“Service Learning is learning to love to serve.” -Frank Ruck (Michigan Alpha 1946)
Service Learning Projects
Sigma Phi Epsilon Fellow projects show how servicelearning is learning by doing that helps solve genuine problems. The projects provide hands-on experiences that teach leadership, mentoring, and how to care about and serve others, all essential steps towards becoming a balanced servant leader for the world’s communities. They put into real world practice our Cardinal Principles of Virtue, Diligence, and Brotherly Love, together with our other Core Values of Sound Mind, Sound Body, and Balance.
 Maintain at least a 3.0 cumulate grade point average.- Be a member of the Epsilon Challenge, with the goal of becoming a member of the Brother Mentor Challenge by the time the Fellow Project is started.
- Select a Fellow Challenge Mentor and meet with him/her at least once to review the expectations and goals.
- Submit an application to the National Member Development Committee. Contact Headquarters to receive an application.
- Develop three written goals.
- Complete the proposed 500-hour or 60-day service-learning project that discusses in detail how the project with respect to the seven critical areas of service-learning: Real Community Need, Partnership, Planning Including Risk Management, Orientation and Training, Meaningful Action, Reflection, and Evaluation.
- Submit a final summary report to the National Member Development Committee including an overview, timesheet, cost analysis, letters of recommendation, and photographs, as well as a written report on how your project dealt with each of the seven critical areas of service learning.
- Create a lasting service-learning project for your chapter that will continue long after graduation.
Promote AIDS Awarenes (2007)
Jordan J. Alajov ’07
California Chi (Loyola Marymount)
Going above and beyond the typical chapter philanthropy, created and executed a servicelearning project to raise awareness of the AIDS epidemic. Jordan Alajob recognized that the AIDS epidemic remains an important community problem. He began by working with his other California Chi SigEp brothers to identify ways to raise awareness of the epidemic not only on campus, but throughout the Los Angeles community. The first step was to raise awareness on campus, which Jordan accomplished by coordinating the presence of the AIDS quilt on campus. The largest community art project, the quilt serves as a memorial for the millions of people who have fallen victim to AIDS. The next step was to engage the community in the effort and raise awareness of the epidemic. Jordan organized teams of students that were in charge of raising donations for AIDS Walk. He recruited walkers for those who were more interested in service than philanthropy. He invited community members to attend the benefit concert on campus. After a positive response with the community, Jordan helped organize the benefit concert which raised over $3,000 and had over 500 people attend. Finally, Jordan coordinated the participation of over 140 people in the AIDS Walk Los Angeles, helping to raise an additional $5,500.
Jordan’s project taught him and his California Chi Brothers about event management, delegation, project management, and many other leadership skills while showing what can happen when people dedicates themselves to service in an effort to battle the greatest epidemic of our time.
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Increase Community Fitness and Fight Diabetes (2007)
Agustin Barbara ’07
Florida Nu (Florida International University)
Wanting to help more people live the best life through Sound Mind/Sound Body Balance, mobilized a community behind a service-learning event that would put these values into action for both those serving and those being served while raising awareness and funds to fight diabetes.
After determining his community’s need to work harder to become more physically fit and to fight diabetes, Agustin Barbara from the Florida Nu chapter at Florida International University worked with his chapter brothers and mentor to organize the first ever “Tri-Fit Challenge” to benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Agustin toiled for over seven months to gain permits from Broward County, sponsorships from companies such as Einstein Bagels Company, Hammer Nutrition, and Horizon Properties, and work with the City of Pembroke Pines Police and Fire Departments. Agustin went beyond simply organizing the Tri-Fit Challenge to engage local community members in a worthy philanthropy, but also organized seminars and presentations within the local community with experts on topics such as heart disease, proper nutrition, running tips and techniques, and “A Day in the Life of a Diabetic Child.” Agustin formed a strategic partnership with the Phi Delta Epsilon international medical fraternity as they put on a blood drive and sponsored cholesterol testing. In the end, more then eighty percent of the participants in the Tri-Fit Challenge were from outside the university, including professionals in the field of law, medicine, military, and education. The ages of the participants ranged anywhere from 18, to 54.
The event raised over $6,600 for Juvenile Diabetes Research, the community gained a better understanding of the SigEp ideals of Sound Mind and Sound Body, and Agustin Barbara and his Florida Nu SigEp brothers learned about working with others, organizing events, serving their community, and what they could accomplish through good planning and leadership.
