PTK receives two regional awards

Kankakee Community College’s Phi Theta Kappa chapter received two awards at this summer’s Illinois Regional convention.

The chapter, Alpha Delta Eta, earned the Hall of Honor Officer Team Award for 2021-22 and the College Project Award for 2021-22 for the chapter's involvement with "I Can Go To College" tours.

The 2021-22 chapter officers were Dan McDonald, president/college project chair; Tessa Coulter, Honors-in-Action Chair and Emma Koerner, recording secretary.

“‘I Can Go To College Tours’ were coordinated with Jim Rowe in the Kankakee County States Attorney’s Office,” said Frances Hebert, one of the chapter advisers. “Justice involved youth were identified through the States Attorney’s office and offered a tour of the college. Tours were given by PTK advisors and chapter officers who had completed training. The tours were usually small groups and personalized to the individual’s interest. These tours were offered as an alternative to tours of the jail with the hope that individuals would enroll in college and put their life on the right track.”

Additionally, the chapter achieved a Five Star Award, an international honor that recognizes the highest level of activity within the organization. It is 18^th time that KCC’s chapter has earned the Five Star Award.

Some chapter activities which led to five-star status included the “I Can Go To College Tours” project, an honors-in-action research project about resale stores and fast fashion, virtual attendance at the Illinois PTK Leadership conference and the PTK International Convention, in-person attendance at the Illinois PTK Regional Convention, and membership campaigns during fall and spring semesters.

The chapter advisers, Hebert and Jackie Montemayer, attended the PTK Illinois Regional Convention in Quincy and accepted the awards.

Phi Theta Kappa is an international academic honor society for community college students. It has recognized academic achievement at associate degree-granting colleges since 1918. It also is the largest honor society in American higher education, with more than 3.8 million members and nearly 1,300 chapters in 10 nations. There are approximately 240,000 active members.

The society offers opportunities for scholarships, intellectual enrichment, and personal development through programs based on the society’s hallmarks of scholarship, leadership, service, and fellowship. To be eligible for membership, students must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher after completing a minimum of 12 semester hours of KCC coursework.

KCC holds induction ceremonies for new Phi Theta Kappa members each fall and spring semester. This spring’s event was March 25. (The included photos are from the September 2021 induction ceremony.)

For more information on the Alpha Delta Eta chapter at KCC, contact a chapter adviser, Montemayer or Hebert, at jmontemayer@kcc.edu or fhebert@kcc.edu