Maansi Kumar
Contributing Writer
On Dec. 9, 2015, The College of Wooster Department of Education installed a new chapter of the international honor society in education, Kappa Delta Pi (KDP). Inductees to the Alpha Eta Chi chapter of KDP at The College of Wooster included 15 students, seven faculty members and one honorary inductee. KDP seeks to foster excellence in education and promote fellowship among those dedicated to teaching by building collaborative relationships and actively engaging in learning experiences that lead to continued personal and professional development.
Historically, KDP is an international educational honor society that was founded in 1911. One of the largest and most prestigious educational honor societies, it currently has 40,000 members worldwide and about 600 chapters. Albert Einstein, George Washington Carver, Eleanor Roosevelt and Margaret Mead are just a few of the 1,200,000 total educators worldwide who have been inducted.
At Wooster, the mission statement for KDP states that its new chapter strives to sustain an honored community of diverse educators by promoting excellence and advancing scholarship, leadership and service. KDP creates an environment for education professionals and scholars to be honored for their academic achievements, engage in professional development and contribute to society through service.
Membership to KDP is by invitation only and is based on academic achievement, faculty recommendations and a commitment to the field of education. This semester, The College of Wooster KDP society will be co-sponsoring several events with the Wooster Future Educators Association, including events such as an educational technology workshop, a documentary screening of Most Likely to Succeed and a forum featuring education department alumni.
The President of KDP, Abigail Frank ’16, worked very closely with her two advisors, Professors Matthew Broda and Jennifer Shutt in the education department, for approximately six months. The three worked together through the process of applying for a chapter, identifying its goals and formulating the intended purpose of the society.
“It was a lot of work, but knowing that KDP will continue to impact students’ lives in the education department at Wooster for years to come is a really rewarding feeling,” Frank said. She believes that KDP is an incredible, well-deserved opportunity for students in the education department to be recognized for their hard work in their courses and impact on the teaching profession.