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Energize City Beautification and Restoration (2007)
Seena B. Mojahedi ’08
California Mu (California State Polytechnic University-Pomona)
Not content to raise money for a charity from a hands-off distance or to put in hours for the sake of putting in hours, learned about leadership, event management, city politics, and working with others by investigating genuine community needs, forging successful civic partnerships, and producing Pomona’s “Citywide Celebration of Beautification and Anti-Graffiti Awareness.”
Seena Mojahedia from the California Mu chapter at California State Polytechnic University-Pomona decided to work with the Pomona Chamber of Commerce to find a real need within the community that he could help solve. After meeting with the mayor of the city and a local church pastor, Seena identified the beautification and restoration of a major area of the city of Pomona as an opportunity to make a difference. Seena worked to mobilize the Greek and campus community in an effort that brought over 300 campus members and over 2,000 community members in various roles to the cause of helping restore the city, including the president of the university Dr. Michael Ortiz, and his wife.
By reaching out to the community, recognizing a real need, and then leading others in an effort to improve the community, Seena was able to form partnerships that will continue long after he is gone and will serve to strengthen the relationship between the community, university, and SigEp.
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Mentor, Tutor, and Support Underprivileged Youth (2005)
Anthony D. Paske ’04
Indiana Zeta (Valparaiso University)
By brainstorming with other brothers of the Indiana Zeta chapter, and with the help of a number of community leaders, discovered the great need for mentors, tutors, and role models for youth in a low-income neighborhood adjacent to their campus. After months of preparation, including licensing, fund raising, facility procurement, and volunteer recruitment, Walt’s Place opened its doors to almost 50 children in the Valparaiso community, ages 8-14, on January the 30th, 2004.
With endless support from the brothers of Indiana Zeta and the campus community, Walt’s Place continues to play a tremendously positive role in the lives of the youth and the families in the neighborhood in which they serve. Walt’s Place operates five days a week during the academic year, and with attendance, volunteer numbers, and community support growing daily.
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Educate about Homelessness While Improving Life for the Homeless (2005)
Richard Peralta ’05
Illinois Xi (DePaul University)
Built a bridge between the Greeks on campus and their Chicago community by helping educate the Greeks and students at large about the homelessness in the City of Chicago and helping the homeless live a better life.
Building rapport with REST (“Residents for Effective Shelter Transitions”), a homeless shelter, undergraduate and alumni members of the SigEp Illinois Xi Chapter at DePaul University, students, other Greeks, and including other SigEp chapters in the area, sponsored two clothing drives, donated hygiene products, and provided meals three times a week while visiting the shelter weekly to either clean, fix, or paint.
According to Peralta: “I have wanted to do this since Conclave 2003 when I saw Brothers like Chris Dillion and others make a difference of this nature. After being inspired by Brother Chuck Eberly and Brother Conrad Eberstein, my mentor in my Quest to Greece, I only wanted even more to put this into action.”
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Tutor and Beautify a Local Elementary School (2005)
Jacob N. McCutchen ’05
Tennessee Beta (University of Memphis)
Using service-learning as a challenge for these Brothers’ efforts to live the Balanced Man ideal of Sound Mind and Sound Body, Chapter President Jake McCutchen designed a service-learning project to help a first grade class of a local elementary school near the campus.”
They spent the spring semester tutoring and reading to students on a daily basis. At the end of the semester was an all-day school beautification project, including painting, cleaning, and landscaping of the local school grounds. Brother McCutchen knew this project must be continued in the years following his departure from the chapter. With encouragement, commitments were received from campus leaders and the project participants assuring him that this project will be included in the upcoming year’s vision of community service and achievement sponsored by the University of Memphis.
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Educate about European Unification (2005)
Christopher J. Gassman ’04
Colorado Alpha (University of Colorado)
Realizing the need to better inform the public about the expansion of the European Union, designed, organized, and promoted more informed discussion of the issues by connecting experts with the general population, particularly those European youth involved.
Considering the concerns, fears, and hopes that abounded in the communities at the time, it became clear to Chris Gassman that issues involving the enlargement of the European Union had been explained inadequately. Many people were uninformed or absolutely misinformed regarding the special topics at hand. Local comments included “we’ll lose our jobs in this case,” “our neighbors will be less safe,” “can you trust these people?” These were many of the conceptions that those in the community had bringing new territories into a growing united states of Europe. Needless to say, they were not the healthiest feelings for a blossoming community of economies.
