UMMC School of Dentistry receives 2026 Service-Learning Champion GIVE Award

JANS – The University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Dentistry has been selected as a 2026 Service-Learning Champion, earning the GIVE Award in recognition of its extensive community outreach efforts. The honor reflects a broad portfolio of initiatives, including Dental Mission Week, Give Kids a Smile, the Jackson Free Clinic, Free Care Fridays, S.M.I.L.E. U, the Mississippi Public Oral Health Collaborative and its mission trips, as well as the school’s service-learning curriculum and Honors in Service program. 

The Service-Learning Cham- pion designation recognizes educational institutions that integrate meaningful service into their academic experience. Recipients demonstrate a strong commitment to preparing students who are not only skilled professionals, but also civic-minded and socially engaged members of their communities. 

Presented by Volunteer Mississippi in partnership with the Governor’s Office, the GIVE Awards celebrate the spirit of service across the state. The program honors individuals and organizations whose contributions make a lasting impact while encouraging others to follow their example. 

“Service is at the heart of everything we do in the School of Dentistry,” said Dr. Pia Chatterjee Kirk. “Whether it’s caring for patients in our clinics or reaching communities across Mississippi, we are training dentists who understand that improving oral health means meeting people where they are.”