To view upcoming events, click on “National Program” in the menu above and read a brief summary of each of our National Programs below.
Operation BigBookBag
Operation BigBookBag is a program designed to address the needs, challenges and issues that face school-aged children who are educationally at-risk, in local homeless shelters and extended-care hospitals and facilities. Through this program, chapters and members collect and donate educational materials, equipment and school supplies.
Women’s Wellness Initiative
The Women’s Wellness Initiative is a consolidated effort that allows chapters to focus on health issues that impact women; specifically, women of color. The Women’s Wellness Initiative was developed after the Sorority’s participation in the United Nations/March of Dimes Prematurity Awareness panel in New York. Acceptable educational and programmatic efforts under this Initiative include, but are not limited to Breast Cancer Awareness, Intimate and Domestic Violence, Heart Health, Diabetes Health, Mental Health and other issues that target women. WWI programs can be conducted at any time during the sorority year.
Swim 1922 In Partnership With USA Swimming
Swim 1922 was created to address the unfortunate truth that according to the CDC, approximately 10 people drown every day in the U.S.A. An even more startling fact is that 70 percent of African American children and 60 percent of Hispanic children in the U.S. do not know how to swim. Additionally, African American children are three times more likely to drown than Caucasian children. Through the partnership with USA Swimming, Sigma Gamma Rho’s Swim 1922 campaign aims to address this disparity by having. Olympians and members of the sorority teach the community about water safety and how to swim. With USA Swimming, Sigma Gamma Rho has touched close to 20,000 lives, directly, with the projection of changing multiple generations to come. Swim 1922 programs are conducted during May-August of the sorority year.
Project Cradle Care
Project CRADLE Care, an initiative by Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. in partnership with the March of Dimes, tackles disparities in maternal and infant health outcomes affecting Black women. The program focuses on raising awareness, providing education, and addressing implicit biases to improve health outcomes and reduce inequities. Black women face significant health challenges, including a twelvefold higher risk of pregnancy-related complications compared to their white counterparts, due to chronic stress, health conditions, and systemic racism. This project seeks to address these issues and support better health outcomes for Black women and their children.
Annual Youth Symposium
Held annually on the second Saturday of March during Sigma Week, the Youth Symposium is a nationwide event organized by Sigma Gamma Rho’s Alumnae Chapters, with support from undergraduate chapters and affiliates. Established by the late Dr. LaRona J. Morris, Past Grand Basileus, the symposium addresses critical issues affecting youth, such as drug abuse, teen violence, and low self-esteem. The event features interactive leadership activities and a standardized program to empower and engage young people, continuing Dr. Morris’s legacy of making a positive impact on youth in our communities.