The SLA Award for Public Outreach and Community Service honors an SLA member or members for work that effectively impacts public awareness of social issues involving language and communication and/or represents a significant service to a particular community outside of the academy.  Such work may be in any medium including but not limited to books, reports, exhibits, pedagogical materials/curricula, documentary films, newspaper or magazine articles, blogs, digitized or broadcast media, and lectures.  Eligible work must have been published, presented, or aired during the five years immediately preceding the submission deadline.  

2020

Anna Babel, Ohio State University

In recognition of her exceptional service for undocumented and DACAmented students, as well as outstanding public outreach work with immigrants outside of her academic community; extensive public-oriented work, including a Tedx Talk and an interview on the PBS Newshour about Ohio DACA students; and linking academic work to public scholarship to hands-on community outreach and service.

Laura Graham, University of Iowa

In recognition of urgent long-term scholar activist work with A’uwẽ-Xavante of central Brazil, and more recently with the Wayuu of Venezuela in service of their sovereignty while promoting their health and wellbeing; support of innovative uses of audiovisual technologies and other forms of cultural outreach to achieve representational sovereignty; and your continued advocacy and outreach through public presentations and publications for SLA’s Language and Social Justice Group.

2019

Mike Mena, Graduate Center, City University of New York

In recognition of his work though his You Tube channel, The Social Life of Language.

2018

Georgia Ennis, University of Michigan

In recognition of her work on Public Outreach through Quichua Radio, and her work on a compilation of narratives and medicinal texts and accompanying CD (published by the Ecuadorian Ministry of Culture and Patrimony) on behalf of the Tena Quichua communities.

2017

Patrick Moore, University of British Columbia

In recognition of his work on language reclamation and revitalization on behalf of the Northern Canada Dene communities.

2014

Mary Bucholtz, University of California Santa-Barbara

In recognition of her work as Creator and Director of the School Kids Investigating Language in Life and Society (SKILLS) Program.