WKU News

Thanks to the establishment of the Mody Endowed Fund in Service Learning, The Center for Gifted Studies at WKU is offering two annual competitions for young people looking to make a difference in their communities.  

The first, The Doctors Mody “Make a Difference” Community Service Competition for Students in Kentucky, is open to all Kentucky students in grades 7-12 in the 2021-2022 school year. Three awards (1st Place: $1,500 | 2nd Place: $1,000 | 3rd Place: $500) will be given to develop an original service learning and volunteerism project or to develop and expand an existing project to respond to a specific community need.

The second, The Doctors Mody “Make a Difference” Microgrants Competition, is open to students who participated in SCATS and/or VAMPY in 2019-2021 and students currently attending The Gatton Academy. Ten microgrants of $500 will be awarded to develop an original service learning and volunteerism project or to develop and expand an existing project to respond to a specific community need.

For more information on the competitions and to apply, visit wku.edu/gifted/service/.

Drs. Bharat and Bharati Mody established The Mody Endowed Fund in Service Learning at The Center for Gifted Studies with the hope of passing on their lifelong commitment to serving their communities and sparking a passion for volunteerism among high-achieving young people.

In addition to the service learning competitions, the Mody Endowed Fund provides for a visiting lecture series to bring in a nationally renowned speaker in service learning and volunteerism in the summer and fall of each year. In the summer, the speaker will stay on campus for several days to develop projects with VAMPY and/or SCATS students and the staff of The Center for Gifted Studies. In the fall, the speaker will return to campus to develop projects with students and staff of the Gatton Academy.

Contact: Jesse Knifley, jesse.knifley@wku.edu or 270-745-3014