ATLANTA, GA - In recognition of the 42nd anniversary of our partnership with Ronald McDonald House Charities^® (RMHC^®), the Alpha Delta Pi Foundation is thrilled to announce grants to eight local RMHC Chapters from the Foundation’s RMHC Endowment.

The selected Chapters will receive grants of $2,500 to $5,000 each to support renovation and growth. After a lengthy decision process, the Alpha Delta Pi Foundation has chosen the following recipients:

• RMHC of Delaware – Replace carpet in the guestrooms with vinyl tile
• RMHC of Eastern Wisconsin – Create a playroom designed for active play in a new long-term guest wing
• RMHC of Greater Houston/Galveston – Provide support to the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile^® program, which address medical needs of underserved and uninsured children
• RMHC of Huntington (WV) – Create a Community Pantry Room for House guests to access donated clothing, household items and food
• RMHC of Northeast Indiana – Expand family-centered spaces with 24/7 access for families staying at the House
• RMHC of Red River Valley (ND) – Support the completion of new guest rooms and make upgrades to arts & crafts and laundry spaces
• RMHC of Southern West Virginia – Help launch the “House to Home Bags” project to provide household essentials such as non-perishable food, toiletries, gift cards for groceries and fuel, as well as local health resources for families transitioning back to their communities after staying at the House
• RMHC of Springfield (MA) – Provide support to meal service preparation and providing groceries and essentials for the families staying at the House

This is the 3rd year RMHC Endowment grants have been awarded by the Alpha Delta Pi Foundation. In previous years, the Alpha Delta Pi Foundation awarded $50,000 in grants through the RMHC Endowment to the following local RMHC Chapters:

• RMHC of Amarillo (TX) to help build a new House in the Texas Panhandle (2020)
• RMHC of Arkansas in support of a Ronald McDonald House Family Room (2019)
• RMHC of Bismarck, ND in support of an expanded meal program (2019)
• RMHC of Denver (CO) for the rehabilitation of the Starlight Room play area (2020)
• RMHC of Hawaii to provide furnishings for the Distant Learning Space & Computer Center (2020)
• RMHC of Idaho in support of construction of a Ronald McDonald Family Room program within the Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center (2019)
• RMHC of New Mexico to support the first purpose-built Ronald McDonald House in a hotel (2019)
• RMHC of Pittsburgh and Morgantown (PA and WV) in support of their Ronald McDonald Care Mobile, which provides immunizations, screening for food insecurity, and referrals to additional area resources (2020)
• RMHC of Siouxland (IA) for the RMHC of Siouxland Family Kitchen & Lunch Program (2019)
• RMHC of Southwestern Ontario (Canada) in support of a meal program to meet food safety protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020)

The RMHC Endowment was created as part of the Foundation’s landmark $10,000,000 We Believe Campaign in 2015. Collegiate chapters, alumnae, parents, and friends of Alpha Delta Pi have helped raise more than $875,000 to expand the reach of our philanthropic partnership with RMHC through this fund.

“Alpha Delta Pi remains committed to helping RMHC keep families together and near the medical care they need,” said Tracy L. Garner, President, Alpha Delta Pi Foundation. “Our members raise more than a million dollars each year for RMHC, as well as volunteer countless hours, provide in-kind support through local wish list and pop tab drives, and even fundraise through the annual Bank of America Chicago Marathon. We are proud to support the mission of RMHC and the difference they make in the lives of families facing medical crises.”

Alpha Delta Pi announces with regret the closure of the Omicron chapter at Duke University, effective immediately, and the Theta Epsilon chapter at Methodist University, effective by the end of the fall 2021 semester.

Alpha Delta Pi announces with regret the closure of the Omicron chapter at Duke University, effective immediately, and the Theta Epsilon chapter at Methodist University, effective by the end of the fall 2021 semester. While closing a chapter is never an easy decision, Grand Council considered the short- and long-term viability of the chapters and determined the potential for a positive membership experience was lacking on both campuses.

Omicron chapter was founded at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, in 1911. With thousands of accomplished Alpha Delta Pi alumnae – including the sorority’s sixth Grand President, Irma Tapp, and award-winning journalist and anchor Judy Woodruff – Omicron boasts 110 years of rich history. As “Abolish Greek Life” movements took hold on a handful of campuses across the United States in 2020, the Omicron collegiate chapter members voted to relinquish their charter. After a year of unsuccessful efforts to rebuild the chapter using alternative recruiting methods focused on eliminating barriers to entry, Grand Council voted to officially close the chapter and redirect volunteer and staff resources.

