Phi Theta Kappa Awareness – This committee will serve to discover new and innovative ways to inform members and non-members of what Phi Theta Kappa represents as an organization, the benefits it provides for its members, and the services it provides to the community.

Project Pearce - Mon-Thurs 4-6 p.m. Project Pearce involves members working with a local school and tutoring the students. Please contact the chair if interested in this project as a background check is required to insure the safety of the students.

Speakers Series – The Speaker Series committee will be in charge of organizing town hall style meetings as well as inviting other speakers to come and discuss issues of our honors study topic;  "The Paradox of Affluence: Choices, Challenges, and Consequences". Anyone interested in scheduling a speaker should contact the committee chair or co-chair.

Teacher's Excellence - Each semester teachers are nominated to receive an award for making a difference in the lives of their students.  This committee will decide the winner(s).  This committee prepares announcements; receives nominations; contacts nominees; receives nomination materials; prepares membership ballots; tallies results; arranges for awards; contacts winners; announces winners; and sends thank you letters.

USA Today Case Study Challenge - The chapter will be submitting an entry into the USA Today Case Study Challenge. We will collect articles, research, and write and submit an award winning entry to submit at the International Convention.

 Leadership Committee Descriptions

Austin State Hospital - The committee will organize fellowship events for patients at Austin State Hospital, providing members with a unique chance to reach into our city, offering our leadership and support in effort to aid our state and community as a whole. 

GOT HEALTH? - Will help students to learn about how to be healthy, physically and mentally, on a budget and on a tight schedule.  Regular "wellness" sessions will be held which will include educational field trips as well as work-out session which vary in type from session to session.

Hites foundation - Through partnership with the Hites Foundation, participants will strengthen their commitment to leadership and community by raising funds that will become transfer scholarships for members of our chapter.  Members are encouraged to attend meetings and participate in fundraising events to run their unique ideas and talents into very special opportunities.

Kids Go Green - Members will visit local schools to promote the importance of saving our environment.  This will be demonstrated through skits, literature, etc.  Participation credit will be given for actual time spent and any supplies used for each event.  Dates and times will be announced at the meetings.

Leadership Meeting Training - Leadership training will involve students presenting workshops to the chapter, community and college involving issues concerned with the honors study topic;  "The Paradox of Affluence: Choices, Challenges, and Consequences".  presentations will also include teaching students how to work with theirs and others' strengths and focus on becoming positive leaders.  Anyone interested in presenting a Leadership workshop or anyone with a workshop idea should contact the committee chair or co-chair.

Member Recognition -  Member and officer nominations are accepted and awarded at each meeting for outstanding dedication to the Phi Theta Kappa hallmarks.

Mentor Foster Alumni - The chapter's mission is to provide peer mentors to first-year students that have come from a foster home setting.  The goal is to facilitate a smooth transition to college and to serve as a positive role model for foster youth and help strengthen our local community.

Red, White and You - Members will be gathering and sending care packages to our troops that are deployed and serving our county.  Please contact the Coordinato4 as to what items are being gathered.

Special Olympics - Members will assist mentally disabled Middle School and High School level students in learning athletic and life-long skills while having fun at practices and area competitions.

Service Committee Descriptions

Adopt-a-Street - Alpha Gamma Pi have adopted half of a mile on Metric St. (in front of NRG campus).  We are working with Keep Austin Beautiful to improve our communities.  We will be responsible to keep this street clean throughout the semester.  Bring lots of energy and enthusiasm.  materials will be provided.

Blood Drives – Members will help sign up students for campus-based blood drives or donate blood themselves at the campus blood drives or at any local donation center. Ask for a receipt and you will earn a predetermined allotted time credit.

 Captain Planet – Members will be involved in recycling and sustainability projects such as holding an all day recycling drive and education people on how to live a sustainable life.  The recycling drive is scheduled for November 16th from 10a.m. to 4p.m. at the RGC. Items that will be accepted are as follows: newspapers, paper, phone books, pressed and corrugated cardboard, aluminum cans, foil, tin cans, metal, plastics #1-7, glass, computers, computer parts, wires, batteries, and florescent light bulbs.  Items should be separated and cleaned with lids removed.  Recyclables will only be accepted for time at this drive only.  Members are encouraged to save all items for this day.

Clean Communities - Members will assist with litter pick-up, sorting trash for recycling, and trail repair/maintenance of parks, trails, and creeks.  All Materials such as trash bags, rakes, and other tools will be provided unless told other wise.  Members should bring their own gloves.  Places for events to be announced.

