Community Involvement

Phi Theta Kappa Officers plan and coordinate several community outreach and service projects each year.  For example, for the past seven years, they have adopted a daycare for Christmas.  With the help of the college community, they have received over 50 donated toys each year to give to every child at the daycare.  They dress up as Santa and his elves and hold a Christmas party at the daycare where they give out the gifts to the children.

Alpha Theta Iota Plants 100 Trees in Rochester

Keeping in mind our International Service Program, Operation Green, and our regional goal of planting three hundred trees throughout our state, we committed to planting one hundred trees in the Rochester area. After researching the benefits of planting trees, such as cleaning our air, preventing soil erosion, and providing habitat for wildlife, we then researched which trees would suit the needs of our community. We decided on planting evergreens, as our research suggested that they provide a safer habitat for indigenous wildlife, particularly throughout the long winter months. Ultimately, we decided upon white spruce pines, which are indeed native to our region, and which are very hardy, a necessity in our harsh winter climate. 

We raised money through donations from Phi Theta Kappa members, as well as through donations from the college community at large, and purchased one hundred white spruce pines for planting on the last Friday in April. Chapter officers, members, the college community, and community members are eager to participate in the planting event.

Child Care Center Organic Garden

We planned and established a pesticide-free and fertilizer-free vegetable and flower garden on our Monroe Community College campus Child Care Center grounds. After both observing and talking with the children at the Child Care Center in an effort to find out the variety of vegetables that they were most likely to eat and enjoy, we compared those discoveries with our research from local nurseries, garden centers, and horticulture experts about these vegetables and flowers that would be most likely to grow in our region in general, and in this plot in particular.

The officers plotted the layout of the garden plot, and from this layout determined how many seeds and seedlings to be planted, as well as how much natural compost would be needed in order to provide nutrients for the soil in preparation for healthy growth. Home Depot, learning of our community service project, volunteered to donate the necessary seeds and seedlings for our garden.