Sigma Lambda Beta

  Royal Purple
  Pure WhiteFlowerRed CarnationMascotWhite Stallion MustangPublicationEl IluminadorPhilanthropyVictor Correa CPR Awareness DayChapters141 Established Undergraduate chapters,
9 Associate chapters,
36 Alumni NetworksNicknameBetas, Lambda Betas, SLBPrinciplesBrotherhood
Scholarship
Community Service
Cultural AwarenessHeadquarters7 Hawkeye Dr.
Suite 103-104
North Liberty, IA 52317
USAWebsitewww.sigmalambdabeta.com

Sigma Lambda Beta International Fraternity, Incorporated (ΣΛΒ) (known as Betas, Lambda Betas or SLB) is a historically Latino-based fraternity founded in 1986 at the University of Iowa, in Iowa City, Iowa.

History

In 1985 Baltazar Mendoza-Madrigal identified a need for a Latino-based fraternity at the University of Iowa and began exploring the idea. A meeting was held in March 1986 to discuss the feasibility of creating such a fraternity. Sigma Lambda Beta was founded by Mendoza-Madrigal and seventeen others on April 4, 1986.^[1]

After 30 years, Sigma Lambda Beta's membership diversified beyond Hispanic-Latino origins. The organization eventually withdrew from the National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations (NALFO) due to its increasingly multicultural membership and the growing regulatory nature, particularly regarding membership criteria.^[2]

Chapters

Sigma Lambda Beta has expanded to over 120 universities across 30 U.S. states.

Philanthropy

National Philanthropy: Víctor Correa CPR Awareness Day

The Victor Correa CPR Awareness Day was created in honor of Victor "Ziggy" Correa Ortiz, a Sigma Lambda Beta brother who died during a drowning accident where none of the bystanders knew how to administer CPR. The fraternity encourages its members to host CPR training and awareness events.

National events

BetaCon

Betacon is a biennial convention held by Sigma Lambda Beta. Past locations for the conference:

• 1992 - Bloomington, IN
• 1994 - Schaumburg, IL
• 1996 - Schaumburg, IL
• 1998 - Schaumburg, IL
• 2000 - Schaumburg, IL
• 2002 - Washington D.C.
• 2004 - Orlando, FL
• 2006 - Henderson, NV
• 2008 - Dearborn, MI
• 2010 - San Antonio, TX
• 2012 - Tampa Bay, FL
• 2014 - St. Louis, MO
• 2016 - Dallas, TX
• 2018 - Denver, CO
• 2020 - Virtual
• 2022 - Reno, NV

Leadership Institute

Held every other year (alternating with BetaCon), Leadership Institute is a 3-day leadership conference where collegiate brothers are guided through a tailored curriculum with the objective to enhance their leadership and organizational skills to better meet the mission of the fraternity.

Education Foundation

In 2001 brothers of the fraternity formed the Sigma Lambda Beta International Fraternity, Inc.’s Educational Foundation as a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization. The money raised by the Sigma Lambda Beta Education Foundation is used mainly for the purpose of funding educational and leadership development programs for Sigma Lambda Beta International Fraternity, Inc., as well as for scholarships that are made available to undergraduate and graduate student members.^[3]

See also

• List of social fraternities and sororities

References

External links

• Sigma Lambda Beta National Website
• Sigma Lambda Beta Educational Foundation