On April 22, the American Democracy Project once again will join the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation and the Oshkosh Northwestern to celebrate civic engagement through the “Evening of Stars” program, a biennial event that honors those who give back to the greater Oshkosh community.

The Civic Engagement Award will be presented to a University of Wisconsin Oshkosh faculty or staff member who has created exceptional educational experiences for students that also help address areas of public concern. Such experiences include:

• Co-curricular service learning: Structured experiences with pre-determined learning goals that allow students to contribute to the community. Co-curricular activities are not tied to classroom teaching.

• Academic service learning: Structured experiences with pre-determined learning goals tied to classroom teaching that allow students to integrate community service and academic learning.

• Democratic instruction: Structured experiences that advance the learning of and participation in the processes and activities of American democracy.

The award winner will have the opportunity to share his or her work with a large community audience and will receive a $2,500 check to be given to a local charity of choice. Eligible candidates must be at least 0.5 FTE faculty or academic staff members.

To be considered, nominees must have completed their projects between June 2007 and January 2009. UW Oshkosh Credit Union is sponsoring the award.

Nominations must be submitted to Carleen Vande Zande by noon Feb.17. Nomination forms are available at www.uwosh.edu/provost/awards/index.php.

Information should be sent by campus mail to the Provost and Vice Chancellor’s Office, Dempsey 335, or electronically to lawryk@uwosh.edu as an attachment. Submitters should include the name and title of the nominee, along with a brief paragraph that describes the project for which the individual is nominated.

The American Democracy Project is part of a nationwide campus initiative that fosters the importance of an active public life. The UW Oshkosh American Democracy Project encourages civic involvement by sponsoring Constitution Day events, initiating voter registration drives, hosting a film series and supporting academic service-learning opportunities.

For more information, contact Carmen Heider, American Democracy Project chair, at heider@uwosh.edu or (920) 424-7052.