The third edition of the award that recognises the best service-learning experiences in Catholic higher education at an international level is now underway. In a webinar held on 29 January, Uniservitate, the global network organising the Award, announced the details of the call for entries, which will distribute €84,000 among the winners from the seven regions that make up this programme promoted by Porticus and managed by the Latin American Center for Service-Learning (CLAYSS).
‘We are looking for experiences that make an effective contribution to social issues, that have partnered with community organisations, that have active student participation and a strong link to learning,’ said Daniel Giorgetti, one of the managers of the Uniservitate Award 2026.
During the meeting, which was held in English and Spanish and can be viewed on the Uniservitate 2026 Award website, the network’s coordinator, María Rosa Tapia, emphasised that the fundamental focus of the Award is the role of students, given that they ‘are the true protagonists of the projects and, through their commitment to their community, are not only learning better but also becoming true agents of change’.
As stated in the terms and conditions, projects and programmes from Catholic higher education institutions, both university and non-university, that are currently underway or have been developed between 2024 and 2025 are eligible to apply for the Award. In the case of initiatives from institutions that are not yet members of Uniservitate, they may be integrated into the network’s Membership project upon application.
This year, the Uniservitate Award draws on the experience of previous editions, held in 2022 and 2024, and adds the possibility for each region to give special recognition to institutional service-learning programmes.
Another new feature of this edition is that applications will be made through Give Pulse, a platform that has joined forces with Uniservitate in its effort to strengthen the service-learning community around the world. The webinar details the free application process through this platform. Applications can be made by completing a form that will be available from 2 February.
María Rosa Tapia gave special thanks to the teams at the Uniservitate regional hubs who will be assisting with the management of the Award in each of their regions: the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile for Latin America and the Caribbean, the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities of the United States and Canada for the United States and Canada, the University of Deusto for Western Europe South, the Catholic University of Leuven for Western Europe North, the Catholic University of Eichstatt-Ingolstadt for Central and Eastern Europe, Tangaza University for Africa, and De La Salle University in Manila for Asia and Oceania.
The deadline for applications will be set by each hub for a date prior to 10 April. The awards will be presented during the VII Uniservitate Global Symposium to be held in Rome next October, for which one student and one teacher from each winning experience will receive a prize.
At the end of the webinar, Candelaria Ferrara, from Uniservitate, listed some of the reasons why this award may be attractive to universities: their local projects can become universal, the way they solved a problem in their community may be the solution that others are looking for elsewhere, and in a world full of bad news, they can be a sign of hope and that goodness is alive and well. She added: ‘When we share our journey, achievements and challenges, we also give others the opportunity to start their own journey.’
