'A Work in Progress'

With some creative activities, and a focus on the future, Student members build their chapters into thriving campus institutions.

At 650 members, the Kutztown University chapter of the Student Pennsylvania State Education Association (SPSEA) is one of the largest and most active in the nation. But the chapter will not maintain its size and vitality unless members focus as much on growing the chapter as they do on enjoying it, says Loribeth Gruber, the chapter's co-president last year.

"One of the first things I learned as a member was that a great chapter is not a fixture; it's a work in progress that relies on all of us building the chapter for future students," says Gruber, who was active in the group all four years of college. "Kutztown Student PSEA is woven into virtually every aspect of campus life. Faculty members and students alike praise us for the seminars we coordinate, the guest speakers we bring to the college, and the leadership opportunities we give to students, which they carry away in their portfolios once they graduate."

A glance at the Kutztown activity calendar confirms the chapter's commitment to reaching new members and involving them in campus life. Before the school year begins, chapter officers mail letters to all incoming education majors inviting them to a fall picnic. Any freshman who doesn't receive the mailing gets a face-to-face welcome from chapter members at orientation. The chapter also sponsors a string of social events including a Halloween hayride, a Thanksgiving food drive, and a holiday gift exchange to encourage students to attend the chapter's monthly meetings, which feature informative speakers on education topics.

"I became more excited about teaching when speakers would come simply to affirm the importance of the profession," says fifth-grade teacher Laura Luckman, who served as co-president at Kutztown from 2001 to 2002. "It's hard to measure everything you get from the chapter. I just know that Student PSEA was invaluable to me as a job-seeker and a first-year teacher."

Student members at the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point understand that kind of dedication to their chapter. With 350 members, the group has been the national NEA Student chapter of the year for four straight years, and last year was named best organization on campus, honors the chapter intends to keep. So recruitment is serious business at Stevens Point.

Every incoming freshman who intends to major in education receives an e-mail message about the Student Program, says Amanda Froom, past president of the chapter. Once the students arrive on campus, they receive flyers about the chapter and faculty members encourage new students to join. Offering students experiences and training they can't get in their education classes is key, she says.

"When our members graduate and go out to interview for jobs, there's just no doubt that they're better prepared to land a job than someone who has only experienced the standard college education curriculum," says Froom.

Student members at Stevens Point gain practical teaching experience by supervising children through the chapter's after-school Latchkey program, for which Stevens Point received an NEA CLASS grant. Students also provide English as a Second Language instruction and gain experience working with parents through a project that targets migrant workers. Members also lobby for fair education funding from the state.

"When you add these things together with the leadership experience members get from participating in the chapter, you're looking at a first-rate portfolio," Froom says. "I was hired to teach right out of college, and I know SWEAC had a lot to do with that."

For more ideas visit the Kutztown University Student chapter Web site or the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point Student chapter site.

—Matt Simon

Guide to Chapter Success

If you want more ideas for building your chapter, check out the Handbook for Local Leaders. This guide includes tips for increasing membership, conducting effective meetings, creating a constitution, and developing successful chapter programs. View it online.