25 August ICC's PTK Upsilon Sigma Chapter receives grant for Honors in Action project August 25, 2021 By Thomas, Donna S. General 0 Itawamba Community College’s Upsilon Sigma Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa has received a grant to enhance its 2021 Honors in Action project. Phi Theta Kappa and the Mellon Foundation teamed up to fund the grants. According to Susan Edwards, associate vice president of honors programming and undergraduate research for PTK, the award was based on the chapter’s “strong application. “We are proud of the work you do at your college and in your community with your participation in a robust Honors in Action project.” The project focuses on the fluctuation of natural constructed environments and how an intentional interaction can affect our legacy, according to Robin Lowe of Amory, contact adviser for the Upsilon Sigma Chapter. The research question is “How can we promote ecotourism both locally and globally to leave a legacy for future generations?” Lowe said that the project will focus specifically on discovery of the effects of ecotourism both on campus and in the college community. “Our intended goals are to promote our natural resource areas on (the Fulton) campus, instruct our campus and community on the importance of ecotourism, learn more about the natural resources in our area, connect our campus and our community’s downtown area to grow our local businesses and leave a legacy for the next generation of students and citizens in our area,” Lowe said. “These goals will create more interest from citizens and students, both current and future, about Phi Theta Kappa and the Honors in Action program.” The chapter plans for the $1,000 grant to be used for birdhouses, an outdoor classroom, nature walks and a downtown community event. PTK team members who are working on the project include Carli Cole of Amory; Matthew Wheeler of Fulton; Harley Boone, Jacob Clinton, both of Guntown; Lanie McCaughey of Hernando; Ely Ward, Luke Jackson, both of Mooreville; Chloe Evans of Plantersville; Leah Pennington of Randolph; Haley Dean of Saltillo; Eli Hathcote of Smithville; and Kiley Smith of Woodland. Additional Fulton Campus advisers are Jay Humphries of Vina, Ala. and Bradley Howard of Saltillo. Phi Theta Kappa is the international honor society for two-year colleges. Its hallmarks are leadership, scholarship, fellowship and service. Members are afforded opportunities for personal and professional growth and to provide service to the community and society at large. Related Articles ICC's Beta Tau Sigma chapter of Phi Theta Kappa receives Honors in Action grant Itawamba Community College’s Beta Tau Sigma Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa has received a $1,000 Honors in Action grant to enhance its 2024 Honors in Action project, according to a recent announcement by the honor society. Adviser Jenny Bowers said that the chapter is researching Native American stories, specifically the Chickasaw story of Itawamba, and a tentative title is ‘Native American Folklore.’ The multilevel endeavor includes a presentation at ICC on Nov. 6, which the chapter hopes to repeat at the Natchez Trace Visitor’s Center, and construction of a story tree for the events that they plan to donate to the Lee County Library at the project’s conclusion. Other components include a children’s book about Itawamba for ICC’s Early Learning Center students. The grant will cover materials for the tree, honoraria for speakers and additional supplies needed for the presentation or book. “We are excited to be among the select few Mississippi/Louisiana PTK chapters that received the grant,” Bowers said. “We so appreciate your willingness to go above and beyond with your Phi Theta Kappa engagement to apply ... ICC's Upsilon Sigma Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa receives multiple regional awards The Upsilon Sigma chapter of Phi Theta Kappa at Itawamba Community College received multiple awards at the organization’s Mississippi/Louisiana Regional Conference, Mar. 2-3, at Mississippi State University. They include, all for 2023, Horizon (advisers Robin Lowe of Amory, Jay Humphries of Vina, Ala. and Bradley Howard of Saltillo); Distinguished Chapter Officer (Lexi Tabbs of Red Bay, Ala.); Distinguished Adviser Team (Robin Lowe, Jay Humphries, Bradley Howard); Order of the Golden Key (Lexi Tabbs); Honors in Action second place; Theme 6 for Honors in Action, The Nostalgia of Play; Regional Reporter Emory Reinhard of Mantachie; (Distinguished Chapter Finalist (ranked sixth in Region) and Five Star Chapter. The chapter has had a regional officer every year since 2010. Upsilon Sigma selected The Nostalgia of Play: Theme 6 from among seven Honors in Action themes. The projects require substantive academic investigation of a theme related to the Society’s current Honors Study Topic. Phi Theta Kappa is the international honor society for the