By: Samantha Moore
In the spring of 2018, Kappa Delta Pi (KDP) was welcomed back to Bellarmine. KDP is a national honor society composed of undergraduate and graduate level education students. According to its website, Kappa Delta Pi was founded to foster excellence in education and promote fellowship among those dedicated to teaching. Its mission is to advance the quality of education by inspiring teachers to prepare all learners for future challenges.
The organization was previously a part of campus life up until 2008, when the chapter became inactive. Recently, Win Wheeler, a professor in the Annsley Frazier Thornton School of Education, had a personal interest to re-initiate the club.
As an initiated member of KDP in 1994, Wheeler decided to research what the university would need to do to become an active chapter once again. Wheeler believes that, “Kappa Delta Pi is not only a highly recognized honor to be a part of, but it is an opportunity to network with other educators, build productive relationships and gain access to beneficial information and resources.”
Bellarmine faculty members and education students attended an international convocation held in Indianapolis to get ideas on what other university chapters were doing in terms of service opportunities, professional networks and other resources.
“The best part about being in KDP is being in a community filled with others that are pursuing or in the same career as you,” co-president Jennifer Skonieczny said. “Whenever you have a question or need advice, you can turn toward the community of KDP to help you and guide you along the way.”
“I think it’s a great opportunity for teachers to collaborate with other teachers,” education major and KDP member Kenna Pancake said. “It gives us a variety of teaching strategies when we collaborate and that helps us continue learning to be better teachers.”
Last January, the School of Education inducted 37 new members into its Bellarmine chapter. The club currently has two faculty counselors, five student officers and more than 60 active members. The organization has sponsored panel discussions for education students with a panel from members of the archdiocese, Jefferson County Public Schools District and current education students. There were also movie screenings that were accompanied with an education talk afterward.
Kappa Delta Pi is an opportunity for students to act as mentors for one another and build meaningful relationships. “KDP creates a network of support,” co-president Whitney Liefer said. “There’s an endless supply of resources that are beneficial to future teachers.”
Bellarmine’s KDP chapter is excited for what the spring 2019 semester will bring. The organization plans to partner with a non-profit to hold a book drive that will provide children who are at risk with books. The chapter is also excited to work closely with and support Bellarmine’s new club, Educators Rising.
Professor Wheeler is excited to see Bellarmine’s KDP chapter “to find new life, put down some roots and see what grows from there.”
Undergraduate and graduate students are eligible for initiation once they have earned at least 18 semester hour, obtained a cumulative GPA of 3.25, have at least six hours of professional education courses planned or in progress and have been inducted into the School of Education. Follow Bellarmine’s KDP chapter on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.