the fellowship award to begin Ph.D. study in linguistics at the University of California, Santa Cruz, investigating how humans interpret narrative storytelling in the brain, an extension of the work he began with his undergraduate senior honors thesis.

“By continuing similar work at the intersection of linguistics and psychology with the broader traditions of the humanities, and especially by examining the language patterns of speakers and storytellers across the globe, living and dead, I ultimately hope to increase our understanding of the cognitive realities behind the human tradition of narrative,” he said.

Interested in applying for a Phi Kappa Phi Fellowship? Click here to learn more and apply by April 15.

Road Scholar Announces a New Scholarship for Educators

Road Scholar offers an unmatched selection of unique and varied learning adventures at a remarkable value to older adults. As the world’s largest and most innovative creator of experiential learning opportunities, with adventures from San Francisco to Siberia and nearly everywhere in between, all of their 5,500 programs provide exceptional educational opportunities led by instructors who are experts in their fields.

Road Scholar was founded by two education administrators, David Bianco and Marty Knowlton, and nearly half of their participants were, or are currently, in the field of education. That’s no surprise, because Road Scholar is a university of the world and learning is at the core of the Road Scholar mission.

Though being an educator is one of the noblest callings, unfortunately in today’s world, the financial reward educators receive doesn’t come close to matching the value they provide society. That’s why Road Scholar has created a special kind of financial assistance specifically for active and retired educators. They call it the “Professional Educator’s Assistance Recognition” Scholarship—or “PEAR” for short.

Thanks to the generous support of donors, Road Scholar was able to ensure that educators with limited financial means are able to experience their own learning adventure. Through this new financial assistance program, educators can turn the dream of experiencing one of thousands of educational travel adventures into a reality. If you are over 50 years of age, are currently working in or have retired from any educational organization or system, which includes public or private early childhood, primary, secondary, and further or higher education and are facing financial barriers preventing you from participating in a Road Scholar program, you are eligible to apply.

To learn more, visit www.RoadScholar.org/PEAR.

Don’t forget, Phi Kappa Phi members qualify for a one-time $100 savings on any one Road Scholar learning adventure. Click here to sign up for a Road Scholar catalog and you will receive $100 off your first Road Scholar adventure.

Questions? Contact Jamie Chapman at jchapman@phikappaphi.org or 1.800.804.9880, extension 217.

Vote Now! Graduation Photo Contest

Thanks to all who submitted photos to the 2018 Fall Graduation Photo Contest! We received nearly 200 submissions of Phi Kappa Phi members proudly wearing Society recognition apparel on their big day.

After much deliberation, Phi Kappa Phi staff members narrowed the field to 10 outstanding entries. Now we need your help to pick the winners!

Click here to vote now! (Please note the system limits entries to one vote per device/IP address.)

Voting closes Sunday, March 3, at 11:59 p.m. Central time. The winning entries will receive an Amazon gift card and appear in various Society marketing and promotional materials. For the full list of contest rules, click here.

Travel Tales: Martha Amaya

Phi Kappa Phi’s Study Abroad Grants are designed to help support undergraduate students as they gain experience in their academic fields by studying abroad. Seventy-five $1,000 grants are awarded each year. For students like Martha Amaya at University of Nevada, Las Vegas, it can be a life-changing opportunity to reach their future goals.

Amaya first became interested in French after noticing the similarities between American Sign Language and French Sign Language. The initial curiosity led to a triple major in French, political science, and criminal justice with the hope of one day serving as a Foreign Service Officer for the State Department.

As a 2018 Study Abroad Grant recipient, she noted, “One of my goals will be to spread awareness about the importance of signed languages and understanding sign languages will prepare me for advocacy.”

Amaya spent a semester studying at Université de Pau in Pau, France, focusing on French and politics alongside other international students.

“I was able to go rafting in the Pyrenees. We took a field trip to Spain. I participated in a language exchange program with French students learning English,” shared Amaya. “I also traveled to Germany and England while abroad!”

The lessons learned and connections made while abroad extend far beyond the classroom. “I lived with a wonderful host mom who made me authentic French pizza and croissants, and I made so many French friends who I will continue to keep in touch with.”

Interested in applying for a Phi Kappa Phi Study Abroad Grant? Click here to learn more and apply by March 15.

Becker CPA Exam Review Scholarship Application Open

Apply for the 2019 Newton D. Becker Scholarship program offered by Phi Kappa Phi’s partner, Becker Professional Education. The annual scholarship program focuses on helping students and accounting professionals fulfill their dreams of earning the CPA credential by offering deserving individuals financial assistance to prepare for the CPA Exam. The scholarship criteria are based on high moral character, strong leadership qualities and commitment to community service.

