Tim Cavell, professor in the Department of Psychological Science, has been selected to receive the third annual Outstanding Contributions to Service Learning Teaching Award at the University of Arkansas. This award is given to recognize his contribution in enriching both course content and the community through the application of service-learning pedagogy.

"Dr. Cavell exemplifies excellence in service learning.  His program serves both the needs of university students and the community. We are very pleased to count him among the best of the best in service learning," said Jennie Popp, the co-chair of Service Learning Initiative. His lunch-buddy mentoring, which was designated as service learning course three years ago, has also been appreciated by the Springdale Schools who see value in the experience for their students.

Cavell studies intervention strategies for children at risk, and the work he has done in the Springdale Schools since 2004 focuses on Lunch Buddy mentoring for children who are chronically bullied by peers. Students enrolled in this mentoring program (PSYC 207V: Laboratory Experience course) are trained to promote for their mentees positive interactions with lunchtime peers, a positive social reputation, and a positive group identity among lunchtime peers. They must consistently meet their mentees twice weekly for 30 minutes or full duration of lunchtime each mentoring session. Based on a number of open trials he conducted with his team, he found a consistent evidence indicating that children paired with a Lunch Buddy mentor experience significant reductions in peer victimization.

"I have been fortunate to have a strong working alliance with Springdale Schools, and UA students have mentored in 13 different elementary schools in the district," he said.

During the award ceremony on Monday, Feb. 12, Steven J. Beaupre, associate dean of the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, thanked and congratulated Cavell for his fantastic lunch-buddy program. Beaupre was amazed with the multiple levels at which this mentoring contributes, not only to the community by helping the kids in need but also to the university and the students who are involved. Quoting from Dalai Lama's Happiness about contribution to others as a way to create a long-term happiness in one's life, he believes that by contributing to this mentoring program, the students will walk away with profound positive impact that would affect their well-being, long-term success, and happiness throughout their lives.

The Service Learning Initiative is a joint initiative of the University of Arkansas Provost Office and the Honors College with the purpose of formalizing and expanding service learning opportunities on campus. Since 2014, when the Initiative was launched, more than 150 courses have been designated as service learning. Each semester, faculty and course instructors are encouraged to apply for service learning course designation. Click here to read more on the procedure.