The Society is proud to announce the winners of the 2021 Fall Service Project. They are:

• Division I – Mississippi State University
• Division II – University of Louisville
• Division III – Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
• Division IV – Frostburg State University
• Division V – Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico

The Fall Service Project initiative began in 2019 and is supported by the Council of Students. Chapters were encouraged to focus on a community need with a literacy component and establish a partnership with a community organization. For the purposes of this project, literacy was defined very broadly to address the needs of the community. The council also recommended inviting student organizations or campus departments to participate in the service project. The project was required to take place for any length of time between September and December.

Division I winner Mississippi State University (Chapter 60) got their hands dirty by establishing a living collection of woody and herbaceous plants around the College of Forest Resources. Chapter members partnered with the student chapter of the Wildlife Society, the student chapter of the Society of American Foresters, and the Tree Campus USA Advisory Committee. Their goal was to educate students and campus visitors about the importance and diversity of southeastern native plants.

Division II winner University of Louisville (Chapter 50) partnered with the Kentuckiana Regional Planning and Development Agency and their Area Agency on Aging to host a team for the Walk to End Alzheimer's. After setting a fundraising goal of $2,300, they raised $2,320 for Alzheimer’s research. In addition, they educated more than 50 caregivers on communication strategies used to build relationships with family members who have Alzheimer’s disease.

Division III winner Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (Chapter 203) partnered with Residential Options, Inc., an affiliate company of Challenge Unlimited, Inc., to collect and distribute books for adults with developmental disabilities. Student Vice Presidents retrieved leftover books from a local book drive and hand selected appropriate reading material for the residents. The project was so well received that the chapter is sponsoring another collection on campus of crafts and other items that will benefit Residential Options.

Division IV winner Frostburg State University (Chapter 348) held a Spirit Night fundraiser at the LaVale, Maryland, Chick-Fil-A restaurant with proceeds donated to the FSU Children's Literature Centre. Nearly 150 people participated, culminating in total retail sales for the evening in excess of $1,000. The profit earned for the Children's Literature Center that evening was $205. This was used by the Centre to help fund its annual Storybook Holiday celebration held in December.

Division V winner Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico (Chapter 336) partnered with no less than 23 campus student organizations to collect, sort and distribute children’s literature, school supplies and other needed items for three Puerto Rico orphanages. Members of the chapter also participated in literacy talks to the children to share information on open access educational resources with a goal to demonstrate how a lack of resources is not a barrier to access books and other educational materials.

Phi Kappa Phi would like to thank all of the chapters who participated in the Fall Service Project and offer congratulations to the five winners. It is in these small moments where our members truly embody a “community of scholars in service to others.”

To see a collection of photos from all of the projects, visit our Flickr album.