Achieving Chapter Excellence Award Recipients

The Mu Gamma Chapter at Angelo State University has built a community that shines with purpose, creativity, and heart. Every semester, they turn ideas into action—whether it’s equipping classmates with professional attire through their Clothes Closet, tackling environmental stewardship with a Highway Cleanup, or empowering future educators at a Safety Summit and Technology Hour that blend real-world readiness with hands-on learning.

What makes Mu Gamma stand out is their drive to make everyone feel they belong. Their Clothes Closet opened its doors to all students on campus, offering free professional wear—and even thrift-store vouchers—to ensure no one misses an opportunity because of finances. Their Safety Summit gave preservice teachers the tools and confidence to handle emergencies and mental-health challenges, while Technology Hour turned coding and robotics into laughter-filled teamwork.

Leadership runs deep in this chapter. Officers mentor one another, host retreats and training sessions, and even helped launch a campus-wide transition-handbook project to strengthen all student organizations. Their open, student-led meetings, cord ceremonies, and alumni connections show how every voice matters—from first-year students to teachers already in the field.

By weaving together community service, professional growth, and genuine care for others, Mu Gamma shows what the KDP values of Community, Belonging, Leadership, and Celebration look like in action. Their chapter doesn’t just talk about excellence—they live it.

The Mu Gamma Chapter at Angelo State University has built a community that shines with purpose, creativity, and heart. Every semester, they turn ideas into action—whether it’s equipping classmates with professional attire through their Clothes Closet, tackling environmental stewardship with a Highway Cleanup, or empowering future educators at a Safety Summit and Technology Hour that blend real-world readiness with hands-on learning.

What makes Mu Gamma stand out is their drive to make everyone feel they belong. Their Clothes Closet opened its doors to all students on campus, offering free professional wear—and even thrift-store vouchers—to ensure no one misses an opportunity because of finances. Their Safety Summit gave preservice teachers the tools and confidence to handle emergencies and mental-health challenges, while Technology Hour turned coding and robotics into laughter-filled teamwork.

Leadership runs deep in this chapter. Officers mentor one another, host retreats and training sessions, and even helped launch a campus-wide transition-handbook project to strengthen all student organizations. Their open, student-led meetings, cord ceremonies, and alumni connections show how every voice matters—from first-year students to teachers already in the field.

By weaving together community service, professional growth, and genuine care for others, Mu Gamma shows what the KDP values of Community, Belonging, Leadership, and Celebration look like in action. Their chapter doesn’t just talk about excellence—they live it.

The Xi Psi Chapter at Fitchburg State University knows how to bring energy and heart into everything they do. Whether it’s hosting Waffle Wednesdays to welcome new members, running MTEL study sessions to support future teachers, or celebrating creativity with International Dot Day, this chapter makes sure every event connects people and builds community.

They’ve taken service beyond campus too. Through projects like Read for the Record, National Poetry Month lessons, and Letters to Veterans, members inspired elementary students while also growing their own teaching skills. With over 200 heartfelt letters sent to veterans and sailors on active duty, their impact stretched far beyond Fitchburg.

Leadership development is at the center of their work. Officers created mentoring systems, shared responsibilities, and trained each other through “Passing of the Torch” meetings to keep the chapter strong year after year. Members also gained confidence presenting at KDP’s national convocation and partnering with local schools and community groups.

The Xi Psi Chapter shows what happens when creativity, service, and leadership come together. Their projects not only support classmates preparing for teaching careers, but also spread joy, gratitude, and belonging to the wider community.

The Tau Alpha Chapter at Grove City College knows how to blend tradition, creativity, and community spirit. Over the past two years, they’ve reimagined their work in fundraising, leadership, and membership—and the results show. From stuffing hundreds of Easter eggs for their “Egg My Yard” event to hosting Literacy Nights with 60+ kids at the local Y, their members found fun ways to give back while strengthening bonds with each other.

Leadership growth has been another big win. The team expanded their officer board, created clear role hand-offs, and even started posting about officer responsibilities so members could picture themselves stepping into those shoes. Their award system—handing out Gold, Silver, and Bronze recognitions—made meetings more exciting and boosted participation across the board.

Membership is thriving thanks to smart outreach. By introducing “honorary” freshman members, Tau Alpha created a pathway that lets new students get involved right away. This led to more freshmen joining, more events filled with energy, and even alumni stepping back in to mentor and speak at induction ceremonies.

Together, these efforts show what happens when a small but mighty group thinks big. Tau Alpha members are proving that community, belonging, leadership, and celebration aren’t just KDP values—they’re lived out every day in classrooms, meetings, and the wider community.

