The University of Arkansas Service Learning Initiative is pleased to announce two opportunities for service learning instructors: Course Development Grants and the Outstanding Contributions to Service Learning Faculty Award. 

Service Learning Course Development Grants are designed to help faculty create new service learning courses or integrate service learning into existing University of Arkansas courses. Grants will be awarded to the lead instructors of specific courses that are designated as service learning or that are being developed with the intention of receiving the service learning designation. Teams, including the lead instructor and co-applicants who are assisting with the course (e.g., graduate teaching assistants and staff), are also eligible for these grants.

The goal of the development grants is to help increase the number and improve the quality of undergraduate and graduate service learning courses at the University of Arkansas by providing financial resources for planning and development of service learning activities and to promote the diffusion of academic ideas related to service learning. These competitive funds should ultimately improve the quality of service learning at the university.  Grants for general course development and travel are available. Deadlines to apply for the grants are March 18 (round one – up to $5,000 total awarded) and April 18 (round two – remaining amount of the total $10,000 grant program).

This year the Initiative will recognize an instructor who has made outstanding contributions to students and the community through service learning. This instructor will have used innovation and originality in developing, implementing and/or sustaining a service learning course, sustained a commitment to service learning, and demonstrated significant contributions to the community and classroom. All full-time faculty in any career path who meet the guidelines is eligible for the award. Award nomination packets are due at 4:30 p.m. April 4.

Development Grant applications and Faculty Award nomination forms can be found on the Service Learning website under the Faculty Resources tab. Questions should be sent to Jennie Popp, co-chair of the Service Learning Initiative.