91¸£ÀûÉç

Tables of colorful books filled the Atrium in the Wright 91¸£ÀûÉçBuilding this month. Students milled around, taking any books that would work in their future classrooms. The free event was student-organized by the local Rho Nu chapter of Kappa Delta Pi, a student-led educational honor society that serves both preservice and in-service teachers - and was the brainchild of KDP Vice President Kai Blankenship.

After attending a KDP leadership summit over the summer, Blankenship got the idea for a book fair to benefit SOE students. KDP members collected books from their communities, and donation boxes were set out around the SOE. In total, over 1600 books were donated, and around 1470 were distributed to students. 

“A strong and diverse classroom library is essential for supporting literacy, but building your library from scratch is challenging,” said KDPi President Delaney Garland. “Books are expensive! So, we wanted to remove some of the barriers for our future teachers. Every little bit counts!”

Blankenship added, “I hope that these books help future educators create positive, inspiring classrooms that encourage literacy and a love of reading. Teaching is a difficult profession with a lot of obstacles, one of which is the cost of setting up your first classroom. We know that a few free books could seem trivial, but they are helping pre-service teachers prepare for the future, and hopefully get them excited about the prospect of having their own classroom one day.”

IU’s chapter of Kappa Delta Pi focuses on professional development, community outreach and service, and building a community of future educators who can support and cheer for one another. Undergraduates interested in joining KDP can learn more or reach out to President Delaney Garland with any questions. 

“This event was successful because of the dedication of our Kappa Delta Pi members and the support of the School of 91¸£ÀûÉçcommunity,” Garland said. “Our members who volunteered and helped prepare for the event played a huge role in making it possible. I especially want to recognize our executive board members, Vice President Kai Blankenship, Secretary Jade Studle, and Treasurer Margot Keller, for their work!”