Summer Service Challenge

Bearcat Summer Service Challenge

The Office of Service & Engagement is thrilled to debut a brand-new program this summer, the Bearcat Summer Service Challenge. Earning community service hours is a year-round endeavor; in celebration of the contributions of Northwest students both in Maryville and in other communities, this new program will recognize and reward those Bearcats who submit service hours between June 1st and July 31st. Students can unlock a new prize at each tier level. Please review the challenge rules below, and start logging those service hours!

Challenge Prize Tiers

Tier 1: Challenge Champion

Students who submit at least 10 hours during the challenge window will receive a digital badge certifying their participation in the program, and cementing them as official Summer Service Challenge Champions. The badge can be proudly displayed in email signatures, LinkedIn profiles, and all over social media. 

Tier 2: Summer Service MVP

Students who earn 25 service hours will be known as Summer Service MVPs, unlocking a special digital badge with this title, and an oversized sherpa blanket just in time for Bearcat Football season.

Tier 3: Community Pillar

Students who earn 50 service hours inside of two months are in a league of their own, marking them as a Community Pillar. Community Pillars will be rewarded a digital badge celebrating this accomplishment, and a Northwest-branded pickleball set. Grab a friend, do some good in the community, and then let off some steam on the court! Sounds like the perfect summer day.

Student Organization Multiplied Impact Award

The student organization with the highest cumulative number of hours earned by members at the end of the challenge will be awarded a trophy commemorating their excellence in service engagement over the summer. Students must select which student organization they would like the hours to be credited to when submitting in Bearcat Link. 

Summer Service Challenge | Social Media Campaign

While the Summer Service Challenge is ongoing, snap a picture of you completing service activities and post on your Instagram. Be sure to tag the Office of Student Involvement (nw_osi), use the #NorthwestSummerService, and add a geotag of where the service was completed. Data from the geotags will be used by office staff to visualize the impact of the Summer Service Challenge on a map. Anybody who creates a post with all parameters above met will be entered into a prize drawing for both Tier 2 & Tier 3 prizes: an oversized sherpa blanket and Northwest-branded pickleball set.

Challenge Rules

• Only service hours submitted between June 1st and July 31st, 2025 will be counted towards Summer Service Challenge prizes.
• Service hours must be submitted through Bearcat Link and approved by Office of Student Involvement staff.
• No more than 10 service hours derived from the same service activity will be counted towards earning prizes.
  • For example, you may choose to foster a dog for 100 hours, but only 10 of those may be counted towards the Bearcat Summer Service Challenge. The rest will need to come from other service activities.
• Tier 2 & Tier 3 prizes will be distributed on campus during regular Office of Student Involvement hours beginning Monday, August 25th. Student who wish to pick up their prizes before that time may contact the Student Rights & Responsibilities Coordinator at 660.562.1554 or gkennedy@nwmissouri.edu
• Tier 2 & Tier 3 prizes will be rewarded on a first come, first served basis while supplies last. The sooner students submit their hours, the more likely they are to claim a prize!

Log service hours using this link.