The Kathy Taft Education Policy Award was established in 2010 in honor of Kathy Taft, a longtime member of the NC State School Board. The purpose of the Kathy Taft Award is to recognize a rising or graduating senior majoring in public policy with an interest in and dedication to education policy.

The Undergraduate Affairs Committee selects a candidate based on evidence of a dedication to education policy that has been sustained over a candidate’s college career and is expected to continue into the future. Factors to be considered when deciding the recipient of the Taft Award are:

Dedication. An interest in and dedication to education policy may be demonstrated by the completion of course work on education; participation in student groups, community groups, or other non-profit organizations with a primary goal of promoting high school completion or higher education; or volunteer work aimed at mentoring students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Nominees should also identify future plans to promote education and improve education policy in the US or abroad.

Accomplishment. The record of a strong candidate should include evidence of innovation, leadership, and advocacy in promoting educational attainment of youth and the development of educational programs and resources. Recipients should also demonstrate evidence of strong academic achievement with a GPA of approximately 3.0 in the public policy major.

Service. Strong candidates will also demonstrate service to students interested in education policy at UNC-Chapel Hill by participation in the public policy majors union, representation of student interests to the faculty, and engagement in recruiting and mentoring new public policy majors.

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