Phi Theta Kappa encourages service, scholarship at Delaware Tech

Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) is an international honor society for students attending two-year institutions that focuses on encouraging scholarship and service among its more than two million members.

The Delaware Technical Community College Owens Campus chapter of PTK includes nearly 200 members from across all majors.

Club advisor Lacey Weller said PTK’s main goal is supporting students in their courses and getting them involved in service projects.

One of those service projects includes the club’s current project of collecting small toys and other items to fill shoeboxes to send to children staying at A.I. DuPont Children’s Hospital over the holidays.

Weller also said PTK is involved with “Researchpalooza,” an annual event that encourages scholarship among members as well as helps the chapter receive its yearly “five star” international chapter recognition status.

This year’s Researchpalooza is focused on global awareness, with members analyzing global issues and corresponding literature pertaining to beauty, vulgarity, rights, and responsibilities.

Current PTK president Rebecca Shields said PTK is heavily involved in the campus and community.

“PTK does many community service projects, including helping at the food bank, making blankets for project Linus, planting beach grass, and making kits for the homeless. Besides community service we also do a lot of things around campus, the majority of campus events we are out there volunteering,” said Shields.

Vice President of Marketing for PTK, Helen Gress, said PTK’s expansive worldwide reach affords many practical benefits to its members.

“PTK is an international organization and as such there are many discounts and benefits available.

“As a community-oriented person, I personally enjoy our outreach opportunities, but if you ask most people they would probably say the access to over 30 million dollars in scholarships,” said Gress.

Shields agrees that the scholarships and opportunites to help the community are great but says the biggest benefit for her is the people members get to meet.

“You get to meet so many new people, people from the other campuses, from the other states in our region, as well as people all over the country. The friendships that you make are indescribable and will definitely last a lifetime,” said Shields.

For more information on Phi Theta Kappa and to find out if you are eligible to join, contact advisor Jennifer Blackwell at jblackw3@dtcc.edu or advisor Lacey Weller at lweller@dtcc.edu.