Each year, public health schools and programs across the country submit applications to the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH) for the Harrison C. Spencer Award for Outstanding Community Service.
ASPPH is “the voice of academic public health” and has the vision for “improved health and well-being for everyone, everywhere”—a vision that very much aligns with DIP-IN.
In early 2025, the Fairbanks School of Public Health (FSPH), where DIP-IN is housed, was chosen as one of the two finalists for the ASPPH Outstanding Community Service Award. As described in the name of the award, the award focuses on institutions that have displayed outstanding community engagement. In FSPH’s application, DIP-IN was featured as a signature program of the school that is demonstrating community-engaged work.