The Newton D. Becker Scholarship program will award 80 full scholarships for the 4-part CPA Exam Review course, valued at $3,393 each. The deadline to apply is March 1, 2019.

Click here to learn more about the program and to apply. For more information, view Becker’s frequently asked questions or call 1.877.CPA.EXAM.

Collette Air-Inclusive Flash Sale

Take advantage of Collette’s Flash Sale on air-inclusive rates to France, Spain and Portugal now through February 19. Choose from 17 tours and over 100 individual departures.

Featured Tours
Sunny Portugal from $1,998, 10 days, 14 meals
Travel Portugal’s dramatic shoreline, meandering cobblestone streets, ocean front promenades and quaint bays.

Spotlight on Paris from $2,298, 7 days, 7 meals
Revel in the allure of Paris on this spectacular tour which includes history, architecture, and–of course–fine food and wine.

Madrid & Barcelona from $2,598, 8 days, 10 meals
The dynamic cities of Madrid and Barcelona come to life on this in-depth adventure.

For reservations, more information and to see all of the tours available, call 1.888.873.3565 or visit www.Collette.com/PhiKappaPhi. Use offer code SOCIETYSAVE to apply the savings and mention your membership in The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi to save an additional $50-$100 per person.

Eligible Gateways: New York Metro (NYC), Boston (BOS), Philadelphia (PHL), Baltimore (BWI), Washington, D.C. Metro (WAS), Charlotte (CLT), Atlanta (ATL), Miami (MIA), Austin (AUS), Chicago (ORD), Cincinnati (CVG), Dallas (DFW), Detroit (DTW), Houston (IAH), Orlando (MCO), Memphis (MEM), Minneapolis (MSP), Pittsburgh (PIT), Raleigh-Durham (RDU), St. Louis (STL), Tampa (TPA), Denver (DEN), Las Vegas (LAS), Los Angeles (LAX), Portland (PDX), Phoenix (PHX), San Diego (SAN), Seattle (SEA), San Francisco (SFO), Salt Lake City (SLC)

*Valid for new economy class air inclusive bookings from select air gateways made from 2/11/19 – 2/19/19 on specified departures. Published pricing is per person based on double occupancy and includes land, $299 roundtrip air, taxes & fuel surcharges from the gateways specified. Your rates are subject to change until paid in full. Seats are limited and may not be available on every flight or departure date. Checked Baggage Charges: Some airlines may impose additional charges if you choose to check any baggage. Please contact your airline or refer to its website for detailed information regarding your airline’s checked baggage policies. Not combinable with any other offers, excluding member benefits. Not available for groups or bookings made online. Space is limited, offer may be withdrawn at any time, call for details.

The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi to Install Chapter 351 at Marymount University

The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi will install its 351st chapter at Marymount University in Arlington, Virginia, today, February 11. Founded in 1897 at the University of Maine, Phi Kappa Phi is the nation’s oldest and most selective all-discipline collegiate honor society.

The installation of the Marymount chapter comes after a thorough petitioning process, site visit and approval from the Society’s board of directors. To be eligible, an institution must be a regionally accredited four-year college or university with an established reputation of excellence and an expressed commitment to upholding the values of the Society.

“The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi is pleased to welcome Marymount University to its community of scholars,” said Society Executive Director Dr. Mary Todd. “The university’s mission emphasizing the education of the whole person, intellectual curiosity and service to others meshes well with the Society’s mission of excellence and engagement.”

Officers elected by the chartering group to serve the newly installed chapter include President Alison Gregory, President-elect Sarah Fischer, Treasurer Catherine England and Secretary Janet Fallon.

"Marymount's new Phi Kappa Phi chapter is a testimony of the excellent quality of education Marymount is known for," said Dr. Irma Becerra, president of Marymount University. "Marymount is on a path to national recognition. We are honored that Phi Kappa Phi has bestowed this honor upon us, one that will translate into even greater opportunities for our students. I am myself a member of Phi Kappa Phi since I was an undergraduate student, and am excited to have Marymount University join the ranks of institutions recognized for academic excellence, raising our profile and providing our outstanding students with public recognition for their accomplishments!"

Phi Kappa Phi was founded in 1897 when Marcus L. Urann, a student, brought to his professor the idea of creating a different kind of honor society—one that recognized excellence in all academic disciplines. Today, the Society has chapters on more than 300 select campuses in the United States and the Philippines and inducts approximately 30,000 new members each year. Membership is by invitation only to the top 7.5 percent of juniors and the top 10 percent of seniors and graduate students, along with faculty, professional staff and alumni who have achieved scholarly distinction.

