Student Organizations

As a student in the UK College of Education, you’ll find many opportunities to be involved in the life of the college and the university.

Involvement during college helps you gain a social and professional network. Plus, service learning allows you to identify, analyze and help solve real world problems. How will you make a difference in your academic study and in the lives of others?

Our student groups emphasize professional educator development. Undergraduates typically join groups identified with their major. Graduate students join the appropriate professional organization’s campus chapter. The college also sponsors social groups.

With our wide variety of student organizations there is sure to be a place for you!

Interested? Here are the next steps:

• The College of Education student organizations are listed below.
• Ready to join or have questions? Please contact Monica Nielsen (monica.nielsen@uky.edu).

The College of Education Ambassadors are a select group of students who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in academics and student leadership. Serving as an Ambassador is an honor and a distinction. Visit the Student Ambassadors page for more detailed information.

Our organization is for middle level education majors. The cohorts of middle level education are separated, so this organization gives the two cohorts (Fall and Spring) the opportunity to get to know one another and learn from each other, as well as meet the freshmen and sophomore middle level teacher education majors.

Our goal is to promote interaction among students who are pursuing a career that focuses on the development of young children through community involvement.

The purpose of this organization is to promote academic excellence among elementary pre-service educators. EESA shall unite and provide support for elementary educators of UK College of Education, encourage involvement in elementary education at the university and in the community, and promote opportunities for the personal and professional development of its members.

Any student who has expressed interest in elementary education as a major is eligible to become a member.

Are you an international or American student interested in:

• networking with international and domestic peers and faculty?
• professional development opportunities tailored to your interests?
• student leadership opportunities?

Contact Ellie Holliday at eholliday@uky.edu to learn more about how to become a member or leader of the organization.

Kappa Delta Pi (KDP), International Honor Society in Education, was founded in 1911 to foster excellence in education and promote fellowship among those dedicated to teaching. For over a century, the Society has consistently grown, starting with a local chapter to become the international organization it is today, with an initiated membership that exceeds 1.2 million! Our local chapter offers leadership positions and focuses on a literacy service project each year.

Requirements

General Membership Requirements

• Demonstration of worthy educational ideals
• Expression of the intention to continue in the field of education (except for honorary membership)
• Manifestation of desirable professional qualities
• Evidence of leadership attributes

Undergraduate Students

• Sophomore Status
• Declare major in the College of Education
• Minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA

Graduate Level Students

• Student in the College of Education
• At least 6 credit hours completed at the graduate level
• Minimum 3.25 cumulative GPA

Membership is by invitation only.

The KEA Student Program is Kentucky’s only professional association open to all college students preparing to enter the teaching profession.

Nearly 2,500 students working for their teaching certificates at 36 Kentucky colleges and universities choose to belong to the KEA Student Program each year—and they are better prepared to enter the classroom because of it.

The KEA Student Program helps them complete their portfolios; document their mastery of Kentucky’s standards for new teachers; write their resumes and learn valuable interviewing skills; prepare for the PRAXIS exams; and network with teachers and administrators in the school districts where they will apply for teaching positions. Our former members say their experience in the KEA Student Program helped them most when they had to demonstrate their capacity for leadership during their KTIP year.

Professional Development

Each year KEA Student Program members enjoy access to a variety of state and regional professional development events and many more at their home campuses, and the certificates they receive become part of their portfolios. All of these events are open, free of charge to KEA Student Program members.

Community Outreach

KEA Student Program members take part in community outreach projects at home and across the state. KEA Student Program members visit schools across Kentucky to read with children who might not otherwise have that experience.

In each of the last three years the KEA Student Program and its individual campus chapters donated more than 1,500 books to needy children at schools across Kentucky as part of NEA’s Read Across America.

In 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 KEA Student Program members performed “extreme makeovers” on schools in the Frankfort Independent, Paducah Independent, Rowan County, Perry County, Bullitt County, Newport Independent and Harlan County school districts.

Leadership

KEA Student Program members learn valuable leadership skills on campus and through opportunities to work with KEA’s local associations; in elected and volunteer positions at the state level with the Student Program and KEA; and by representing KEA and the KEA Student Program at national and regional conferences.

In the last 10 years alone, more than 320 KEA Student Program members from 28 colleges and universities have represented KEA and the Student Program at national professional conferences in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Louisville, Miami, New Orleans, Orlando, Philadelphia, Wilmington and Washington, DC.

