Learn and Serve Award

The College of Arts and Sciences “Learn and Serve” faculty awards are $1000 grants that will be given to 1-2 faculty members who are teaching and/or developing service-learning as an important and integral dimension of an undergraduate CAS course. To be eligible, the applicant must be a full-time faculty member, which includes instructors, in the College of Arts and Sciences who teaches an undergraduate course that includes a palpable and innovative service-learning component. These courses can be 4000/6000. The objectives of the Learn and Serve Award are:

Create & expand organized service-learning projects that increase social responsibility and commitment to the community
Promote faculty development in service-learning programming
Support service-learning projects that demonstrably support the resolution of local community issues
Improve student engagement in academic coursework and foster the lifelong civic engagement of students

If awarded, the recipient(s) must agree to use at least $300 of the grant to directly support “service-learning” projects which are not related to individual student research, independent study or capstone projects. The remaining funds may be used to further the faculty member’s personal teaching or research interests, e.g., travel, books, supplies, but may not be used for salary. Application packets should include:

Proposal
Draft Syllabus
Current CV

All materials should be sent electronically to Sharon Harber at sharber@memphis.edu. Within three (3) months after the end of the Learn and Serve project, the awardee must submit a report and photos to sharber@memphis.edu describing the accomplishments and benefits of the project and use of the grant. Applicants must provide a well-designed service-learning plan that will be evaluated on the following elements:

Abstract – A brief summary of the proposed service-learning project. Identify the number of anticipated student participants, the project’s major goals, primary activities, and anticipated outcomes.
Project Plan – A brief explanation of the rationale and approach of the service-learning project. Describe the general program activities that students will complete, and the training and monitoring activities that will be enacted to ensure they are well prepared, supported, and held accountable. How will the students be evaluated? Address efforts to be made toward sustaining service-learning beyond one semester. Please attach a draft syllabus.
Student Participant Development – Since the purpose of this grant is to engage more college students in service-learning in order to increase academic content knowledge while building an ethic of civic responsibility, describe how the project will help to achieve these objectives. What are the opportunities for student leadership and involvement?
Community Needs and Participation – Explain the community need that the project will address. The application should clearly indicate how this need was/will be identified. The Learn and Serve competition emphasizes the role of higher education in serving the human, educational, environmental, or public safety needs of the local community through service-learning. Describe how the proposed program will strengthen the community.
Names of any community partners that will be involve in the project should be included; and briefly describe their activities and roles both in identifying the need being addressed and in shaping the design of the project. What is the plan to collaborate with the potential community partners during the semester when the course is offered? What opportunities exist for community members and students to work together?
Use of Funds – Summarily outline how the funds will be used, that is, provide a short budget narrative; but also a summary list of the relevant budget categories with estimated amounts.
Departmental Approval – Departmental chairs/directors will be asked to submit their approval of the course.

Be sure and visit the College of Arts and Sciences Accolades Website for other award information.