Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®
2018-2022 International Program
Exemplifying Excellence Through Sustainable Service
Signature Program Targets:
Target 1: HBCU for Life: A Call to Action: Alpha Kappa Alpha will continue its focus on education with an emphasis on historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs).
• Chapters will promote and market historically black colleges and universities and encourage students to attend HBCUs as a sustainability measure. Activities will include researching and publishing information regarding prominent Alpha Kappa Alpha women and other notable individuals who attended HBCUs.
Signature Program:#CAPSM
#CAPSM is a step-by-step approach to facilitate college admission from researching various institutions and submitting applications through completion of the enrollment process. Chapters will assist students in completing college applications, preparing for the ACT and SAT, writing compelling personal statements, identifying scholarships and other financial aid, and compiling a portfolio to track college admission results. Through #CAPSM, Alpha Kappa Alpha will improve the trajectory of the lives of talented young people by increasing their potential for success and laying the foundation for positive, productive, and fulfilling lives.
Target 2: Women's Healthcare and Wellness: Alpha Kappa Alpha will continue to raise community awareness of critical health issues impacting African-American women. The primary focuses will be breast cancer awareness and prevention, heart health, nutrition and wellness, and care for the caregivers.
• Breast Cancer Awareness and Prevention will focus specifically on early detection through mammograms to improve the survival rate of women diagnosed with breast cancer. Alpha Kappa Alpha will own a digital AKA Mobile Breast Cancer Screening Unit that will travel to various locations and provide mammogram screening. Chapters will partner with local clinics, rural health centers, and hospitals to emphasize the need for African-American women to receive regular mammograms.
• Heart Health remains a focus as the sorority enhances its commitment to healthy hearts through fitness activities and walking. Chapters will be encouraged to form walking clubs and to invite the community to join the walking initiatives.
• Nutrition and Wellness will emphasize healthy lifestyles including prenatal, childhood, adult, and senior nutrition programs. The focus will be on structured nutrition initiatives, and chapters will partner with local nutritionists and dieticians to design healthy eating plans and safe diets for longer, healthier living.
• Care for the Caregivers places emphasis on taking care of those who take care of others. Chapters will emphasize the need for caregivers to practice preventive healthcare as well as self-care behavior to eliminate the vulnerabilities and risks associated with the stress of caregiving.
Target 3: Building Your Economic Legacy: Alpha Kappa Alpha will emphasize financial planning, asset accumulation, and wealth building including savings and investments, managing debt, and improving credit.
• Entrepreneurship and the Black Dollar 365. This initiative will highlight and promote successful African-American owned businesses with an aim toward spawning new entrepreneurial ventures in our communities by encouraging intentional support and leveraging the power of the black dollar 365 days a year.
• Operation AKA Assist. This initiative will focus on implementing programs to assist those in need in various communities by directing attention to the plight of the homeless, including homeless children, and homeless veterans. Chapters will partner with or adopt a shelter, a transitional home or an organization that provides assistance to these needy populations.
Target 4: The Arts! Alpha Kappa Alpha will expose students to arts enrichment and culture by focusing on visual and performing arts and by showcasing talent through the exploration of writers, entertainers and various other artists.
• Salute to the Harlem Renaissance will celebrate the contributions of African-American artists during the Harlem Renaissance through student research and chapter sponsorship of student talent showcases. This initiative will correlate with HBCUs and African-American culture and will include colleges with art collections.
• Salute to the Black Arts Movement will focus on student research and celebration of African-American artists during the Black Arts Movement. Chapters will champion activities that express the movement message and highlight members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority who served as leaders and participants. Activities will include art events, poetry slams, dancing, painting, and performing arts.
Target 5: Global Impact: Alpha Kappa Alpha will engage in programming designed to enhance the international footprint of the sorority.
• National Global Impact Day. Chapters will engage in a community service project that has an international impact and will partner with organizations that make a difference worldwide.
• Global Assistance Activities. Chapters will engage in global partnerships that provide assistance to the underserved in international areas populated with people of color. These partnerships include the following:
Soles 4 Souls. Chapters will collect gently-worn shoes and transport the shoes to specified locations. Soles4Souls mission is to create sustainable jobs and provide relief through the distribution of shoes around the world.
Lions Club International. Chapters will participate in an eyeglass initiative designed to prevent blindness, help restore eyesight, and improve eye health and eye care for millions of people around the world by donating used eyeglasses in partnership with local Lions Clubs.
Pillowcase Project. Chapters will continue to use pillowcases to make dresses for little girls and will expand the sorority’s efforts to include shirts for little boys. The pillowcase dresses and shirts will be sent to Haiti to provide clothing for children in need.
• Refugees in America Assistance Program (RAAP). Chapters will focus on refugees of color in the United States by partnering with organizations engaged in support activities that assist refugees and their families to integrate into American life. This includes literacy classes, educational training, and other necessary transitional support.