Scholarships and Awards

In the last 10 years, KEA has awarded more than $60,000 in scholarships to members of the KEA Student Program through the Marvin Dodson-Carl Perkins Scholarship awards program; every member is eligible to apply.

Liability Insurance

As a member of the KEA Student Program you are covered automatically under the NEA Educators Employment Liability Insurance Program. If legal action is brought against you for any incident that occurs during your student teaching or other on-site classroom activities required for your degree program, your legal expenses will be paid, along with up to $1,000,000 in damages. For more information, contact Jeanine Scott at jeanine.scott@kea.org or call 1-800-231-4532 ext. 326.

Our club is for anyone who wants to promote a healthy lifestyle, or is interested in Exercise Science, PT, PTA, OT, AT, Sports Psychology, Sports Medicine, PE Teacher and everything in between. We have 2-3 events per semester and have monthly meetings.

The Minority Educator’s Association is an organization that promotes the recruitment and retention of minority teachers. Our goal is to assist with the navigation of ALL minorities into and through the Teacher Education Program, while giving them the tools needed to succeed, such as internships, volunteer hours and networking skills. We NEED minority teachers and our students do too. MEA welcomes ALL minorities, including but not limited to: racial, ethnic, gender, LGBTQ, people with disabilities, etc.

About

Minority Educators Association (MEA) promotes the recruitment and retention of minorities in education through middle and high school mentoring, guides teacher education program students and facilitates employment upon graduation.

Purpose:

• To provide for the social and professional developments of education students
• To network with students in other colleges
• To serve as support for diverse students by establishing a student mentor program for education majors
• To aid in the recruitment and retention of underrepresented students
• To raise the level of esteem for educators through pride exhibited in the teaching profession
• To empower diverse students
• To lay the groundwork for becoming active alumni of the college

Activities:

MEA participates in the following activities:

• Bulletin board design
• College wide “Penny War” fundraising
• Recognition and Potluck dinners
• “Come See for Yourself” recruitment events
• Professional development workshops
• Teacher Education Program (TEP) workshops
• Field trips
• Lyman T. Johnson & Urban League banquets
• Panel discussions on related educational issues

Membership:

The organization seeks diverse students in the College of Education, individuals in related majors and any student interested in the teaching profession. Diversity is defined as “differences among groups of people and individuals based on ethnicity, race, socioeconomic status, gender, exceptionalities, language, religion, sexual orientation, and geographical area” (National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education).

Our organization strives to be politically involved in the Fayette County Public School System.

Community/Volunteer Activities

• Carnegie Family Nights
• NEA Read Across America
• Catholic Action Center
• YWCA/After School Tutoring
• Gainesway Community Empowerment Center After School Tutoring
• FEA Regional Conferences
• FEA Summer Camps
• Crawford Middle School CATS Testing

See Blue STEM’s primary goals are: to promote education in the STEM fields, to give pre-service teachers support as they enter their careers in education, and to provide community outreach opportunities in the local community. We are a professional organization of students interested in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

See Blue STEM is open to all UK students in the fields of STEM at the Elementary, Middle, and High School teaching levels, as well as all other students and majors interested in promoting STEM.

The Student Affiliates in School Psychology (SASP) at the University of Kentucky is a student-led organization that volunteers within the bluegrass community. Our organization works to promote awareness of different issues influencing the diverse student population of the educational system. Such items include bully prevention programs, disability acceptance and awareness, educational strategies and interventions for working with specific populations, and equal opportunities for all students to succeed.

Each month our organization holds informational meetings about current issues in education that further the professional development of future school psychologists within our program. Although led by graduate students in UK’s school psychology program, we accept and encourage undergraduate and graduate students across the College of Education and University of Kentucky communities to join us in our efforts to raise awareness of, advocate for, and work directly with children and families within our educational systems.

SCEC is a professional development and service organization for students at any level or pursuing any degree program. The purposes of the organization include being advocates for children with disabilities, advancing the professional development of its members, and providing charitable and other services to persons with disabilities.

SCEC is a student chapter of the international organization the Council for Exceptional Children. SCEC is a professional development and service organization for students at any level or pursuing any degree program. The purposes of the organization include:

• Being advocates for children with disabilities
• Advancing the professional development of its members
• Providing charitable and other services to persons with disabilities