The project took the core concerns of the public at large – security, education, employment, markets, and self-identity – and explored them in an objective process. The project not only informed the public, it also taught Gassman and the other SigEps involved about how to demystify complex international issues.
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Organize and Train Volunteers to Fight Crime (2005)
James D. Landers ’04
Ohio Theta (University of Cincinnati)
Tackled what was determined to be the most important social issue in the university area, crime, by organizing, training, and leading a “Citizens on Patrol” unit for the community in partnership with the Cincinnati police department.
After training and late night police read-alongs, the group started walking and became the eyes and ears of the Fifth District Station. They patrolled the area in uniform, as a visible deterrent to crime, armed with radios to inform the police of any suspicious activity or notify them of any crimes in progress. For example, if they found a car that had recently been broken into, it was reported before anything had been stolen, and the owner contacted to remove it. Citizens on Patrol also reports on many quality of life issues, issues, such as graffiti to stop the proverbial broken window effect that label a community as crime-ridden. Over the next year, they will work with nonprofit groups in the area to write a grant to fund a team that will participate in walks also, but focus on the Citizens on Patrol recruitment.
Thanks to this project, Jim Landers and his Ohio Theta Brothers put into practice leadership lessons learned from being a SigEp about influencing others to serve a common need.
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Create Support Network for Gay College Men (2005)
Drew M. Gulley ’05
Iowa Delta (Drake University)
Developed greater awareness of needs of gay chapter members and other undergraduates by creating and operating the Drake Young Men’s Group, a support network for gay men.
Drew Gully of Iowa Delta at Drake University identified among the most pressing problems that college and university environments, particularly fraternities, are not always safe and nurturing for gay men. This prompted Gully to lead the founding of the Drake Young Men’s Group support network. This program dealt with issues of sexuality and an affirming community. Through weekly meetings, cultural events, and frequent dinners, a participant in the Young Men’s Group can find a confidential place to talk about their lives. Within a year, half of the fraternities at Drake had participating members in this group in varying stages of coming out. Drake Young Men’s Group was featured by the counseling center on the campus as a successful change in the element on campus in presentation of the board of trustees of the university. The group was incorporated into the counseling center for future years to come.
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Mentor Pre-Medical College Students (2005)
Jason R. Guercio ‘04
Florida Gamma (University of Miami)
Founded a mentoring program to help pre-medical students make more informed decisions about selecting the practice of medicine as a career, which also taught Jason and his Florida Gamma brothers about mentoring and how to foster it effectively.
Pairing 32 undergraduate pre-med students with 25 medical students, the mentoring program involved three events on the medical campus and included an information session with two medical school deans, medical school and hospital tour, and an end of program evening reception for the program. Then student body president Brother Scott Sadowsky, Miami Class of 2004, helped Jason in the program’s initial stages. The program continued after Jason’s absence and graduation from campus, and actually increased in number by his chapter members, including more pre-med students and additional participation of those students from the medical campus. It is now jointly funded and co-directed by student health advisory committee within student government and the pre-medical honors society. This program’s emphasis on the mentoring relationship mirrored and served the same purpose as that which is prescribed in the Sigma Phi Epsilon Quest. Each mentor and protégé had the opportunity to correspond and reflect on the program experience between their events. Both groups gained from the experience, with the pre-med students strengthened in their resolve to enter the medical field and become medical students in a valued and active role in the development of their successors.
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Provide Business and Personal Finance Management Skills to Underprivileged (2005)
Eric R. Howard ’07
Minnesota Alpha (University of Minnesota)
Deepened understanding of mentoring, project entrepreneurship, and leadership through establishing a mentoring and tutoring program in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles to teach business and personal finance skills to the underprivileged.
