by Lauren Brandeberry
Project Coordinator
It’s that time of year, time to apply for a 2012-2013 Sigma Tau Delta Project Grant. Project Grants are designed to encourage local chapters to be innovative in developing projects that further the goals of the Society. Chapters can receive up to $500 for any eligible project, whether the project is already underway or planned for the future. Applications are due November 12. Winners are usually selected before the end of December, with one-half of the awarded funds available immediately; the other half upon submission of the final project report. Winning chapters may also receive up to $350 in travel assistance for sending at least one student representative to the annual convention to participate in a workshop and/or roundtable.
View: applying for a Project Grant.
2011-2012 Project Grant Winner
One of last year’s Project Grant winners was the Alpha Beta Iota Chapter at Oral Roberts University (ORU). The chapter, in collaboration with the ORU Student Veterans Organization, set out to start a journal writing workshop and tutoring service for student veterans on their campus. The project aimed to help the vets build their writing skills, tell their stories in a safe setting, and process their unique and sometimes harrowing experiences through personal journals.
Service to campus and community can be one of the most rewarding parts of chapter life. Service can take many forms, and Sigma Tau Delta chapters around the world participate in a broad spectrum of activities benefiting diverse communities and causes. Sigma Tau Delta is proud to be able to fund projects such as ORU’s veterans journal writing workshop. While the program is still in its early stages, it has already proven beneficial not only for the veterans, but also for the members of the Alpha Beta Iota Chapter. “Being able to meet [the veterans], shake their hands, and get to know the beginnings of their stories has been a moving experience both for me and for the rest of our chapter at ORU,” said Chapter President Hannah Covington. “This service project, in many ways, has made English majors on our campus excited about Sigma Tau Delta and encouraged new members to join the group because they want to be involved in helping the veterans.”