The Delta Rho Chapter at Kean University packed the year with energy, ideas, and a whole lot of teamwork. Their projects weren’t just events—they were experiences that brought people together and made learning exciting.

Take Literacy Engagement in the Community. Families showed up for story time, crafts, and even book raffles while parents picked up real tips on helping their kids read. Then the Chapter teamed up with Lakeshore Learning to give future teachers hands-on strategies they can actually use in classrooms.

On campus, Delta Rho rolled out Pathways to Professionalism, a series built for students about to launch their teaching careers. Members got the inside scoop on everything from student teaching survival hacks to building a resume that stands out. They even brought in principals and administrators for a panel—basically a live Q&A with the people who do the hiring.

And if that wasn’t enough, they closed the year with Critical Content for All workshops and their big event—the annual Teacher Leadership Summit. Imagine state Teachers of the Year, alumni, and future educators all learning side by side. That’s the kind of energy Delta Rho brings. They’re proving that when students lead with passion, the whole community wins.

The Gamma Zeta Chapter at The College of New Jersey knows how to bring energy and impact to everything they do. From professional development workshops that spotlight the power of play and the arts in education, to community events like “Dress for Success,” this chapter creates meaningful experiences that connect members, support the campus, and serve the local community.

One of their standout traditions, Dress for Success, puts affordable professional clothing into the hands of over 250 students each year while raising funds for the campus food pantry. Members also spend time volunteering with local schools, helping at book fairs, dances, and classroom supply drives—showing what it means to be future educators who care deeply about kids and families.

Their leadership development is just as strong. New officers go through a thoughtful transition process, complete with mentoring, training, and shadowing opportunities, so they step into their roles ready to lead. With more than 300 inducted members and consistent growth, the chapter has built a strong, supportive community where every student feels they belong.

Whether it’s building block towers during a workshop on play-based learning, cheering on peers at induction ceremonies, or connecting with alumni for advice and inspiration, Gamma Zeta proves that when students work together, they can make a lasting difference on campus and beyond.

The Alpha Pi Chapter at Vanderbilt has transformed itself into a vibrant, welcoming home for future educators. Just two years ago, they were in “reboot mode”—low membership, limited programming, and little visibility on campus. Now? They’ve doubled in size, created a dynamic officer team, and built a calendar full of creative events that bring students together.

Membership has skyrocketed thanks to new outreach strategies, from hosting info sessions and launching a fun Instagram page to showing up at the career fair. And once students joined, the chapter made sure they stayed connected with Big/Little mentorships, social events like donut drop-offs and ice cream socials, and even graduation celebrations with cords and photo shoots.

Leadership development also got a serious upgrade. The chapter opened new executive board roles, built a structured officer transition process, and gave members more pathways to grow into leadership. Officers now get one-on-one mentoring, shared resources, and public recognition on social media, making leadership more transparent and accessible.

Programming has been just as creative. Members learned career skills at resume workshops, shared their stories at “Educators’ Summer Rewind,” explored global teaching opportunities through the “Education Gone Global” panel, and gave back to the community through the “Build Your Library” book drive. Together, these initiatives reflect Alpha Pi’s commitment to community, belonging, leadership, and celebration—the heart of KDP.

A year ago, the Lambda Zeta Chapter of Kappa Delta Pi was just a handful of students trying to keep things afloat. Fast-forward to today, and they’ve transformed into one of the most energetic and creative chapters around. With their motto of being “risk-takers and difference-makers,” they’ve rebuilt from the ground up—growing to more than twenty members and showing their campus what it means to lead with heart.

Their events were big and bold this year. They hosted the West Virginia Educators Rising Conference, welcoming 145 high school students to campus and giving them a hands-on taste of teaching. They powered through service projects like WVSU Cares Day, where members packed thousands of pounds of food for veterans and served meals at a community cookout. And they tackled important wellness issues during the WVSU Health Expo, where their student-led “Yellow Jackets Swarm to Support” project gave peers resources and hope around mental health.

Fundraising turned into fun-raising, too. Their Krispy Kreme sale was supposed to bring in $500. Instead, they nearly doubled that profit—fueling everything from chapter t-shirts to Literacy Alive! activities. And when they weren’t selling donuts, they were writing, designing, and publishing The Periodical, their own chapter newsletter that documents the year’s highlights and builds connections with alumni.

What really makes Lambda Zeta shine is the way they take care of each other. Whether swapping officer roles to support a member’s health, planning retreats full of games and strategy, or mentoring new leaders, they’ve built a culture where everyone belongs. From service to leadership, this small but mighty HBCU chapter proves that when you take risks and lean on each other, you really can make a difference.