Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts began in 1912 as Settlement School and brought education, economic development and health care to rural Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Pi Phi's were instrumental in promoting the academic and industrial enrichment of area children, and the Jennie Nicol Health Center was a model for other mountain health facilities until 1965.

In conjunction with the University of Tennessee, Settlement School began giving summer craft workshops that were highly successful. These workshops developed into a year-round program of arts education. Today Arrowmont is an internationally known visual arts complex, boasting a renowned faculty and international student body.

Programs
Courses offered at Arrowmont include beginning, intermediate and advanced ceramics, fiber, fabric, metal, enamel, wood, polymer clay, stone sculpture, painting, drawing, photography, paper and book arts. One-week adult classes in March and one- to two-week summer classes are available.

Elderhostel Workshops, national and regional conferences and night classes for community residents enrich the lives of many adults in addition to regular classes. Children benefit from special workshops to augment public school art programs.

Special assistantships and Artists-In-Residence opportunities are offered for talented artists wanting to enrich their skills under world renowned professionals.

Pi Beta Phi officers use the facilities for meetings and workshops, and many alumnae take advantage of Pi Phi Arts Weekend in the spring.

The Pi Beta Phi Foundation offers scholarships to attend Arrowmont spring and summer courses to both members and non-members.

Pi Phi's Canadian philanthropy provides support for the many branches of the library systems in Whitehorse, Yukon, and Yellowknife, Northwest Territories.

At the 1967 Convention, the Canadian delegates voted unanimously to adopt the Northern Libraries Project to commemorate the dual centennial of Canada and of the Fraternity. The name "Arrow in the Arctic" was officially adopted in 1969.

While the Canadian government supplies an adequate budget for the purchase of basic books, there is little available for extras. Philanthropy funds are used to purchase "talking" books and videos in English and Inuit, the native language of the Northwest Territories. Reference books, tapes and other audiovisual equipment have also provided for educational programming. Items purchased by the Arrow in the Arctic funds are often circulated among branch and community libraries.

Pi Beta Phi Fraternity has been committed to education and literacy since the founding of the Settlement School in 1910. In 1990, Links to Literacy was established to provide a service opportunity to the Fraternity's philanthropy emphasis.

Our Ali Kemp philanthropy is something that is close to the hearts of many of our Pi Phi sisters.  Ali Kemp was a friend among many of our members.  She was from Leawood Kansas, and passed away June 18, 2002.  Her brother is a Sigma Phi Epsilon here at the University of Kansas.  Therefore each year we have an auction and cook out with the men of Sigma Phi Epsilon.  Money is raised and donated to the Ali Kemp foundation, which entails self defense classes for females all over the country.  All of our Pi Phi members as well as other local females participate each year in a self defense class provided by the Ali Kemp Foundation.  To find out more about Ali and the Foundation go to www.ali-forever.com. To find out more about our Ali Kemp philanthropy or to participate in next years event feel free to contact: Courtney Brax at cbrax@ku.edu

Run Walk and Roll is one of our other local philanthropies here at the Pi Beta Phi Kansas Alpha Chapter.  It is a run/walk that we put together each spring with the members of Phi Gamma Deltas at KU. We hosted our 12^th annual Run Walk and Roll this past year.  It is in commemoration of Emily Nelson and Scott McWhorter whom were a Pi Phi and Fiji.  Both tragically died during their time at the University Kansas.  The run/walk is approximately five kilometers, with prizes awarded to the top finishers of both the women and men’s division.  All proceeds from the even benefit ARC (Association of Retarded Citizens) of Dallas, and Natural Ties, an organzition that works with the mentally and physically handicapped individuals here in Lawrence. To find out more information about our Run Walk and Roll philanthropy or to become involved contact our VP of Philanthropy Courtney Brax at cbrax@ku.edu

Lamda Chi Watermelon Fest

Kappa Alpha Theta Sun Run

Kappa Delta Twister Tournament

Kappa Sigma Auction

Delta Gamma Anchor Splash

Sigma Chi Derby Days

Phi Delta Theta Basketball Tournament

Kappa Kappa Gamma Kickoff

The Kansas Alpha Chapter of Pi Beta Phi sorority at the University of Kansas held our first annual Ovarian Cancer Awareness Week May 7-11, 2007. Joy Noyce, a former Pi Phi and mother to a current chapter member, sadly passed away after a two year battle with ovarian cancer. To honor Joy's memory and raise awareness for ovarian cancer, we held many fundraising activities and were able to raise $3,200 for the National Ovarian Cancer Alliance.

Among several fundraising activities, we sold t-shirts that read ‘Jayhawk Joy’ in memory of Joy and sold Mother’s Day cards. Throughout the week, all Pi Phis wore 'Pi Phi Joy' teal t-shirts. The cards left a place for a personal message and said, "In your honor on Mother's Day, a donation has been made to the Ovarian Cancer Alliance in your name".  We also passed out ovarian cancer symptom cards and awareness cards to as many students and faculty as possible and turned our campus teal with banners, chalk and ribbons.

As a culminating event and celebration of the week’s accomplishments and Joy’s life, we held an afternoon tea at our sorority house. Many family members and friends of Joy gathered to share memories. We also named the first recipient for the Joy Connely Noyce Scholarship. Overall the Awareness Week was a great success and Pi Phi looks forward to continuing the tradition.