Award Cycle: Spring
Sigma Tau Delta’s Service Award honors local chapters performing exemplary community service projects and benefits the organizations served by those chapters. The Society will make a limited number of awards, each of which will consist of a plaque and up to $200 for the chapter and a contribution of up to $500 to the agency.
A variety of community service projects are eligible for consideration. If you have questions regarding project eligibility, please contact the chair of the Service Committee, your Regent, or your Regional Student Representative.
Eligibility
Any active chapter is eligible to apply for a Service Award, but no chapter may receive a Service Award in consecutive years. Active chapters are also eligible to apply for a Chapter Service Project Grant and/or an Outstanding Chapter Award and may use relevant information assembled for the Service Award application when applying for a Project Grant and/or an Outstanding Chapter Award. Specific application requirements are posted with each award description.
How to Apply
Chapter Advisors may nominate their chapter by submitting a nomination letter. In doing so, the Chapter Advisor is attesting to the accuracy of the materials.
Applications for a Service Award are accepted through AwardSpring. The link to access the Sigma Tau Delta AwardSpring platform will be posted on the AwardSpring Application informational page of our website once the Spring Awards Cycle opens.
If you are using AwardSpring for the first time, you must create an account by clicking “Register.” If you have used AwardSpring previously, you should login using your email address and existing password.
Required Materials
A Chapter Advisor must submit the following materials through AwardSpring. By submitting the application, the Chapter Advisor is attesting to the accuracy of the materials.
- Chapter Details
- Name of service project
- Number of active members in chapter
- Name and contact information of student preparing the application (mail and email addresses, phone numbers)
- Name and contact information for the Chapter Advisor(s) (mail and email addresses, phone numbers)
- Provide a written narrative, not to exceed 300 words, describing your chapter’s service project, including
- Name, date, and place of the service project
- Brief explanation of importance of service performed and its connection to the goals of the Society
- Details on the various stages in the concept, planning, preparation, and carrying out of the project to convey understanding of the who, what, when, where, why, and how of the project
- Target audience
- Number of chapter members actually participating (important information demonstrating the chapter’s commitment to the project)
- Name of the organization to receive the award, along with payment details including the organization’s official name and address
- Letter from a Chapter Advisor explaining the significance of the project for the chapter and for the organization served. Include the mailing address, email address, and phone number of this Advisor.
- Letter from a representative of the organization served attesting to the significance of the project from the point of view of its recipient. Include the mailing address, email address, and phone number of the agency representative.
Deadline
See the Awards Overview page for the Service Award application window.
Final Project Reflection
Following receipt of the award, a final report must be submitted as a narrative (300-800 words) or a video (2-3 minutes) suitable for posting on the Society’s blog. Questions about your final report should be directed to sigmatdapply@niu.edu. Failure to submit a final project report will jeopardize a chapter’s chance of winning future awards.
Questions
Questions regarding the online submission process should be addressed to sigmatdapply@niu.edu.