 Habitat for Humanity - Members will work with the Austin area Habitat organization to help in projects such as construction and deconstruction. In construction, you will assist professionals in the building of affordable, quality houses for families in need to help eliminate poverty. Deconstruction is the hand demolition of buildings in the reverse order of their construction in order to carefully remove materials for reuse and recycling. Both projects are a MINIMUM OF 8 HOURS LONG. You may bring other people. However, they MUST be at least 16 years old. ALL WHO ATTEND MUST GO TO www.austinhabitat.org AND DO THE ORIENTATION, PRINT AND SIGN THE WAIVER, AND BRING IT WITH YOU TO THE EVENT! Please pack a lunch and wear appropriate attire: long pants, work boots or tennis shoes, gloves, sunscreen, and sunglasses.

Healing Humanity - This committee works to help others understand health is a quality of life involving interaction and interdependence among an entire community.  Members will work with various organizations to raise money and awareness of disease and health concerns that affect us all.

 Helping Hands -This committee is in charge of helping the homeless people of Austin by providing food and items that they need. Alpha Gamma Pi provides its members the opportunity to share with the less fortunate citizens of Austin.

Safe Place/Helpers –  Safe Place exists to end sexual and domestic violence.  Nationally recognized for its innovative and effective programs, raising awareness of the safety, healing, and prevention services they provide to people who have been affected by sexual and domestic violence.  Throughout the semester we will be collecting cell phones, both working and non-working, to donate to Safe Place.  Working cell phones will provide safety for clients' emergency use while non-working phones will be recycled to raise funds for services.  We will also be collecting gifts all semester for children from infancy to 18 years to provide holiday gifts for the children who stay on the site.

Talking Book Programs – This is a service provided for the blind and dyslexic people of Texas.  It is a free service.  The service provides books, magazines, and articles in many formats, mainly on cassette.  They are in need of people to work in the warehouse to inspect, rewind and shelf the cassette tapes.  The project will last for five hours, starting with an orientation.  Bring you iPod or listen to any book while you work and help in the shipping and receiving at the Texas State Library.   Contact the Chair or Co-Chair, according to their dates, with any questions.

Tree Folks - The 2008-10 International service program, "Operation Green: Improving Our Committee", challenges Phi Theta kappa members to look closely at the needs of our community, to engage our faculty members and fellow students in meaningful action, to broadcast our successes, to educate, and above all, to take personal responsibility for the world around us.  If we accomplish this together, we will all be doing our part to keep America beautiful. 

  Fellowship Committee Descriptions

Better World Books - Members can collect and donate used textbooks that are less than five years old. Phi Theta Kappa, our chapter, and Better World Books are working with non-profit literacy initiatives in Africa, Asia, and Latin America and right here in the United States. Each book that our chapter collects will be donated to BWB who will then sell them online to raise funds for their partners or send them directly to their partners. At the very least, BWB will recycle any books that they cannot utilize.   

Chapter Fellowship Day -  Members come out and attend the potluck fellowship day on October 4 and November 14  from 1:00–5:00PM.  Come get to know your fellow members and celebrate all that we've accomplished this semester with games, food, and good company. You can volunteer to help (before, during, or after) or simply show up for the party. Either way we'll have a great time and a great turnout! This will also count as a meeting.  We will be having planning meetings about a week before each fellowship day.  Come and help us decide where you want the chapter party.

Hospitality -  Members set-up, provide refreshments, and clean-up at new member orientation, general meetings, and induction. Members that would like to bring food or drinks to a meeting to earn time are asked to let the chair know what they will be bringing.

Ronald McDonald House -  Members will meet at the Austin Ronald McDonald house on various dates throughout the semester to prepare snacks and possible meals to support the families staying at the House during their time of hardship.  Food donations will be accepted and should be discussed beforehand.  We will be collecting pull tabs from cans for the Ronald McDonald House.  The pull tabs support the inner operations of the house, such as food for the family food pantry, cleaning supplies, and transportation for the families to and from the Texas Medical Center.

UT Events - Participants of this committee will help the chair organize groups of members to attend the University of Texas events and work as ushers. This is an excellent fundraising opportunity for our chapter and members of this committee are encouraged to help out not only in the promotion of this event but also by volunteering themselves.

Yearbook - Members will come together to help design and construct a yearbook that captures the unique spirit and accomplishments of our chapter with regards to the 2009-2010 Honor Study Topic. To accomplish this goal, we not only need photos, memorabilia, and information but opinions, perspective, and vision. Members of all majors are encouraged to attend meetings and contribute to the production of this exciting and comprehensive chronicle. If you have digital photos, please upload them to photobucket.com.