Club of the Year Award

PSA Hatchery Club of the Year Award

Club of the Year Award

The PSA Hatchery Club of the Year Award is designed to recognize and support student clubs that actively build student communities among emerging poultry scientists. The award highlights clubs that provide professional development opportunities, promote engagement with academia and industry, and foster collaboration within the poultry science community.
The recipient of this award will receive a plaque and a cheque for $1,500 to utilize toward the club activities (additional details available below).


Qualifications and requirements
To be eligible, applicant clubs must meet the following requirements:

  • Application must be submitted by a PSA student member that is a current club officer
  • Club must be officially recognized by the university
  • Club must possess an official bank account for fund distribution
  • Club must demonstrate a strong interest in poultry science (not required to be sole focus)
  • Club advisor approval is required to help ensure responsible use of funds

Apply Now

​Applying
Interested club officers shall apply through the form at the link above. The final day to submit an application for this award is June 15, 2026 at 11:59 PM CDT. If a club representative experiences trouble completing the online application, the supporting documents and applicant information should be sent to Student Director at hatchery@poultryscience.org. 

Application Materials

A club representative is strongly preferred to accept the award at the PSA Hatchery Business Meeting. When submitting the application, please indicate if a club representative will attend the PSA annual meeting (this will not affect the selection process). Applications must include the following materials submitted as PDFs:
One combined PDF containing:

  1. Essay (maximum 500 words; 12-point Times New Roman; single spacing) summarizing:
    • Club mission
    • Service to members
    • Interests and activities related to poultry science
    • Engagement with academia and industry
    • Club activities from July 2025 through the application deadline of June 15, 2026
  2. Club ‘resume’ (max 2 pages; 12-point Times New Roman; single spacing) containing leadership, activities, and accomplishments
  3. Letter of recommendation (maximum 500 words) from a PSA member in academia or industry
  4. List of future club events or activities as well as any in-development plans for the club.
  5. Approval letter from club advisor

One separate PowerPoint (.pptx) file containing:

  • One slide with up to five photographs showcasing club activities and member engagement. This way each club can be recognized in the presentation at the business meeting before announcing the club receiving the award.

Application Review
All applications will be reviewed by the PSA Hatchery Advisory Committee to ensure eligibility requirements are met. If not eligible, clubs will be notified of the committee’s decision after the review process concludes.

Note: Failure to adhere to application guidelines may result in points deduction. 

Club of the year applications will be reviewed by the PSA Hatchery Advisory Committee, and the recipient will be selected based upon the following:

  • Service to students (up to 5 points)
  • Demonstrated interest in poultry science (up to 4 points)
  • Involvement with academia (up to 3 points)
  • Involvement with industry (up to 3 points)
  • Club resume quality (up to 3 points)
  • Recommendation letter strength (up to 2 points)
  • Overall impression (up to 2 points)

Note: Failure to adhere to application guidelines may result in points deduction or disqualification.  

Award Funds & Plaque

The selected club will receive $1,500, distributed by PSA into the club’s official bank account. The award will be announced, and a plaque will be presented at the PSA Hatchery Business Meeting during the 2026 PSA Annual Meeting in Toronto, Canada. The club will be asked to acknowledge PSA Hatchery sponsorship at club events for a year after receiving the award.