Campus Compact is pleased to announce that Johns Hopkins University SOURCE Service-Learning Academy (Johns Hopkins University), Visionary Student Panel (Mercer University), Dayton Civic Scholars (University of Dayton), and the Center for Community Engaged Learning, Community-Engaged Learning Index (Michigan State University) have been awarded Campus Compact's new Excellence in Civic & Community Engagement Programming Award. The award recognizes the many forms that effective on-campus civic and community engagement can take to address areas of need and make deep and long-lasting positive change.
Whether it be through signature events, outreach or awareness campaigns, curricula or workshops, storytelling, or fellowship programs, the programs recognized for this award demonstrate a breadth and depth of impact in critical areas—such as civic learning, democratic engagement, leadership and faculty development, assessment, or dialogue, deliberation, and bridge-building.
“We are proud to recognize this group of exemplary programs as the inaugural recipients of the Campus Compact Excellence in Civic & Community Engagement Programming Awards,” said Campus Compact President Bobbie Laur. “Each of the programs honored with this award demonstrates a unique, highly impactful, and innovative approach to campus civic engagement work, and illustrates the multifaceted power of higher education in enacting long-lasting positive change.”
Johns Hopkins University SOURCE Service-Learning Academy (Johns Hopkins University)
Team members: Mindi Levin, founder and director of JHU SOURCE at Johns Hopkins University, Tyler Derreth, associate director of JHU SOURCE at Johns Hopkins University, Kelly Bower, associate professor in the Johns Hopkins University school of nursing, Haneefa Saleem, associate professor in the department of international health at Johns Hopkins University, Nicole Warren, associate professor in the Johns Hopkins University school of nursing, and Jayson Green, executive director, New Song Community Learning Center
The Johns Hopkins University (JHU) SOURCE Service-Learning Academy (SLA), launched in 2012, is a year-long, comprehensive, cohort-based program that trains health professional faculty and community leaders together in critical service-learning pedagogy, equipping them with the necessary tools and methods to develop transformational partnerships and courses. The program was developed in response to increased demand from students to integrate real-world applications into their curricula, identified needs for faculty training, and requests from community partners to collaborate on projects that directly address social determinants of health. Now in its 13th year, the SLA has become an institutional cornerstone and has expanded to include faculty from beyond JHU over the past four years. Each year, a competitively selected cohort of faculty and community leaders (SLA fellows) start the program with a 2.5-day seminar, where they develop relationships and learn the basics of critical service-learning. Following the seminar, fellows participate in monthly seminars and 1-on-1 advising with the SLA leadership team. Prior cohorts are invited to participate in monthly seminars, where they share lessons learned, engage in reflection, and grow the network of service-learning champions. Fellows have access to additional resources, including the SLA manual, a Teams site with readings, recordings, and helpful tools, and the ability to tap into our expansive and supportive network. Rooted in a social justice lens, fellows model key practices with each other and then implement strategies with their learners – promoting critical thinking, diversity and inclusion, centering community-voices, and improving competencies related to health equity.
"The Service-Learning Academy (the Academy) stands alone in its scope, sustainability, and scale as a community engagement development program for faculty and community leaders in the health professions," said Vanya C. Jones, Phd., MPH, associate professor and assistant dean for Community Engaged Research at Johns Hopkins University in a letter nominating the program for the award. "The Academy stands out as an exemplar of how universities can institutionalize effect and justice-oriented community engagement that builds longterm relationships. This is a program well-deserving of recognition for its ongoing impact to our university, our city, and the field of civic and community engagement."
Visionary Student Panel (Mercer University)
Team members: Mercer University’s Center for Engaged Learning, including Lauren Schinholster, associate director of engaged learning
Mercer University’s Visionary Student Panel (VSP) program prepares undergraduate students for lifelong learning through equity-centered community engagement. Since 2015, VSP participants have been challenged to consider how they will use their skills and talents to address a real-world problem at the local or regional level. Mercer’s Center for Engaged Learning supports VSP participants through intentional coaching, a public pitch showcase, and mini-grant funding. As a result of the program, VSP participants are empowered and equipped to move their ideas from discovery to implementation. Since its founding, more than 100 Mercerians have participated in the VSP program and approximately $25,000 has been allocated to support the implementation of VSP projects.
