College of Education & Human Services

kdp

The Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society in Education provides new academic growth and development opportunities for graduate and undergraduate education majors. Students need to have a GPA of 3.6 or higher to become members. Contact Dr. Abha Singh for information on membership at A-Singh@wiu.edu.

Applications for New Membership

If you are a graduate or undergraduate education major with a GPA of 3.6 or higher, you are invited to become a member the WIU chapter of Kappa Delta Pi. New members are required to attend the New Member Initiation Ceremony in the month of April in Horrabin Hall on the Macomb campus.

Apply for membership in KDP. Deadline to apply is March 15th.

Dr. Pamela Godt KDP Scholarship

Applications are now being accepted for the Dr. Pamela Godt $500 scholarship. Applicants must be a junior, senior or graduate student enrolled at WIU, pursuing a degree in an education major, and a current KDP member. If you are not a KDP member but would like to apply for this scholarship, complete the membership form above.

Apply for the Dr. Pamela Godt Scholarship. The deadline to apply is February 28th.

History of Kappa Delta Pi at WIU

There are over 600 chapters of Kappa Delta Pi worldwide, and it keeps growing. Chapter number 29 is one of the first chapters in this organization which was founded in 1911. Our WIU Chapter was organized on February 27, 1925. A faculty committee composed of Mr. Simpkins, Mr. Ginnings, Mr. Cleveland, and Miss Wild, and appointed by President Morgan, studied various national honorary organizations and decided that the Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society in Education would be the best one for WIU, then the Western Illinois State Teacher's College. Nine members were initiated at the first initiation ceremony. The minutes note that the chapter was so young that "as yet, there have been no members who have become widely known in any field and there are no chapter colors or emblems other than the official KDP insignia" (the colors now are purple and green). It was interesting to note that in those days, the initiates were scored on such things as their sociability (which included their courtesy, friendliness, and ability to make conversation!) as well as on their academic skills, initiative, dependability and adaptability, which was judged by their practice teaching. That first year, in 1925, the Kappa Delta Pi association at WIU collected $1,400 and donated the Gateway Monument to the college that is still by the street outside of Sherman Hall. The motto inscribed there reads: "To serve best, we strive for highest professional efficiency." Later, the organization also donated the first set of carillon chimes to Sherman Hall. Thereafter, KDP has gathered money to be used for an annual student KDP scholarship.