two-year college. Its hallmarks are leadership, scholarship, fellowship and service, which are the criteria for selection as recipient of the Golden Key ... ICC's Phi Theta Kappa chapters receive multiple regional awards Both the Beta Tau Sigma (Tupelo) and Upsilon Sigma (Fulton) chapters of Phi Theta Kappa at Itawamba Community College received multiple awards at the organization’s Mississippi/Louisiana Regional Conference, Mar. 6-7, at the University of Mississippi. Both chapters were awarded five-star status, for which chapters must fulfill the following stars or milestones within a calendar year: Reach, Network, Engage, Lead and Discover, according to Makaela Salmon, adviser for the Upsilon Sigma chapter. Beta Tau Sigma’s awards included Jenny Bowers, Tupelo Campus adviser, Horizon award; Honors in Action Theme 8 award; 5-Star Chapter award and Allyson Johnson of Nettleton, Golden Key. Bowers said that in the summer, advisers meet with officers and review the themes in the Honors Program Guide. “We make a list of topics that students are interested in and then we vote. Folklore, Fables, and Fairy Tales was selected. It centered around the traditional stories of the Chickasaw, who inhabited our area before us. We gave a presentation in November, and the Chickasaw Heritage Tree that we made is still on display in the Academic and Student Center on the ... ICC's Fleming-Parker receives bicycle helmet grant to benefit child care centers Children in Itawamba Community College’s Child Care centers will benefit from the care and concern of Associate Degree Nursing instructor Dr. Mary Ann Fleming-Parker of Tupelo. This summer, Fleming-Parker applied for and received a Prevention and Education grant through the Traumatic Brain Injury/Spinal Cord Injury Trust Fund, through which 75 bicycle helmets were provided for the child care participants at the college. ICC Associate Degree Nursing program director Dr. Dana Walker said that as part of their coursework, sophomore students in the Family Centered Nursing Care course develop and present health promotion teaching projects to children at the Child Development Centers at both the Fulton and Tupelo campuses. The students have been at the CDCs on both campuses most Tuesdays and Thursdays since Sept. 1 to assist with temperature checks and hand washing as students arrive and then present a variety of health promotion projects, Fleming-Parker said. They will continue through Nov. 3. Fleming-Parker’s students presented the helmets Tuesday to ... ICC STEM project receives MentorLink grant Itawamba Community College has been selected as one of the winning colleges in the American Association of Community College’s MentorLinks: Advancing Technological Education program. Part of a national initiative supported by the National Science Foundation, the MentorLinks is an AACC member benefit. “Itawamba Community College is extremely grateful to the AACC for the opportunity and awarding of this significant grant that will make a difference in the lives of many of our students who soon will be able to explore STEM areas,” said ICC President Dr. Jay Allen. “We expect this interest to translate into more majors and ultimately more graduates in these fields.” The goals for ICC’s project, entitled Full STEM Ahead: Promoting Pathways in STEM, include increase enrollment and retention in STEM courses and career education programs, increase the number of graduates in STEM fields and career education programs and to facilitate student transfer in STEM fields. The two-year $20,000 grant for the period of October 1, 2021-November 30, 2023 will include salaries, benefits, travel, materials or resources and equipment. ... ICC's Phi Theta Kappa chapters receive multiple awards at district conference Both the Beta Tau Sigma (Tupelo) and Upsilon Sigma (Fulton) chapters of Phi Theta Kappa at Itawamba Community College received multiple awards at the organization’s Mississippi/Louisiana Regional Conference, Feb. 29-Mar. 1, at William Carey University. Both chapters were awarded five-star status. Beta Tau Sigma’s awards included Jenny Bowers of Tupelo, Outstanding Adviser; Bowers and Dr. Delena Hukle of Mantachie, Horizon award advisers; Serra-Avery Erwin of Tupelo, Golden Key Award; Most Distinguished Chapter finalist; Top 10 and theme finalist for Honors in Action; and Top 10 College Project. The chapter’s Honors in Action project, which is research-based, was Theme 6, The Soul of Play. It centered around spoken word performances, Bowers said. Members of the chapter read to ICC’s preschool, sponsored a poetry night at a local coffee house as well as a “write it down, let it go” box in the lobby of the Academic and Student Center. “All of the parts of our project reflected the concept that we use words to play, and play can be therapeutic,” Bowers noted. The College Project, which is requested by ICC’s administration, focused ... Comments are closed.