UNC Chapel Hill: APPLES Service-Learning Program: For Students

The APPLES Service-Learning program at UNC Chapel Hill is a student-led and student-initiated program. The program was created by a group of students who decided that they wanted to make a greater connection between community needs and their education at Carolina. This year, APPLES celebrated its fifteenth anniversary by showcasing the amazing work of its founders, its current programs, and the students who organize them. The event was held in the Great Hall of the Student Union on Tuesday, April 18, 2006 from 4:00pm-7:00pm.

Similar to any large program on any college campus, there were last minute details which needed a strong student and staff push to complete. After blowing up dozens of balloons, setting up table after table and putting together displays and catering, the whole community of staff and students were really able to sit back and feel the impact of this program. There was a panel of APPLES alumni and even many of the original founders who were able to attend the event. Alumni shared their stories of how a small idea evolved into a program with such a strong impact upon its students. Their ideas and passion have taken shape in the interest and motivations of thousands of students who have come after them and have agreed to take on the adventure of service-learning at Carolina. Staff and faculty alike who were able to work with them early on, even during a time of resistance, were also present to share their accounts of how it all came together.

There was a mutual admiration between current APPLES organizers, faculty, and staff and those who had come before them. It was an incredible sight. Past APPLES alumni and friends were impressed with the steady growth and management of such a multi-faceted service-learning program, while current APPLES organizers, faculty and staff were in awe of the vision and determination of the alumni who were their predecessors. There was also a calm yet inspiring undertone of “This is it. This is what it is all about. APPLES has got something here and it really works well.” People came together and relived old times and were able to reconnect to a program in which they had given so much of themselves to while they were here at Carolina.

One of the most rewarding moments during this event was being able to look around the room and see students presenting to interested audiences about the work that they had completed. They spoke to the time and effort they put into a program’s success and displayed ownership they felt towards its sustainability. As they exuded pride over their accomplishments and revealed their challenges, one could also feel pride and a sense of honor for having been with them on that journey. Being able to see where the program started and how well it still continues to grow truly demonstrates the passion and drive of the students who choose to support it. The showcase provided an opportunity to be witness to their success and the continued success of the APPLES program.