The CSCC Outstanding Community Service Award recognizes and celebrates a faculty-student team that has demonstrated exceptional dedication to ethical community service, creating a positive and sustainable impact on the local community. This prestigious award honors projects that exemplify the spirit of service-learning, combining academic knowledge with real-world applications to address community needs in contemporary China. The faculty-student team receives USD 500 and a certificate attesting to this award.

Eligibility:

• All faculty-student teams currently engaged in community service projects are eligible for nomination.
• No individual may receive the award more than once within two years.

Nomination Process:

• Nominations can be made by students, faculty members, community partners, or university staff members who have directly observed or participated in the nominated project.
• The nominator must submit a formal letter of nomination endorsing the faculty-student team for the award, highlighting the reasons for the nomination, the impact of the community service project, and its alignment with the award criteria.
• The nomination letter should be submitted as a PDF, addressed to the CSCC Award Committee, and emailed to Ms. Chi Zhang, the program coordinator of the CSCC.
• All nominees will be contacted and asked to submit supporting materials including a detailed description of the community service project, including its objectives, methods, outcomes, and the positive impact it has had on the local community, testimonials from community members, partners, or beneficiaries, affirming the value and effectiveness of the project, a reflection statement from the faculty-student team, discussing their experiences, challenges faced, and lessons learned during the service project.
• Self-nominations from faculty-student teams are also accepted. Self-nominations should include a letter motivating the nomination as well as supporting materials. 

Important Dates for AY 24/25:

Nomination Letter Submission Deadline: April 18, 2025
Submission of supporting materials: April 21, 2025
Notification of Recipient: The recipient will be announced by the end of the academic year.

Criteria for Selection:

The recipient is selected by the CSCC Award Committee consisting of faculty representatives from the research clusters and faculty members from Duke University. The recipient of the CSCC Outstanding Community Service Award will be selected based on the following five criteria:

1. Community Impact: The extent to which the faculty-student team’s service project has positively influenced the local community, addressing specific needs and enhancing the well-being of community members.
2. Integration of Academic Knowledge: The project’s ability to effectively integrate academic knowledge, theories, and research with practical applications, creating meaningful and sustainable solutions for the community.
3. Ethical Engagement: Evaluation of the team’s commitment to ethical practices, ensuring that the project respects the community’s values, culture, and social norms.
4. Collaboration and Empowerment: Recognition of the team’s collaborative efforts with community stakeholders, empowering them to be active participants in the project and fostering a sense of ownership and sustainable impact.
5. Reflection and Learning: Demonstrated efforts by the faculty-student team to engage in ongoing reflection and learning, assessing the project’s successes, challenges, and opportunities for improvement.

The CSCC Outstanding Community Service Award celebrates the transformative power of ethical community service and service-learning projects that exemplify the core values of the university. By recognizing outstanding faculty-student teams, we seek to inspire and promote a culture of responsible citizenship and community engagement in the field of contemporary China studies.