2018-2022 International Program
Exemplifying Excellence Through Sustainable Service
Signature Program Targets:
Target 1: HBCU for Life: A Call to Action: Alpha Kappa Alpha will continue its focus on education with an emphasis on historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs).
• Chapters will promote and market historically black colleges and universities and encourage students to attend HBCUs as a sustainability measure. Activities will include researching and publishing information regarding prominent Alpha Kappa Alpha women and other notable individuals who attended HBCUs.
Signature Program:#CAPSM
#CAPSM is a step-by-step approach to facilitate college admission from researching various institutions and submitting applications through completion of the enrollment process. Chapters will assist students in completing college applications, preparing for the ACT and SAT, writing compelling personal statements, identifying scholarships and other financial aid, and compiling a portfolio to track college admission results. Through #CAPSM, Alpha Kappa Alpha will improve the trajectory of the lives of talented young people by increasing their potential for success and laying the foundation for positive, productive, and fulfilling lives.
Target 2: Women's Healthcare and Wellness: Alpha Kappa Alpha will continue to raise community awareness of critical health issues impacting African-American women. The primary focuses will be breast cancer awareness and prevention, heart health, nutrition and wellness, and care for the caregivers.
• Breast Cancer Awareness and Prevention will focus specifically on early detection through mammograms to improve the survival rate of women diagnosed with breast cancer. Alpha Kappa Alpha will own a digital AKA Mobile Breast Cancer Screening Unit that will travel to various locations and provide mammogram screening. Chapters will partner with local clinics, rural health centers, and hospitals to emphasize the need for African-American women to receive regular mammograms.
• Heart Health remains a focus as the sorority enhances its commitment to healthy hearts through fitness activities and walking. Chapters will be encouraged to form walking clubs and to invite the community to join the walking initiatives.
• Nutrition and Wellness will emphasize healthy lifestyles including prenatal, childhood, adult, and senior nutrition programs. The focus will be on structured nutrition initiatives, and chapters will partner with local nutritionists and dieticians to design healthy eating plans and safe diets for longer, healthier living.
• Care for the Caregivers places emphasis on taking care of those who take care of others. Chapters will emphasize the need for caregivers to practice preventive healthcare as well as self-care behavior to eliminate the vulnerabilities and risks associated with the stress of caregiving.
Target 3: Building Your Economic Legacy: Alpha Kappa Alpha will emphasize financial planning, asset accumulation, and wealth building including savings and investments, managing debt, and improving credit.
• Entrepreneurship and the Black Dollar 365. This initiative will highlight and promote successful African-American owned businesses with an aim toward spawning new entrepreneurial ventures in our communities by encouraging intentional support and leveraging the power of the black dollar 365 days a year.
• Operation AKA Assist. This initiative will focus on implementing programs to assist those in need in various communities by directing attention to the plight of the homeless, including homeless children, and homeless veterans. Chapters will partner with or adopt a shelter, a transitional home or an organization that provides assistance to these needy populations.
Target 4: The Arts! Alpha Kappa Alpha will expose students to arts enrichment and culture by focusing on visual and performing arts and by showcasing talent through the exploration of writers, entertainers and various other artists.
• Salute to the Harlem Renaissance will celebrate the contributions of African-American artists during the Harlem Renaissance through student research and chapter sponsorship of student talent showcases. This initiative will correlate with HBCUs and African-American culture and will include colleges with art collections.
• Salute to the Black Arts Movement will focus on student research and celebration of African-American artists during the Black Arts Movement. Chapters will champion activities that express the movement message and highlight members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority who served as leaders and participants. Activities will include art events, poetry slams, dancing, painting, and performing arts.
Target 5: Global Impact: Alpha Kappa Alpha will engage in programming designed to enhance the international footprint of the sorority.
• National Global Impact Day. Chapters will engage in a community service project that has an international impact and will partner with organizations that make a difference worldwide.
• Global Assistance Activities. Chapters will engage in global partnerships that provide assistance to the underserved in international areas populated with people of color. These partnerships include the following:
Soles 4 Souls. Chapters will collect gently-worn shoes and transport the shoes to specified locations. Soles4Souls mission is to create sustainable jobs and provide relief through the distribution of shoes around the world.
Lions Club International. Chapters will participate in an eyeglass initiative designed to prevent blindness, help restore eyesight, and improve eye health and eye care for millions of people around the world by donating used eyeglasses in partnership with local Lions Clubs.
Pillowcase Project. Chapters will continue to use pillowcases to make dresses for little girls and will expand the sorority’s efforts to include shirts for little boys. The pillowcase dresses and shirts will be sent to Haiti to provide clothing for children in need.
• Refugees in America Assistance Program (RAAP). Chapters will focus on refugees of color in the United States by partnering with organizations engaged in support activities that assist refugees and their families to integrate into American life. This includes literacy classes, educational training, and other necessary transitional support.