"Visionary Student Panel empowers undergraduate students to take ideas for community engagement from initial planning to public pitch to implementation," said Dr. Scott Davis, provost of Mercer University in a letter supporting the program’s nomination. "Since its rollout in 2015, Visionary Student Panel has generated real change for our students and our communities. We at Mercer are proud to support this high-impact, meaningful co-curricular programming."
Dayton Civic Scholars (University of Dayton)
Team members: Samantha Kennedy, director of Dayton Civic Scholars at the University of Dayton, Jaylyn Murray, graduate assistant, Dayton Civic Scholars at the University of Dayton, Jakob Burdick, student employee, Dayton Civic Scholars at the University of Dayton, and Joy Kadowaki, associate professor of sociology and law at the University of Dayton
The Dayton Civic Scholars program (DCS) is a co-curricular scholarship program administered through the Fitz Center for Leadership in Community at the University of Dayton. The DCS program strives to shape students into civic leaders through a rigorous academic track, sustained civic engagement, and several professional development opportunities. Fifteen students are selected at the end of their first year to become a cohort that will embark on a three-year commitment together. Each year, the program enables up to 45 students (15 per cohort) to engage in high-impact experiences with the community and prepares them for meaningful civic leadership roles.
"DCS builds habits and traits of civic engagement in students over the course of three years." said Dr. Nancy McHugh, executive director of the Fitz Center for Leadership in Community at the University of Dayton in a letter supporting the program’s nomination. "This deeply intensive work builds civic leadership. This is evidenced by the number of DCS alumni that go into public service. Dayton Civic Scholars is an incredibly impactful program with a long legacy and an exciting future."
Center for Community Engaged Learning, Community-Engaged Learning Index (Michigan State University)
Team members: Renee Brown, executive director of the Center for Community-Engaged Learning at Michigan State University, Michelle Snitgen, assistant director of the Center for Community-Engaged Learning at Michigan State University, Stephanie Brewer, assistant director of the Center for Community-Engaged Learning at Michigan State University, and Sam Rothwell, program coordinator at the Center for Community-Engaged Learning at Michigan State University
The Michigan State University (MSU) Community Engaged Learning (CEL) Index, developed by the Center for Community Engaged Learning (CCEL), is a powerful tool that not only tracks and evaluates CEL activities across campus but also amplifies their positive impact. Created to meet the university’s need for data on within and beyond the classroom CEL activities, the Index’s primary goal is to highlight and maximize the value of community-engaged learning efforts by MSU students, faculty, staff, and community partners, aligning with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and underscoring the social contributions of the MSU community. The data, published annually, highlights the importance and outcomes of CEL initiatives, creating a robust narrative of MSU's dedication to social responsibility and civic engagement and serving as a key resource for promoting long-term partnerships and accountability in community engagement.
"Since its inception, the Index has been an essential resource for assessing and tracking community-engaged learning efforts at MSU, celebrating the contributions of the university's students, faculty, and community partners in alignment with community engagement goals," said nominator Dr. Kwesi Brookins, vice provost of University Outreach and Engagement at Michigan State University. "Under the guidance of the Center for Community Engaged Learning, the Index has become a sustainable and institutionalized resource that continues to adapt to the evolving needs of both the university and the community."
The Excellence in Civic & Community Engagement Programming Award is presented as part of Campus Compact's Impact Awards, which recognize shining examples of meaningful, impactful civic and community engagement work. Read more about the other awards and this year's recipients here.
The recipients of these awards will be recognized at Compact25, Campus Compact’s annual conference, which will be held in Atlanta, Georgia from March 31st - April 2nd, 2025.