The Bonner Program: Overview

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The Bonner ProgramOverview

• Access to Education,
• Opportunity to Serve

A program of The Corella Bertram Bonner
Foundation 10 Mercer Street, Princeton, NJ
08540 [phone] [phone] fax For
more information, please visit our website at
www.bonner.org
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Bonner Foundation Mission
Through sustained partnerships of colleges and
congregations the Bonner Foundation seeks to
improve the lives of individuals and communities
by helping meet the basic needs of nutrition and
educational opportunity.
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History

• Corella Bertram F. Bonner Foundation
• Incorporated in the late 1980s
• Crisis Ministry Program
• Supports Congregationally-affiliated hunger
  relief initiatives (approximately 650,000 per
  year)
• Bonner Scholar Program
• Piloted at Berea College in 1990-91
• Currently 1500 students on 27 campuses in 12
  states
• More than 3000 Bonner Scholar alumni
• Bonner Leader Program
• Piloted in mid-1990s in New Jersey
• Currently 1000 students on 45 campuses

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Facts at a Glance

• Working with 68 colleges and universities in 20
  states
• Engaging 2,500 students through 27 Bonner Scholar
  and 41 Bonner Leader Programs
• Weve given 120 million to campus programs over
  the past 15 years
• Each year, students are cumulatively providing
  700,000 hours of service

Tennessee Carson-Newman College Maryville
College Rhodes College Tusculum College
Virginia Appalachian School of Law Bluefield
College Emory and Henry College Ferrum
College Lynchburg College Southwest Virginia
Community College University of
Richmond Washington and Lee University Washington
Central Washington University NW Learning
Achievement Group Whitworth College West
Virginia Concord College West Virginia
Wesleyan Wheeling Jesuit University
Alaska University of Alaska, Anchorage California
California State University Los
Angeles Pepperdine University Saint Marys
College of California Sonoma State
University University of California
Berkeley University of California
Davis University of California Los
Angeles University of California Santa
Cruz University of Southern California Florida Jac
ksonville University Stetson University Georgia Be
rry College Morehouse College Spelman
College Idaho Brigham Young University Idaho
State University University of Idaho
Indiana DePauw University Earlham
College Kansas Washburn University Kentucky Berea
College Centre College Lindsay Wilson
College Union College University of Louisville
Maryland Hood College Missouri College of the
Ozarks North Carolina Davidson College Guilford
College Lees McRae College Mars Hill
College Pfeiffer University Warren Wilson College
New Jersey Middlesex County College Rider
University The College of New Jersey Ohio Antioch
College Defiance College Oberlin
College University of Dayton Oregon Portland
State University Pennsylvania Allegheny
College Dickinson College Juniata College Messiah
College Waynesburg College West Chester
University South Carolina Converse College
Wofford College
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Bonner Program Goals

• Students
• To afford college students an opportunity to use
  their energy, talents, and leadership skills to
  engage in community service while providing
  developmental and financial support.
• Campus
• To challenge and strengthen a culture of
  service in which the schools teaching,
  research, and service mission are integrated and
  every student, faculty, and staff is encouraged
  to serve.
• Community
• To facilitate greater cooperation and
  communication between the campus and the
  community by channeling the energies and talents
  of college students faculty, and staff to help
  address the challenges and opportunities of a
  local community.
• Higher Education
• To form a consortium of diverse higher education
  institutions sharing a common commitment to
  service and to serve as a successful model to
  other institutions which are interested in
  starting service-based scholarship programs.

