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Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Works to Keep It Green

Iota Psi Omega Chapter

Taking care of our planet and seeing the beauty that it possesses is not often something most people consider. There are many organizations like The Nature Conservancy that have programs and goals to plant billions of trees, yet there are few organizations that focus on outdoor enhancement and beautification. The Iota Psi Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (AKA) endeavored to tackle both issues. There is a major forest restoration effort with the goal of planting a billion trees across the planet. Trees provide so many benefits to our everyday lives: They filter clean air, provide fresh drinking water, help curb climate change and create homes for thousands of species of plants and animals. Planting trees can help save the Earth from deforestation.

With the pandemic encouraging more outdoor activities alongside the national childhood obesity platform outlined by former First Lady Michelle Obama, it is crucial that we make outdoor spaces conducive to outdoor fun and comfort. School beautification is a great way to bring schools and communities together. The outdoor area is the first impression for the students, and in today’s society, they need to see all that is beautiful—in nature and in people.

The Global Impact Target of the Iota Psi Omega Chapter recently participated in a campaign to plant trees in seven counties and, in collaboration with The Arts! Target, was able to clean up and enhance the outdoor garden space at Gaines Elementary School. The Natchez crepe myrtles were donated to Colham Ferry Elementary School (Oconee County), CBJ Preschool (Greene County), Morgan County Primary School (Morgan County), Jim Moran Memorial Boys & Girls Club (Jackson County), Orr Park (Stephens County), Gaines Elementary School (Clarke County) and Bowman City Hall (Elbert County). This campaign/initiative supports the programmatic goals of enhancing the international footprint of the sorority, decreasing our carbon footprint and enhancing art enrichment and visuals. Target V: Global Impact Chairperson Sandra Aker and Target IV: The Arts! Chairperson Tionya Lawrence led the efforts.  

AKA is an international service organization that was founded on the campus of Howard University in Washington, D.C. in 1908. It is the oldest Greek-lettered organization established by African-American college-educated women. For more information about AKA, please visit aka1908.com.

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