HISTORIC & ANNUAL PROGRAMS

Annual Scholarship - Each year, the chapter awards two scholarships in honor of two of our Sorors who have passed away, Nancy Branch and Tracey Thomas-Young. The Nancy Branch Book Award is presented to a freshman or sophomore who has contributed significantly to their community through service. The Tracey Thomas-Young Scholarship is awarded to a technical student in their junior or senior year who has overcome significant hardship. Good luck to those who enter!

AKA Softball Classic - In this annual event, we invite children from local elementary schools to enjoy a game of softball with Stanford students. This is an afternoon of food, music, relaxation, and genuine fun.

AKA Comedy Show - This year, we will host our 15 th Annual AKA Comedy Show in which we highlight African Americans in the arts. This show gives us a chance to recognize up-and-coming comedians, while providing a social outlet for the Stanford community. A portion of the revenues from the Comedy Show goes toward our two scholarships, and the remainder goes toward our community service initiatives.

AKA Dating Game - This event is modeled after the popular Television Dating Game. We attempt to dispel the myth that dating at Stanford does not exist. Girls and guys compete to will all-expenses-paid dates with our mystery contestants.

COMMUNITY SERVICE

Reaching out to the community through service has always been a priority in the lives of the ladies of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporate, Xi Beta Chapter. We use teamwork to implement fun and creative community service initiatives for Stanford and its surrounding community. As the years pass and the focus of Alpha Kappa Alpha continuously evolves, the activities planned and implemented by Xi Beta continue to grow as well. Although we are constantly implementing new ways to make a difference in the lives of Stanford students and members of the surrounding community, many of our programs have stood the test of time in providing assistance to those in need. Currently, Xi Beta is committed to various community service projects geared towards uplifting the entire African American community.

Current Initiatives:

Sister-2-Sister - In 2006, we started a new initiative this year in which we invite high school girls at Eastside College Preparatory to participate in a mentorship program with our sorority. The program is designed to foster bonds between women, while promoting achievement and enlightenment. Each girl is paired with one member of our sorority, and we have established a bond in which the girls feel comfortable to come to their mentors with problems, or just to discuss daily events - almost like a big sister.

AKA Coat Week - Realizing the importance of giving to those less fortunate, Xi Beta annually sponsors a week in which we collect winter coats from the Stanford community by setting up drop-off stations at various sites around the campus. All coats are donated to the Ecumenical Hunger Program in East Palo Alto .

The Giving Tree - During the holiday season Xi Beta, in conjunction with the Stanford Bookstore, sponsors The Family Giving Tree, a program which provides over 50,000 Bar Area underprivileged and homeless children with Christmas gifts. A Christmas tree is put on display in the bookstore ornamented with "wish tags," or tags with a gift written on them that children served by this organization hope to receive on Christmas day. This past year, Xi Beta collected over $300 in donations and more than six boxes filled with toys.

A House is Not a Home: Habitat for Humanity Renovation Project - Habitat for Humanity is a non-profit organization that helps low-income families build and own their own homes. At least once a year, the ladies of Xi Beta assist in the renovation of condominiums in the downtown San Jose area for those families that are not fortunate enough to have homes.

AIDS Memorial Grove - This program initiative was taken on in 1999 by the members of Xi Beta as a living work. From inception to finish, Xi Beta has volunteered annually to help build and landscape what is now the largest memorial to those who have died from, as well as those living with, AIDS. The memorial in San Francisco has been an ongoing community service activity and visiting site.

Past Initiatives :

Tutoring with College Track - At least once a week, members of Xi Beta tutor at College Track in East Palo Alto where the high school dropout rate once exceeded 60 percent. College Track is an after-school program designed to assist students with their home work and college applications. All the while, this program strengthens students' resumes by providing them with leadership experiences via a student senate and different extracurricular activities. In addition to tutoring, Xi Beta also invited the students to a program titled, "On the Right Track." During this program, students were taken on a campus tour, and had the opportunity to ask questions about college life as the ladies of Xi Beta and a group of Stanford freshmen were at their disposal. The students were extremely grateful after their visit and appeared to take away a lot from their afternoon on campus.

Tutoring with BUILD - At least once a week, members of Xi Beta volunteered at the BUILD (Business United n Investing, Lending, and Development) homework center in East Palo Alto . BUILD is a non-profit organization designed to equip high school students with entrepreneurial experience. Xi Beta's energy included assisting these students in various academic subjects and serving as positive role models for the students.

Breast Cancer Awareness Walk - Xi Beta participated in the Breast Cancer Awareness Walk in San Francisco where the chapter raised money through sponsorships to donate to breast cancer research and awareness initiatives.

The College P.L.A.Y.E.R.S. Program -- The College P.L.A.Y.E.R.S. Program, which stands for Promoting Lifelong Achievement among Youth Empowered to Rise to Success) was founded in 2001 through a coalition among Xi Beta, East Palo Alto Charter High School (EPAHS), and the brothers of Gamma Zeta Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated. Members from both organizations served as mentors and attended after school tutoring sessions three times a week, providing a productive study environment for the students of EPAHS.

Holiday parties for children at the Haven Family House - The members of Xi Beta held Thanksgiving and Halloween parties at the Haven Family House. These parties included arts and crafts, and "feasts" to commemorate the particular holiday.

Lytton Gardens Senior Citizens Home - The members of Xi Beta have tremendous respect for the elderly - after all, these men and women paved the way for many of life's advantages that young people often take for granted. The ladies of Xi Beta accompanied the residents of Lytton Garden on afternoon strolls, and lent an understanding ear to those who wished to reminisce of days long ago.

Health Care Fair - During this event, Xi Beta would provide residents of East Palo Alto with information concerning breast and prostate cancer; dental, eye, and ear care; emotional health services; diabetes as well as AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. There were also residents and medical students on hand to give blood pressure and other basic medical check-ups.

Programming in 2008-2009