Alpha Eta Alpha integrates service with learning and creates a path towards better educational opportunities.
Written by: Chelsea Cabral
Alpha Eta Alpha is integrating service with learning, as their new book drive project is creating a path towards better educational opportunities for schools with limited access or funding. The Alpha Eta Alpha Chapter of Kappa Delta Pi, an international honor society at UMass Dartmouth, is launching a campus-wide book drive to support students at Holy Family Holy Name (HFHN) School.
The opportunity began as a simple experiential learning course designed to teach UMass Dartmouth students about diagnostic and assessment requirements for special needs students. The experience took on so much more meaning when the MAT students recognized the lack of books at HFHN. Members of Kappa Delta Pi decided to step in, helping support the Catholic school with an on-site library.
“The book drive was a shared idea between Dr. Sheila Macrine (the organization’s advisor) and myself,” said Meghan Daley, Alpha Eta Alpha’s Chapter President. “We wanted to carry out a service project that would best reflect the Kappa Delta Pi mission of improving education opportunities for as many students as possible.”
With the involvement of the campus community, members of Alpha Eta Alpha will be working to sort through donated books for grade levels K-12 to create the beginnings of a comprehensive on-site library for the school. Members of the honor society are also seeking to include making book donations tax deductible by providing receipts for the value of the books should donators choose to do so.
“An on-site library is an invaluable resource for early education schools because it helps instill an appreciation for literacy in young students,” said Daley. “As active and future educators, the members of Kappa Delta Pi eagerly seek to increase opportunities for literacy, especially in schools such as Holy Family Hole Name.”
The book drive is currently underway, and drop off locations for donations will be located outside of Dean Jeannette Riley’s office in LARTS 397.