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CSL Service Showcase

The annual Service Showcase recognizes a year of service and community-engaged work at KU.

The Service Showcase is an opportunity for students to share their service projects and experiences with the University community and Lawrence community partners. We recognize top Service Showcase presenters at our annual end-of-year celebration in partnership with the Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships!

Apply to Present by March 13!

You may also wish to draft your responses using our Preview Application Word document, or reference an Example Completed Application.

Additional Links + Resources

Info & Help Session Dates

Service Showcase Presentation Details:

Required Application Materials

When completing our initial proposal submission form, please be prepared to share the following materials:

Abstract: Please provide an abstract, summary or creative statement of around 250 words that describes your service project / experience and the outcomes of that experience. The abstract should focus on what you did that addressed a community identified need, what you learned from the project, and what the project or experience's impact was on the community members.
Social Media Spotlight: If you are selected to participate in the Service Showcase, we would like to do a social media spotlight on you! Please upload a photo and short project description that could be used for the spotlight.
Supporting Documents: You may submit one additional document (in the form of a PDF) to illustrate your experience / project - this might include images, impact statistics, etc. This submission is optional.

Showcase Presentations

Final presentations must be submitted in the form of a pre-recorded video of about 5 minutes (±30 seconds) in length. These videos will be distributed to judges for evaluation, and winners' videos will be posted publicly on the CSL YouTube channel. Here are a few examples of ways you may structure your presentation:

A Zoom recording, screen-sharing a PowerPoint presentation
A VoiceThread of you presenting a traditional poster
An edited video about your service experience
An Ignite-style presentation (20 slides, 15 seconds per slide)

Judging Criteria

Submitted abstracts and presentations will be evaluated on the following general criteria:

Authentic Community Partnership: Did the student collaborate closely with a community partner on a community identified need? What was the value of the project to the community partner or larger community?
Social Responsibility & Civic Identity: To what extent did the project or experience encourage the student to think about how their own perspectives, biases, and values influence the work that they do? Did the student’s involvement in the service project foster a sense of civic responsibility?
Reflection: To what extent did the student engage in intentional reflection about their service experience?

Awards

The top two presentations will receive monetary awards, and recognition at the annual End of the Year Celebration the CSL hosts in partnership with the Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships!

2026 Submission Timeline

Initial proposal submissions will be evaluated on a rolling basis until March 13, and completed video presentations will be due by April 9 to allow for timely upload to the CSL website for judging. Award announcements will be made during the CSL & CURF End-of-Year Celebration on April 29.

We encourage students who complete(d) projects in Summer or Fall 2025 to start their proposal / presentation early, rather than waiting for the Spring deadline -- it'll be easier to remember and reflect on your experiences as they're happening! We'll follow up with you in the Spring to ensure you submit your completed presentation by April 9.