Theta Epsilon chapter was established at Methodist University in Fayetteville, North Carolina, in 2008. The college Panhellenic has seen declining interest in sorority membership in recent years with only seven women participating in the fall 2021 primary recruitment period. In September 2021, the University suspended the chapter until August 2022 following the racially offensive actions of an individual at a chapter event. Upon completion of our internal investigation and consideration of the membership experience outlook for Theta Epsilon’s members, Grand Council voted to officially close the chapter.

Members of Grand Council, the Central District Team, and the chapters’ advisors will plan and conduct official closing ceremonies and celebrations of sisterhood and chapter achievements in the coming weeks.

Alpha Delta Pi is pleased to announce a new program to provide targeted, multi-faceted education and training for diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.

Alpha Delta Pi is pleased to announce a three-year partnership with Campus Prevention Network (CPN) (formerly part of EverFi, now with Vector Solutions) to provide a targeted, multi-faceted education and training program for diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB). In 2017 Grand Council created a Diversity and Inclusion Committee and in 2020 named Diversity and Inclusion as a strategic priority for the organization. Since then, Alpha Delta Pi has launched the Talk About It Tuesdays education series and discussion group, created a Director of Inclusion officer role for collegiate chapters, developed member and chapter resources, provided chapter and member support through the Diversity and Inclusion Committee and district-aligned liaisons, implemented identity-based social media affinity groups, and added representatives from the Diversity and Inclusion Committee to special committees and task forces.

“We are excited for the next step in our commitment to creating a culture of belonging by offering foundational, targeted, and actionable learning opportunities to all members,” noted International President Emily Erkel. The sorority chose to work with Campus Prevention Network after comprehensive research into professional education modules utilized by peer fraternal organizations to inform their memberships on key DEIB topics. Key factors in evaluating this platform included:

• Use of evidence-based e-learning strategies in courses.
• Ability to view consolidated data and trends through a dashboard in real time.
• Externally developed professional materials and resources that can be supplemented by Alpha Delta Pi as needed. The self-paced modules include interactive polls, short videos, and other learning methods proven in higher education.
• Feedback from fraternal peers on their successful implementation and member engagement.

Campus Prevention Network’s programming is utilized by many college campuses – in addition to fraternal organizations – to educate college students on diversity and inclusion, alcohol awareness, sexual assault awareness, and hazing prevention. Their team of professional curriculum designers updates materials annually as they research and learn more on these ever-changing topics and their learners. The DEIB course purpose is to introduce university and college students to key concepts within the diversity and inclusion space. Taking a social justice approach, the courses discuss concepts such as inclusion, power, privilege, identities, and communication as well as strategies related to ally behavior, self-care, and creating inclusive spaces. By building competencies around emotional intelligence via interactive scenarios and case studies, the courses will communicate to all learners the expectations of being an engaged member of a diverse and inclusive community while providing important tools to meet said expectations. Alpha Delta Pi’s Director of Education and Programs Andrea Kleekamp said, “These courses offer strategies, tools and resources to help members understand the role they have in creating an organizational culture of belonging. Partnering with CPN allows us to deliver foundational content in an interactive and engaging way. With these foundations, learning and growth will continue with additional planned educational opportunities and resources.”

The rollout for this foundational learning through four distinct, self-paced sessions will begin in November 2021 with the availability of the student module for all collegiate members and chapter-supporting alumnae volunteers (advisors, International Officers, and house corporation officers) and staff and the professional module for all staff. Sessions will continue in the start of 2022 with the availability of the bias module for collegiate chapter officers, advisors, International Officers, house corporation officers, and staff and then into the spring with the leader module for advisors, International Officers, house corporation officers, alumnae association officers, Foundation Trustees, and standing and special committee members. Plans for fiscal year 2022-2023 include the option for all alumnae to have the opportunity to participate in the professional module. The CPN modules will be supplemented by additional educational content, webinars for discussion, and targeted resources developed in collaboration with Alpha Delta Pi’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee.

Alpha Delta Pi’s initial three-year commitment with Campus Prevention Network includes annual updates to the materials and continued participation by all stakeholders. “At a base level, all members will have a better foundational understanding of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging and how these concepts are interwoven into everyday life,” said Executive Director Amanda Sloan. She continued, “Chapter officers, advisors, international officers, and staff will develop the skills necessary to thinking critically and working with others to ensure all members of Alpha Delta Pi feel included and that they belong. Collegiate members will have a greater understanding of these topics as organizational priorities, and the CPN modules will enhance their respect for the role each member plays in building a more inclusive and welcoming culture for all members.”