KINGSTON, R.I. — July 12, 2007 — The international education honor society, Kappa Delta Pi, will award its highest honor this fall to the University of Rhode Island’s Iota Sigma chapter. The international Achieving Chapter Excellence Award (ACE) will be presented in November at the Bi-Annual Convocation in Louisville, Ky.

The University’s honor society chapter will receive the award for its many accomplishments, including contributions to Habitat for Humanity, donations to Saint Jude’s Children’s Hospital, partnerships with inner-city schools, annual book and clothing drives for resources given to children’s shelters, educational scholarships, and support of honors programming. The award also recognizes the chapter for its planned “Cruise for Autism” to be held in October 2007.

The award will be presented to early childhood education Professor Susan Trostle Brand of Exeter, who is the chapter counselor, associate research Professor Stephen Brand of Exeter who is the treasurer, and a recent education graduate, Kaitlin Lambert of Little Compton, secretary.

At the awards, URI Chapter members have been asked to speak at several convocation sessions regarding their activities and service efforts to the community and to present a display of service and education related projects.

According to David Byrd of Narragansett, director of URI’s School of Education, the Iota Sigma chapter initiates 60 to 100 graduate and undergraduate students each spring. Enrollment is open to all students who hold a 3.0 grade point average and a 3.2 average in education courses. Two letters of faculty endorsement are also required for all new initiates. Primarily education majors enroll; however, many of students are from education-related majors including Human Development, School Psychology, and Communicative Disorders. There are currently more than 200 active members at URI.

Founded in 1911, Kappa Delta Pi, International Honor Society in Education, is a dynamic learning community that recognizes and enhances growth in scholars and leaders. Established in 1995, the ACE Awards Program showcases chapters that demonstrate superior programming and activities that support the international honor society’s goals to recognize excellence and foster mutual cooperation, support, and growth for professionals in education.