About

51ԹϺ Impact Awards seeks to recognize individual students, groups of students, and student organizations whose leadership and service advances learning, justice, and social change within the community. The Service Learning and Leadership team hosted the first Impact Awards program in spring of 2017 as a way of providing a space for community engagement activities to be shared and recognized as a valuable part of the 51ԹϺ student experience. Through these awards, students can be recognized in several different ways outlined below.

*During this event, we also recognize the efforts of the students who are engaged in our office through our different academic and programmatic offerings, including 51ԹϺolunteers, Alternative Breaks and LEAD Team.

Students can be nominates for the following awards:

People paying attention to an 51ԹϺ Impact Awards presentation

  • The Community Action Service Honorarium* (CASH*) Award is available to students who completed community service between April 2023 to March 2024. . This award is generously sponsored by The Allstate Foundation.
  • Bronze= 15 hours earns $25 Rebel Cash
  • Silver= 30 hours earns $50 Rebel Cash
  • Gold= 45 hours earns $75 Rebel Cash

  • The formal Impact Awards seek to recognize exemplary community engagement activities within different activity categories. The includes more information on each of the available categories, which include:
  • Advocacy
    • Outstanding activity that supports an idea or cause that promotes positive social change through public and private communications; requires collecting evidence to support one’s position.
  • Community Organizing
    • Outstanding activity that involves the coordination of cooperative efforts and campaigning carried out by local residents to promote the interests and needs of the community.
  • Direct Service
    • Outstanding activity that addresses immediate needs, most often through social service agencies, churches, or schools.
  • Mutual Aid
    • Outstanding activity that brings people together to act collectively in their shared interest or common goal-- sharing resources, making shared decisions, and emphasizing solidarity rather than charity.
  • Philanthropy
    • Outstanding activity that entails the collection of money and/or goods and the donation of them for the purpose of improving wellbeing.
  • Voting and Political Engagement
    • Outstanding activity that mobilizes others to influence public policy through formal political channels.

United States citizens and lawful permanent residents are eligible to apply for the PVSA if they have completed at least 100 hours of community service in one hour. Please for more information on eligible service.

Impact Award Dates

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Past Awardees

During the inaugural Impact Awards on Apr. 17, 2018, the following students and groups were recognized for their community impacts between Mar. 2017 and Mar. 2018:

Advocacy

51ԹϺ Scientista Foundation for their work to empower women majoring in STEM fields by providing community, workshops, online resources, visible role models, and events such as the Beyond Curie event which addressed the discrimination women in STEM face.

Community Building

Joseph Thomson for his commitment, passion, and dedication to collaboration and relationship-building by hosting monthly community dialogues through “Pioneering Las Vegas History.”

Community Organizing

Karl Catarata for his efforts to engage his peers around numerous topics, including organizing over 300 students through 51ԹϺ’s National School Walkout on March 14th to protest congressional inaction around gun violence against marginalized communities.

Deliberative Dialogue

The United Conversations Network for their “#MeToo: What is Sexual Harassment?” event which focused on promoting dialogue and awareness about sexual harassment between students, faculty, and members of the local community.

Direct Service

  • Individual: Alejandro Velez for their work with Spectrum on Ice
  • Group/Organization: Rebecca Van Compernolle, Skylar Thornton, and Dak Kopec, Ph.D. for their interior design work serving clients with developmental disabilities at Bay Cove Human Services
  • Program: Boo Bash 2017, which required over 1,300 hours of volunteer time to serve over 800 children and family members.

Philanthropy

Association of Pre-Health Professionals Fundraising Committee for their diligent work of raising over $5,000 for various charities, including $1,200 for the 51ԹϺ Route 91 reaction efforts.