Annual Awards
Service-Learning Award | Community Partner Excellence Award Teaching Excellence Award | Undergraduate Excellence Award
APPLES provides annual awards to faculty, community partners, students,
alumni and supporters who have made outstanding and significant
contributions to service-learning at UNC.
APPLES Service-Learning Award in Honor
of Ned Brooks
Established in 2001, the APPLES Service-Learning Award recognizes the sustained and on-going commitment of a student, faculty member, staff, or community partner who has addressed the concerns and needs of North Carolina communities. Recipients of the APPLES Service-Learning Award have been involved with the APPLES Program for a minimum of two years, have demonstrated a sustained commitment to service-learning, and are dedicated to positive community impact through service.
2009 Recipient
SCALE (Student Coalition for Action in Literacy Education)
Housed in the School of Education, SCALE mobilizes college students to address literacy needs in their communities and supports campus-based literacy programs across the United States. SCALE is being recognized for its ongoing support of service-learning and long history of successful collaboration with APPLES. SCALE’s “Learning to Teach, Learning to Serve” initiative, which began in 2006 with a $1.2 million grant from Learn and Serve America, has allowed SCALE establish a replicable statewide model for infusing teacher education programs with service-learning instruction.
For years SCALE’s director, Kathy Sikes, has championed increased involvement between the School of Education and APPLES. In addition, Kathy’s successful teaching of service-learning courses has been very well received by students and she has worked tirelessly to engage others in this valuable work.Meet former Service-Learning Award recipients
Community Partner Excellence Award
Established in 2004, the Community Partner Excellence Award honors the vital contribution of a community partner who provides unique and valuable service experiences for students. Recipients of the Community Partner Excellence Award have been involved with the APPLES Service-Learning Program for a minimum of two years, have demonstrated a sustained commitment to service-learning, and are dedicated to enhancing student learning in both the academic and community setting.
2009 Recipient
Central Regional Hospital
Central Regional Hospital seeks to address the mental health needs of North Carolina as a model state hospital using evidence-based practices, research, education, and technology to provide quality clinical care. Since Central Regional Hospital began its involvement with APPLES in 1996, its staff have been connected to APPLES through multiple programs, including Service-Learning Courses and the Community Partner Council and have worked with over 150 APPLES students.
At Central Regional Hospital, students have been able to participate in substantive and meaningful service-learning placements in their adult and child treatment programs. Students have had the opportunity to experience various facets of the agency, from performing one-on-one tutoring with school-age adolescents to assisting with patient intake in the adult units. At Central Regional Hospital, it has been the ability to make direct connections with their patients that has made the difference; in fact, it is a testament to the experience that each placement can provide, as students willingly drive 45 minutes north to Butner to complete their service. In addition, the staff of Central Regional Hospital are committed to providing the best experience possible for APPLES volunteers, ensuring that each partnership meets both the needs of their agency and the students.Meet former Community Partner Excellence recipients
Teaching Excellence Award
Established in 2004, the Teaching Excellence Award honors a faculty member who thoroughly integrates service experiences into academic curriculum while inspiring students to make significant contributions in the community and the classroom. Recipients of the Teaching Excellence Award have been involved with the APPLES Service-Learning Program for a minimum of two years, have demonstrated a sustained commitment to service-learning, and are dedicated to positive community impact through service.
2009 Recipient
Dr. Marcie Fisher-Borne
Department of Social Work Instructor
Marcie has demonstrated excellence in teaching and learning at UNC at various levels, and has done so as a graduate students stretched in various directions over the years. When Marcie began her work with APPLES, she was listed as a co-instructor for a public service course in the School of Social work. Within the year, Marcie became the sole instructor and proposed a major overhaul of the course content, teaching strategies, and engagement with the community. Her work extended to the offering of a second course focusing on community organizing and a third designed specifically for students who are part of the APPLES internship program.
Students in Marcie’s classes are fully engaged in the coursework and community experience, allowing for learning to leap from the textbook and become real and meaningful. Marcie’s pedagogical approach has not only enhanced her coursework, but she has facilitated numerous workshops, panels, seminars and institutes on behalf of APPLES to help her colleagues build their own capacity for this valuable work.Meet former Teaching Excellence recipients
Undergraduate Service-Learning Excellence Award
Established in 2008, the Undergraduate Service-Learning Excellence Award honors the significant contributions to service by participants of the APPLES program who make undeniably profound impacts on the campus, regional, and global communities they serve.
2009 Recipient
Haley Koch
Haley Koch is a third year undergraduate student and Morehead Scholar in Communication and Performance Studies, Sexuality Studies, and Creative Writing from Cabin John, Maryland. She has been involved in multiple APPLES programs and community-based service-learning for the past three years.
As a community partner supervisor with SPEAC - Solidarity with Palestine through Education and Action at Carolina, Haley supervised students completing service-learning writing projects with ENGL 102. This past year, through her work with the St. Joseph’s CME Church in multiple Communication Studies courses, Haley worked with other students, instructors, and community partners in the development of the UNC-NOW: United with the Northside Community, utilizing her service-learning knowledge to mobilize student volunteers and sustain the project through APPLES Partnership Grants and a Social Entrepreneur Fellowship.
A fierce advocate and committed community organizer, Haley is not only a thoughtful and reflective service-learning participant, but she is an energetic and compassionate person who is truly exemplifies service-learning.
