THE BERNARD O. BROWN SERVICE-LEARNING AWARD

This award was established in 1995 to provide students in the College with the financial means to pursue a service-learning project that otherwise would not have been possible for them. A service-learning project for the purposes of the Brown Award is an in-depth summer project, whereby the student provides a direct service to a community while also exploring his or her vocational formation through the project. The project need not be completely volunteer -- that is, the Brown award may be given to a student whose work already receives a small stipend. Additionally, the project need not be entirely of the student’s devising; recipients certainly may be participants in a structured, repeated internship or similar position. The award is a lump sum of $2,000.00, which the student may apply to his or her project in whatever way seems most appropriate. Travel expenses are not necessarily covered by the award, yet the recipient may decide to spend the award on just that kind of expense. Returning students are given particular consideration, as the award was established in hopes that the recipients would create fora on campus during the next fall quarter in order to share their experiences and perpetuate the service learning component. The selection committee is comprised of one representative each from the office of the Dean of the College, the office of the Dean of the Chapel, the University Community Service Center, and Career and Placement Services. The application deadline is February 20, 2009.

Applicants are asked to address each of the following questions:

1. Please describe the project you would like to do, giving special emphasis to its service-learning aspect.

2. Is this a project that is already established (such as an internship) or are you creating the opportunity for yourself? Please describe in full any organizations, institutes, etc., with whom you would be working.

3. What are your goals for the project itself -- what do you hope to accomplish?

4. What are your goals for yourself in pursuing this project -- how does it fit in with your own vocational formation?

5. How will you share the experience with other students when you return to the University in the fall?

Please also provide a c.v. plus names and telephone numbers for three reference persons along with your responses to the above questions. Materials may be submitted to the Dean of Rockefeller Chapel, Elizabeth Davenport, via e-mail to ejld@uchicago.edu.