Campus Circles: University of Illinois

The University of Illinois fraternity and sorority community prides itself on being one of the largest Greek communities in the country. The members of the Panhellenic community at the university strive to keep that pride alive and continually keep campus life connected to with a very values-based culture. Throughout the year they sponsor “Panhellenic Pride Events,” these events are related to our values as sorority women. Through these events they have been able to build a strong and committed community; and one that is very supportive of the Circle of Sisterhood Foundation.

Last Fall, the Illinois Panhellenic Council and Sigma Delta Tau cosponsored a Panhellenic Pride Event. They hosted a film screening of the documentary “Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide”. They utilized social media and council meetings to publicize the event, which led to a great turn out! The highlight of this event was that they were honored to host our organization’s founder, Ginny Carroll, at their screening.

Throughout the semester, the Illinois Panhellenic promoted the Circle of Sisterhood Foundation during recruitment, utilizing the Foundation as a platform for stressing the importance of philanthropy and service as part of sorority life. Like many campuses, the University of Illinois Panhellenic Council has a registration fee for each potential new member participating in formal recruitment. This year, the Panhellenic allocated a portion of that fee to the Circle of Sisterhood Foundation.

The Panhellenic Council raised $6,000 for the Circle of Sisterhood during the fall semester. This money was the first check put towards the $40,000 goal in order to build a school in Senegal, Africa with buildOn! At their screening last Fall, the Panhellenic was able to present Ginny with their check and celebrate their success! Our fundraising goal was achieved in five short months and groundbreaking of the school is scheduled for July, 2013.