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Programs & Initiatives

 

The purpose of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, is to cultivate and encourage high scholastic and ethical standards, to promote unity and friendship among college women, to study and help alleviate problems concerning girls and women in order to improve their social stature, to maintain a progressive interest in college life, and to be of service to all mankind. Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., addresses the major concerns of our community through six program initiatives, which fall under our Global Leadership through Timeless Service.

 

I.  EMERGING YOUNG LEADERS (EYL) INITIATIVE

II.  HEALTH INITIATIVE

III. GLOBAL POVERTY INITIATIVE

 

IV.  ECONOMIC SECURITY INITIATIVE

V.  SOCIAL JUSTICE & HUMAN RIGHTS INITIATIVE

VI. INTERNAL LEADERSHIP TRAINING FOR EXTERNAL SERVICE 

Emerging Young Leaders (EYL)

 

Emerging Young Leaders is the signature program under Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated’s current platform: Global Leadership through Timeless Service. Our hope is that this program will impact the lives of 10,000 girls in grades six through eight by providing leadership development, civic engagement, enhanced academic preparation, and character building. The increasing demands of the twenty-first century mandate our youth to be better leaders at a younger age making smart choices with positive consequences. The objective of EYL is to help alleviate problems concerning women and girls as they improve social stature and to help maintain a progressive interest in college life as they prepare “to be of service to all mankind.” The goal of EYL is to impact the lives of girls in the grades 6-8 by sponsoring AKAdemies that focus on leadership development, community service, technology, education enrichment, environmental sustainability, character building, and non-traditional careers for women. Beta Pi Omega currently is in its fourth year of the Emerging Young Leaders program. We have serviced 12-14 leaders annually with several completing three years. While many of our leaders attend e-Stem Public Charter School, several also attend other local middle schools. Our leaders participate in two projects each month—one of which is a community service project in partnership with a local organization and the other is a workshop focusing on one of the 5 development targets set forth within the progam. Our eaders have volunteered at the Arkansas Food Bank, The Rice Depot, Health and Community fairs, MLK Day of Service, and Race for the Cure. Additionally, our Leaders are developing a wealth of knowledge that will assist them in developing as future leaders in their schools, churches, and communities.  Beta Pi Omega partners with the two undergraduate chapters—Gamma Alpha and Epsilon Phi--to make an even bigger impact on the greater Little Rock area.  For 2013-2014 we are developing 12 Emerging Young Leaders. 

Health 

 

The goals of this initiative are to encourage personal fitness and healthy life styles.  We support organizations which advance access to treatment and coordinate awareness and advocacy campaigns to reduce health disparities, to save lives, and to impact health related legislation.  Co-sponsored health forums address diseases, which disproportionately affect women and minorities.   Examples of programs we have participated in are:

 

  • Every year, the health committee participates in the Susan G. Komen “Race for the Cure” and the “Diabetes Walk.” Not only do we walk, but we also raise money and distribute literature for each cause.  On the day of the Diabetes Walk we help with registration. Additionally, we participated in the “Fight for Air Climb” which was sponsored by American Lung Association.

  • For heart month we promote the “Pink Goes Red” campaign, which is on the first Friday in February and we raise money for the American Heart Association.  The Health Committee encourages every member to wear her “Red dress” pendant on that day.  We also hosted our 1st Heart Brunch, entitled “A Pink and Red Affair.”  We had presenters to speak on women and heart disease and had our very own heart survivor to speak about her experience living with heart disease.  

  • Asthma Prevention/ Management is our signature program.  The goal is early diagnosis, treatment awareness, and parental education and advocacy.  The Health Committee hosted an asthma workshop for the kids attending the Life Skills for Youth (LSY) after-school program.

  • To promote “Environmental Stewardship," we have asked members to bring their used pill bottles to the chapter meetings.  Once collected, the pill bottles are shipped to Tanzania for reuse.

