We are accepting nominations for the 2027 Gulf South Summit on Service-Learning and Community Engagement in Higher Education Awards. Please submit a nomination for one or more of the 2027 Gulf South Summit Award Categories below.
The deadline for award nominations is December 15, 2026. Self-nominations are permissible for all award categories.
Award recipients will receive a complimentary registration to the 2027 Gulf South Summit Conference, a commemorative plaque, and a $1,500.00 honorarium.
2027 Award Categories
Outstanding Faculty Contributions to Service-Learning in Higher Education – Instruction
Award Description
The Gulf-South Summit Award for Outstanding Faculty Contributions to Service-Learning in Higher Education – Instruction recognizes a faculty member who demonstrates excellence in integrating service-learning into college or university instruction. The recipient intentionally connects academic learning with meaningful community engagement, promotes student learning and civic responsibility, fosters reciprocal community partnerships, and demonstrates a sustained commitment to service-learning as an instructional approach.
Eligibility Requirement
Nominees must demonstrate a sustained commitment to service-learning by incorporating service-learning into their teaching for at least three academic terms.
Evaluation Criteria
- Excellence in Service-Learning Instruction: Demonstrates effective and intentional integration of service-learning pedagogy into course objectives, academic content, assignments, and learning activities.
- Student Learning and Development: Provides evidence that service-learning enhances student learning, critical thinking, application of academic knowledge, civic responsibility, and understanding of community needs.
- Community Partnership and Reciprocal Engagement: Demonstrates meaningful collaboration with community partners and/or service beneficiaries in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of service-learning experiences, with attention to mutual benefit.
- Sustained Commitment and Continuous Improvement: Demonstrates an ongoing commitment to service-learning across at least three academic terms, using reflection, assessment, feedback, or other evidence to strengthen instructional practices and community impact.
Outstanding Faculty Contributions to Service-Learning in Higher Education – Research
Award Description
The Gulf-South Summit Award for Outstanding Faculty Contributions to Service-Learning in Higher Education – Research recognizes a faculty member whose research advances service-learning and community engagement. This includes research on how service-learning shapes teaching and learning, and community-engaged research done in partnership with community members or organizations. The recipient produces scholarship that moves the field forward, involves others as collaborators, and helps colleagues and students grow as engaged scholars.
Eligibility Requirement
Nominees must hold a faculty appointment and have at least one scholarly product related to service-learning or community-engaged research published, presented, or released within the past five years.
Evaluation Criteria
- Significant Contribution to the Field: Has a body of research that advances knowledge or practice in service-learning or community engagement and has influenced others in the field. Examples include work that is widely cited, adopted by other programs or communities, or recognized through awards or invited talks.
- Recent Scholarly Activity: Has produced research related to service-learning or community engagement within the past five years. Examples include peer-reviewed articles, books or chapters, conference presentations, funded grants, or reports written for community partners.
- Collaboration in the Research Process: Involves community partners, students, or both in shaping the research, and shares findings in ways that benefit them. Examples include partners helping set research questions, students serving as co-researchers or co-authors, or findings returned to partners in a usable form.
- Support for Engaged Scholarship: Helps colleagues and students do research on service-learning or community engagement. Examples include mentoring, co-authoring with emerging scholars, leading workshops, or shaping tenure and promotion guidelines.
Outstanding Practitioner Contributions to Service-Learning in Higher Education
Award Description
The Gulf-South Summit Award for Outstanding Practitioner Contributions to Service-Learning in Higher Education recognizes a practitioner who demonstrates excellence in creating, implementing, and sustaining opportunities for engaging college and university students in service-learning. The recipient advances a culture of engagement within their institution, demonstrates leadership in the field of civic engagement, advances the principles of effective practice, and builds programs that grow and last over time.
Eligibility Requirement
Nominees must be a staff member or administrator with responsibility for the administration and/or coordination of service-learning activities.
Evaluation Criteria
- Culture of Engagement and Leadership: Advances a culture of engagement within their institution and demonstrates leadership in the field of civic engagement.
- Principles of Effective Practice: Advances the principles of effective practice in service-learning.
- Program Growth and Sustainability: Demonstrates program growth and sustainability over time.
- Impact on Students, Campus, and Community: Provides evidence of impacts on students, campus, and community.
Outstanding Student Contributions to Service-Learning in Higher Education
Award Description
The Gulf-South Summit Award for Outstanding Student Contributions to Service-Learning in Higher Education recognizes an undergraduate or graduate student who has demonstrated extraordinary public or community service efforts while attending an institution of higher education. The recipient makes a lasting difference in the community, grows through reflection on their service, furthers the mission of their institution, and brings innovative and sustained effort to a community issue.
Eligibility Requirement
Nominees must be a full-time or part-time undergraduate or graduate student at an institution of higher education.
Evaluation Criteria
- Community Impact: Provides evidence of the effects of their service-learning participation on the community.
- Student Growth and Reflection: Provides evidence, including the student’s own reflection, of the effects of service-learning participation on their academic learning, civic commitment, community awareness, and personal development.
- Alignment with Institutional Mission: Provides evidence of how service-learning efforts have furthered the mission of their institution.
- Innovation and Sustainability: Demonstrates innovative and sustained work to address an issue in the community.
Outstanding Community Partner Contributions to Service-Learning in Higher Education
Award Description
The Gulf-South Summit Award for Outstanding Community Partner Contributions to Service-Learning in Higher Education recognizes an individual who creates and sustains meaningful service-learning opportunities for college and university students. The recipient helps shape what students do and learn, supports their growth, gains real benefit for their organization and the people it serves, and keeps the partnership going over time.
Eligibility Requirement
Nominees must have worked with a college or university service-learning course or program for more than one year.
Evaluation Criteria
- Active Voice in Planning and Carrying Out Service-Learning: Works with faculty or staff to plan, carry out, and review service-learning experiences. Examples include helping design student projects, sharing community knowledge with students, or giving feedback that changed how the course or program works.
- Benefits to Students: Helps students learn and grow through the partnership. Examples include students building new skills, using what they learned in class in a real setting, or better understanding the needs of the community.
- Benefits to the Organization and Community: Shows how the partnership helped the organization and the people it serves. Examples include projects students completed, new resources or services, or more people reached.
- Sustained Partnership: Works to keep the partnership going over time. Examples include returning semester after semester, adjusting to changing needs, or growing the partnership to include new courses, students, or projects.
We hope you will nominate an outstanding colleague, community partner, or student for one of the awards.