The project was located in the Imperial Courts Housing Project in Watts, a community in south central Los Angeles notorious for its race riots and homicides. Through tutoring and mentoring, Eric attempted to reshape the future for some of these children and young adults who had already surrendered their life to gang activity and drug abuse by attempting to equip these individuals and adults in the community with basic business skills and provide them with an adequate knowledge of making good personal financial decisions. By transcending cultural barriers and meeting specific goals he had set with these individuals, Eric was able to more fully understand the meaning of dedication, perseverance, fearlessness, and leadership. If you go to Watts today, you will find little trace of his work, but if you see the work that he has done for other people’s lives and for Eric’s himself, you will find exponential growth. From this project, Brother Howard has dedicated to spend time on economic and development empowerment for underprivileged areas, both domestically and abroad.
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Further Park Conservation (2003)
Chris Dillion’03
Illinois Alpha (University of Illinois)
Organized a new service-learning project designed to educate him and his chapter brothers about conservationism through their service in a public park. [more] [in a child window with a “close window” link] After the approval from Prince William County Park outside of Washington, D.C., Chris Dillion and twelve other SigEps spent one week cleaning up the park and learning about the benefits of conservationism. The group studied erosion control, land recovery, plant management, and historic structure preservation. Education on these topics was utilized during the site clean-up. When the project was completed, Chris stated, “It is clear to me and so many others that SigEp is breaking the fraternity stereotype. With every Fellow Challenge project across the country, we change people’s views and enlighten them to the greatness that is SigEp. Together, I believe we can change the world.”
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Tutor and Mentor the Underprivileged (2003)
Louis Dezseran ’02
California Psi (Pepperdine University)
Designed Project PepReach to create a mentoring environment for the lives of underprivileged high school students in the Los Angeles area while teaching California Psi SigEps about mentoring and serving others.
Louis Dezseran came from a very diverse background. He especially appreciated the hands-on mentoring and personal development aspects of the Balanced Man Program. After moving into the Epsilon Challenge, Louis decided the Fellow Challenge was his next logical step.
For his Fellow Challenge, Louis created and implemented Project PepReach at Hamilton High School in Los Angeles. Ten volunteers helped contribute to the program as the group met regularly with the students. They focused on mentoring and educating on the opportunities past high school.
According to Louis, “This program truly enriched the lives of everyone involved and opened their eyes to a whole new world.”
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Teach Computer Skills to Low-Income Seniors (2001)
Christopher M. Missick ’03
California Theta (California State University – Sacramento)
Helped low-income members of the Sacramento community gain the computer skills they need to be competitive in the job market.
Chris Missick and his mentor opened “The Learning Center” in a mall to make it accessible to the community. People who studied at “The Learning Center” used their newfound skills for everything from applying for jobs to finding long-lost relatives. The volunteers gained greater awareness of the Sacramento community, honed their own computing skills, and improved their ability to serve others.
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Teach Elementary School Reading (2001)
Craig J. Compagnone ’01
Kansas Eta (Wichita State University)
Developed the Gateway 2 Reading program for students at Buckner Elementary school, a program that pairs students with a volunteer after school to read and discuss stories.
The program was so effective at improving the reading skills of the students involved, and number of children signing up was so high, that the Buckner Elementary school hired a part-time faculty member to continue the program after Craig’s graduation.
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Coordinate Hands-On Service Learning for At-Risk Teens and Pre-Teens (2001)
James S. Lindsay ’01
Tennessee Epsilon (Tennessee Tech University)
Worked with the Housing Authority of Cookeville, Tennessee, to integrate the Housing Authority’s needs for graphic design and other projects with the service-learning work of fraternity men and sorority women on the Tennessee Tech University campus.
The group worked on projects that ranged from graphic design to helping out with fundraising. Lindsay painted 13 logos (with diameters ranging from 30-inches in to over 6-feet). His fraternity brothers and friends also made banners, painted furniture, and created mannequins for safety classes. In addition, he organized a fundraising dance.
“Brotherly love is not just for fraternity brothers,” Lindsay said. “It has to apply to the community and to the world. I wasn't sure about this service-learning when I began, but by my sophomore and junior years I found I'd become interested in doing service-learning because it takes your mind off yourself by doing something for someone else.”
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Teach English as a Second Language (2001)
Roger W. Smeltzer, Jr. ’01
Kansas Eta (Wichita State University)
Helped those who are learning English as a second language, while teaching themselves about how to communicate effectively with those from different cultures.
Roger and his mentor developed a class for members of the Wichita community for whom English was not their first language. Through guided activities and experiential learning, Roger and his team of volunteers, many of whom were SigEps, helped people who are new to the United States bridge the cultural barriers of language.
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