Fulfilling purpose #1 of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International – to unite women educators of the world in a genuine spiritual fellowship – has never been easier due to the availability of connections such as Zoom, Google Hangout, and other virtual platforms.
Your International Educational Excellence Committee would like to challenge chapters to connect with chapters in other state organizations, especially in countries other than their own.
How would a chapter go about setting this up? The first place to look is within your own chapter. Many members have formed connections with members they have met at state organization or international events. Consider having one of those members to reach out to and schedule a cross-chapter meeting. If that doesn’t work, you can contact your state organization’s EEC chair for assistance. She has many connections and can help you. An additional place to seek assistance would be one of the International EEC members. With their vast experience, these members would be a wonderful resource for making connections with other chapters. You can also use DKG social media to search for a chapter. Your first step is to reach out.
Considerations for a virtual meeting –
- Time zone. If you are meeting with a chapter across the country or across continents, this is an important consideration. Meetings across continents would most likely need to take place on a Saturday due to the teaching commitments of members during the week.
- Translations. Even though English is the predominant language of most DKG members, we have other members who speak another language. It’s vital to determine a translator in advance. Don’t let language be a barrier. Let language enhance your members’ experience through embracing the differences.
- Time frame. This will depend on your purpose and if you wish to continue with further meetings at a later date.
- Introductions – At the initial meeting, introductions of members certainly take center stage. We are all curious as to the educational background of each member. We enrich our knowledge of educational possibilities by hearing what is happening around the globe.
- Purpose – Determine the reason(s) for connecting with another chapter. Know in advance what you want to accomplish or cover during your meeting. Just as you do for your regular chapter meetings, create an agenda for the chapters to follow.
- Short and simple at first – Begin the process of getting to know each other at your first meeting. Subsequent meetings can address your additional purposes for connecting.
The possibilities are endless for making connections. You can travel to each of the 17 member countries or just concentrate on your closer neighbors. The choice is yours.
** Keep reading to see how a cross-chapter meeting came to fruition recently.**
Kappa chapter in Sheridan, Wyoming and Alpha and Beta chapters in Guatemala City, Guatemala, participated in a connection this fall. Everyone who participated agreed it was a great experience to connect with our sisters from afar.
The following outline was developed to address what we wanted to accomplish. It was evident once we began that we needed more than one exchange to accomplish our purpose. We will be meeting again this spring to deepen our connection.
Purpose – cultural exchange to learn about each other, geographic location and schools
1. Introductions – Each member will state their name and their current or former teaching (for retired) assignment. This will allow us to hear the range of teaching experience and background within the groups.
2. Geographic location – We are very different in our locations. Each group will tell some of the highlights of our location to ‘paint a picture’ of where we are. Each chapter will assign a member before the meeting who will give this information. Some suggestions are below:
- Size
- Terrain; elevation
- Industry
- Attractions
- What makes us unique
3. School information – We are all curious as to what school looks like in comparing Guatemala with Wyoming. Some suggestions are below:
- Length of school year
- Curriculum highlights
- Professional development
- Current attendance (remote or in-person)
- Private or public offerings
- University
- Why teachers want to work here
Note – Be patient with translations. It takes longer than you think, but it’s so worth the time.
The picture shows Kappa chapter in Sheridan, Wyoming and the virtual participants from Alpha and Beta chapters in Guatemala City, Guatemala.
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