About Phi Kappa Phi 

Founded in 1897 at the University of Maine, Phi Kappa Phi is the nation's oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines. The Society’s mission is "To recognize and promote academic excellence in all fields of higher education and to engage the community of scholars in service to others." Since its founding, more than 1.5 million members have been initiated. Some of the organization's more notable members include former President Jimmy Carter, NASA astronaut Wendy Lawrence, novelist John Grisham and YouTube cofounder Chad Hurley. Each year, Phi Kappa Phi awards nearly $1 million to qualifying students and members through graduate fellowships, undergraduate study abroad grants, member and chapter awards, and grants for local and national literacy initiatives. For more information about Phi Kappa Phi, visit www.PhiKappaPhi.org.

Member Benefits Highlights – February 2019

Roses are red, violets are blue. Check out all of the savings available to you!

HP *New Benefit
HP creates technology with a purpose: to make life better for everyone, everywhere. They offer a broad line of consumer and commercial products, from notebooks and desktops to printers, accessories and more! Members can save up to 35% on high-quality HP products and access free shipping. Click here to register and start shopping today!

AT&T
AT&T gives you more for your thing, and members can save 15% off their monthly wireless phone service on qualified plans. The discount applies only to the monthly service charge of qualified wireless plans and does not apply to additional monthly device access charges. Click here to register and learn more. Note, you will be required to log in to your Phi Kappa Phi member account.

Budget Truck Rental
You can count on Budget for reliable, affordable and efficient moving trucks and save 15% on rental and mileage. To book your rental, call 1.800.566.8422 and mention Phi Kappa Phi account number 56000134543 or visit www.BudgetTruck.com/PhiKappaPhi to book online.

Living Language
Living Language provides effective language learning instruction in 30 languages. Choose from Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, German and many more. Members can save 50% off a 1-year online subscription and 20% off all other online subscription options. Click here to choose the language you want to learn and enter promo code PKP50 for a 1-year subscription or PKP20 to receive 20% off all other subscriptions.

Lumosity
At Lumos Labs, they believe in helping people keep their brains challenged. That's why they created a simple online tool to allow anyone to exercise core cognitive abilities. Enjoy scientifically designed training for the web, iOS, and Android. Members can receive a 25% discount on individual yearly and lifetime subscriptions. To register, visit www.Lumosity.com and create a free account, then click here to apply the discount.

Parking Spot
The Parking Spot offers convenient long-term airport parking facilities with fast check-in/check-out and all-day shuttle service to 21 major airports across the country. Members can join the Phi Kappa Phi Spot Club Exec program to access a 15% discount at all full-service Parking Spot locations and a 10% discount at all Spot locations nationwide. Click here to order your free Phi Kappa Phi Spot Club Exec card today!

As a benefit of membership, you have access even more savings year round at PhiKappaPhi.org/Discounts. Please note, discounts are reserved for active members and your member login will be required to access many of the webpages listed above. If you need assistance with your login credentials, email webmaster@phikappaphi.org.

Questions about member benefits? Contact Jamie Chapman at jchapman@phikappaphi.org or 1.800.804.9880, extension 217.

Take Part in the Annual Book Drive Competition

Beginning today, February 1, Phi Kappa Phi chapters across the nation will take part in the annual Phi Kappa Phi Book Drive competition. Established by the Society’s Council of Students, the competition aims to encourage and promote literacy in the communities and campuses served by Phi Kappa Phi’s chapters.

Interested chapters can participate in the competition by hosting a drive to collect books or funds to be applied toward literacy materials. To be eligible, the drives must take place any time between February 1 and April 30, 2019.

The Phi Kappa Phi chapters that collect the most books or monetary donations throughout the competition will be eligible to receive either a “Little Free Library” to be placed at a location of their choice or a waived registration fee to attend the upcoming Student Leadership Summit. The Little Free Library is a freestanding box where anyone can donate and borrow books in an effort to promote literacy throughout communities—a prize that fits well with the Society’s love of learning and literacy.

"We are grateful to the national Phi Kappa Phi Book Drive for having given our chapter a meaningful focus for community service,” said Dr. Jeanne Morgan Zarucchi, past president of the University of Missouri–St. Louis chapter. "We could never have anticipated the overwhelming level of support shown by the members of our campus community, including current students, alumni, faculty, and staff members, who reached out to their own networks of family and friends to collect a grand total of 2,159 books.”

The annual competition, now in its sixth year, has donated more than 45,000 books to organizations both locally and abroad. Organizations that have received donated books as part of the competition include schools, libraries, hospitals, correctional centers, tutoring and mentoring programs, shelters and more.

To learn more about the competition or to locate your local chapter, visit www.phikappaphi.org/bookdrive.

Photo provided by Ericka Delisme – Chapter 126 members Gerdine Behrmann, left, and Faeik Al Rabee, center, of the University of South Florida, met with Potter Elementary School principal Melanie Hill, right, and students from the school after collecting books in Phi Kappa Phi’s 2018 annual book drive.