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Five-Point Programmatic Thrust

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Since its founding in 1913 Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. has clearly distinguished itself as a public service organization that boldly confronts the challenges of African Americans and, hence, all Americans. Over the years, a wide range of programs addressing education, health, international development, and strengthening of the African American family have evolved. In realizing its mission, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. provides an extensive array of public service initiatives through its Five-Point Program Thrust of Economic Development, Educational Development, International Awareness and Involvement, Physical and Mental Health, and Political Awareness and Involvement.

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Since its inception, Collier County Alumnae Chapter has been serving the Collier County community through the five-point programmatic thrust.

Economic Development

National economic trends, such as unstable employment, the threat to Social Security as we know it, and the widening gap between wealth and poverty are the basis for the development of Financial Fortitude, the current Economic Development program initiative of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. Financial Fortitude is a process that will help program participants to set and define goals, develop a plan to achieve them, and to put the plan into action. The process serves as a blueprint to address all aspects of personal finances.

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The Financial Fortitude initiative is comprised of ten components and provides a collaboration of information from major economic corporations and other well-known financial institutions. The ten components include: Goal Setting, Financial Planning, Budgeting, Debt Management, Savings & Investments, Retirement Planning, Homeownership, Insurance, Estate Planning, and Entrepreneurship.

The initiative helps members of the Sorority spread financial education throughout their local communities.

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Local Chapter Initiatives

Collier County Alumnae Chapter (CCAC) has offered and conducted the following seminars and workshops for the community:

  • First Time Home Buyers (Entrepreneurship)

  • Choosing and Registering Your Business Name Using Sunbiz (Florida Divisions of Corporations)

  • Creating a Business Plan

  • Articles of Incorporation and Filing Annual Report

  • Fictitious Business Name

  • Types of Business Entities (Corporation, Limited Liability Company, Partnership, Sole Proprietorship)

  • Non-Profits

  • Financial Planning, Budgeting, Debt Management, Savings, Credit and Credit Repair

  • Banking and Investing

  • Financial Planning Series for Young Adults

Educational Development

Dr. Betty Shabazz Delta Academy

Catching the Dreams of Tomorrow, Preparing Young Women For the 21st Century!

The Dr. Betty Shabazz Delta Academy was created out of an urgent sense that bold action was needed to save our young females (ages 11-14) from the perils of academic failure, low self-esteem, and crippled futures. Delta Academy provides an opportunity to enrich and enhance the education that our young teens receive in public schools across the nation. A primary goal of Delta Academy is to prepare girls for full participation as leaders in the 21st Century.

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Delta GEMS (Growing and Empowering Myself Successfully)

A natural outgrowth and expansion for the continuation of the highly successful Dr. Betty Shabaaz Delta Academy: Catching the Dreams of Tomorrow, Delta Gems was created to catch the dreams of African American at-risk, adolescent girls aged 14-18. Delta GEMS provides the framework to actualize those dreams through the performance of specific tasks that develop a “CAN DO” attitude.

 

The goals for Delta GEMS are:

  • To instill the need to excel academically;

  • To provide tools that enable girls to sharpen and enhance their skills to achieve high levels of academic success;

  • To assist girls in proper goal setting and planning for their futures high school and beyond;

  • To create compassionate, caring, and community minded young women by actively involving them in service learning and community service opportunities.


The Delta GEMS program offers a road map for college and career planning through activities that provide opportunities for self-reflection and individual growth. Delta GEMS, like Delta Academy, is implemented by chapters of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

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EMBODI (Empowering Males to Build Opportunities for Developing Independence)

The EMBODI program is designed to uplift African-American males by addressing issues facing African American males. EMBODI addresses issues related to STEM education, culture, self-efficacy, leadership, physical and mental health, healthy lifestyles choices, character, ethics, relationships, college readiness, fiscal management, civic engagement and service learning.

Local Chapter Initiatives

  • Career Conversations - CCAC conducts an annual one-day workshop designed to introduce students of color to professionals of color, providing a springboard for youth to make good career choices. Over fifty minority professionals participate from various fields, including the arts, business and entrepreneurship, education, engineering, fashion and beauty, finance/banking, human resources, interior decorating, law, medicine and pharmaceutical, military, public relations, real estate, retail, religion, etc. Students are given an opportunity to converse with professionals in small groups about their careers. Students are encouraged to visit at least three professions of their choice.

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  • Dream Catchers - Dream Catchers is a mentoring and leadership program for middle school students held during the school year and facilitated by CCAC members. The program is held one day a week after school, in ten-week sessions. Students engage in interactive activities that focus on specific topics from Delta's youth program curriculums for Delta Academy, Delta GEMS and EMBODI. The topics include character development, social and emotional awareness, leadership development, academic development, pros and cons of social media, problem solving and goal setting, workforce and entrepreneurial pathway and decision making.

International Awareness and Involvement

Under this programmatic thrust, CCAC coordinates initiatives to promote cultural awareness and provide financial support for supplies and operations to international organizations we support.

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Local Chapter Initiatives

  • Increase knowledge related to HIV/AIDS (Worlds AIDS Day)

  • Financial support for Worlds AIDS Day

  • Assemble birthing kits for Hope for Haiti

  • Participate and support Hope for Haiti's Virtual Hike for Haiti

  • Financial support to Haiti clean water crisis

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Physical and Mental Health

As an organization of predominantly African American women, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. is uniquely positioned to impact not only the well-being of its membership, but also the well-being of families and communities we serve. The DeltaCare initiative is an internal wellness initiative under the programmatic thrust of Physical and Mental Health. It was created to promote self-care through physical wellness, emotional wellness, and awareness/advocacy. Specifically, the Red S.H.O.E. challenge is the physical health component of DeltaCare that encourages members to engage in healthy behaviors. S.H.O.E. is an acronym for Self-care, Healthy Options, and Exercise.

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Local Chapter Initiatives

  • Delta Self-care Initiative

  • Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk

  • American Heart Walk

  • Financial Support to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

  • Mental Health Workshop

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Political Awareness and Involvement and Social Action

Delta Sigma Theta has been committed to service through social action since our founding in 1913. Our 22 Founders participated in the Suffrage March of 1913, just two months after establishing the Sorority, and our members have been at the forefront of social and political struggles ever since.

 

Under the direction of the National Social Action Commission, Delta Sigma Theta mobilizes our members, chapters, and national leaders to advocate for the Sorority’s predetermined positions and objectives. The National Social Action Commission was officially established in 1963 to provide information and direction to the membership on current civil rights issues. It traces its roots back to the Vigilance Committee, which was created to strengthen and unify the social action efforts of the Sorority. As a result of these efforts, Delta Sigma Theta has become an integral part of the movement to secure equal political, educational, and economic rights for all Black people.

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Chapters and members are engaged in a variety of social action activities focused on enacting laws and polices to sustain and expand the rights and privileges of citizenship to all people and to protect the most vulnerable amongst us. These activities include:

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  • Active engagement in the legislative, executive, judicial and regulatory affairs of the nation

  • Promoting enlightened citizenship by providing fact-based information to elected officials and voters

  • Research and advocacy of critical issues

  • Monitoring legislation at national, state, and local levels

  • Voter registration, education, and mobilization

  • Educating the public on public policy issues

  • Encourage Deltas to run for elected office

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