  • We also sponsor and co-sponsor health fairs with churches and schools.  During these events, we promote all of the health initiatives by providing literature and talks on the different health concerns.  We even assist in the glucose and blood pressure screenings.  Because we love the kids so much, we always have a “kids zone” for them where we provide food and games.

  • Each month, we provide a healthy tip in our Chapter’s monthly newsletter.

  • Beta Pi Omega has partnered with the Arkansas Department of Health’s Office of Minority Health & Health Disparities and Family Health branch to promote Baby Safety and Safe Sleep campaign.  This is an effort to reduce the major health disparity in infant mortality in the African American community.  To promote this, we have sponsored safety baby showers for expectant mothers and have provided them with information on car seat safety, food, safe sleep, and how to baby proof their homes.

 

For more info contact committee chairperson Dr. Nina Williams @ williamspharmd@yahoo.com.

Global Poverty

 

The goals for this initiative are to end hunger, preserve the environment, and empower women. This committee has supported programs that fight to end poverty both locally and internationally. In this community, we have supported local agencies to include Watershed, the Arkansas Food Bank, and local churches by donating food and funds to help fight hunger.  On the national scene we have partnered with Heifer International by promoting their programs through education at health fairs, donating funds, and purchasing animals such as goats, pigs, and chickens  that are used in other countries to help end hunger. We have partnered with the Glad Star Ministries, Incorporated, by donating funds that are used for medical supplies for children and families affected by HIV/AIDS in Accra, Ghana. By providing much needed funds this committee has also supported the Lighthouse Children’s Home, a homeless shelter in Mutimba, Rwanda, Africa.  For more information, contact committee chairperson Nina Stagger at nnstagger@aol.com.

Economic Security

 

The goals for this initiative are to  provide information regarding economic awareness and highlight female and minority business owners.  It also encourages the concept of co-partnerships.  To that end, it seeks the opportunity to work with community groups and other  groups within the Chapter to fulfill its goal. This initiative takes the lead in the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Soup Supper for Service and the Monday Day of Service activities held during the Martin Luther King, Jr., holiday.  We highlighted  the accomplishments of military personnel, as well as provided the gathering with information on how to re-enter society from a financial standpoint.  We have provided stipends to honorees, giving them a jump start on their new beginning.   We also sponsor AKA Dollar Days, with members logging how much money and how many hours were spent in female/minority owned businesses. For more information, contact committee chairperson Anita Brannon at anitamichelle@sbcglobal.net.

Social Justice & Human Rights

 

Our mission is to address gender equality issues including human trafficking and domestic violence, to provide services for children of incarcerated partents, for youth aging out of foster care, and for children in homeless shelters. Examples of some activites include:

 

  • presenting $250 check and $250 worth of winter hats, gloves, and scarves for children of incarcerated parents in partnership with Voices of Children left Behind.

  • donating school supplies for children at-risk in the community in partnership with Healing Hearts and Spirits.

  • displaying the Clothesline Project at the Capitol in honor of victims of Domestic Violence in collaboration with the Arkansas Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

  • preparing for the Princess Ball for children at risk of domestic violence and children with incarcerated parents in collaboration with SAFE PLACES.

  • sponsoring an Angel Tree for foster children in partnership with Department of Human Services. 

  • sharing pearls of wisdom by a panel of sorors on education, spirtiuality, health, survival, and political savvy at a Pearls of Wisdom Forum in partnership with Hoover Treatment Center of Better Community Development. 

 

For more information, contact committee chairperson Sandra Easter at akaglory1@msn.com.

Internal Leadership Training for External Service 

 

This Initiative is responsible for encouraging leadership training for the Chapter members at all levels within the organization, such as attending Cluster meetings, Regional conferences, Boule’s, and Leadership training conferences.  In addition, this Initiative Committee offered a Leadership Development workshop for the Chapter entitled STRENGTHS.  This workshop allowed attendees to conduct a self assessment which helped identify their top 2 strengths for serving and leading in any organization. This initiative will also celebrate the Chapter members as they demonstrate leadership through external service. For more information, contact committee chairperson Melanie Hillard at melaniehillard@yahoo.com.

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