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The Common Commitments
Civic Engagement Participate intentionally as a
citizen in the democratic process, actively
engaging in public policy and direct service.
International Perspective Develop international
understanding that enables Bonner Scholars to
participate successfully in a global society.
Community Building Establish and sustain a
vibrant community of place, personal
relationships and common interests.
Social Justice Advocate for fairness,
impartiality and equality while addressing
systemic social and environmental issues.
Diversity Respect the many different
dimensions of diversity in our public lives.
Spiritual Exploration Explore personal beliefs
while respecting the spiritual practices of
others.
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Key Program Features

• Team-based Program
• Multi-year program with 10-100 Bonner
  Scholars/Leaders per campus (5-25 per class)
• Coordinated by an on-campus director and
  coordinator
• Partnered with site supervisors at each community
  agency
• Community Outreach
• 10 hour per week plus full-time summers (summer
  optional for BLP based on funding availability)
• 80 Direct service, 20 Training and Enrichment
• Students select where they want to serve
• Students also serve as service project leaders
• Student Development
• Supported through regular training and enrichment
  activities
• Increased expectations each year in the program

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Financial Structure

• Bonner Leader
• 2-4 year model
• 10 hrs/wk school year
• maybe summer
• Institutional work-study or scholarships pay for
  student stipends
• Institution or grants supports other program
  costs (service trips, trainings, etc.)

• Bonner Scholar
• 4 year model
• 10 hrs/wk school year
• 2-3 summer service internships
• Bonner Foundation pays student stipend
• Bonner Foundation supports other program costs
  (service trips, community fund, etc.)

vs.
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Bonner AmeriCorps Option

• AmeriCorps Education Awards
• 2 YR 900 hr term 2,362.50 Ed Award
• 1 YR 450 hr term 1,250.00 Ed Award
• 1 YR 300 hr term 1,000.00 Ed. Award
• Campus request slots from Bonner Foundation

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Implementation Areas
Community Impact
Campus Infrastructure
Student Development
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Community Partnership Model
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Comprehensive Placement Process

• High quality community partnerships
• Community Learning Agreement
• Logging service training hours
• Reporting service accomplishments
• End-of-Semester Student Reflections
• One-on-one individual coaching by Bonner staff

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Student Development Approach
Our student development approach offers students
a journey including opportunities to develop

• Experience
• Skills
• Values
• Knowledge

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A Comprehensive Program

• Retreats community building events
• 10 hours of service weekly during the academic
  year (300 hour total)
• At least one full-time summer of service
• Intensive training and enrichment activities,
  including meetings
• Consistent reflection
• Advising and mentorship
• Increasing levels of leadership and
  responsibility, in service and on campus
• Integrating the Common Commitments

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Supported by Sustained Activities
Each Year
Over Two to Four Years

• Selection
• Orientation
• First Year Service Trip
• Second Year Service Exchange
• Recommitment Exercise
• Junior Enrichment Project
• Summer Service
• Final (Senior) Presentation of Learning

• Placement/ Community Learning Agreement (each
  semester)
• Weekly to Monthly meetings by class
• Monthly meetings with all Bonners
• One-on-one interviews each semester
• Reapply

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Building in Skill Development
Personal Skills Leadership Skills Professional Skills
Active listening Balance/boundaries Communication Decision making Organization Planning Reflection Time management Goal setting Conflict resolution Delegation Planning Public speaking Running a meeting Teamwork Working with diverse groups Civic engagement (voting) Budgeting Evaluation/research Event planning Fundraising Grant writing Marketing / public relations Mediation Networking Public education / advocacy Volunteer management
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Pulling It Together Developmental Roadmap (5 Es)
Expertise
Academic linkages (Service-learning, CBR, minor,
major certificates)
Example
Experience
Through Service (Developmental placements,
learning through action)
Exploration
Co-Curricular Activities (Training
Enrichment, Reflection, and Advising)
Expectation
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Through Service Increasing Leadership
Expertise - specialist
Culminating project or capstone Academic
connection Future-focused
Placements evolve to offer increasing complexity
and responsibility
Example - team leader/coordinator
Continued development of focus demonstrated
knowledge and skill as project coordinator Possibl
e third summer (abroad or career connection)
Experience - regular volunteer
Development of greater focus commitment to one
agency and type of placement Exchange Summer in
a new area
Exploration - occasional volunteer
Exposure to the neighborhood, agencies, issue
areas and types of placements Service
Trip Summer in the hometown
Expectation
Prior experience in service including in ones
family
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Through Co-Curricular Intentional Skill Support
Expertise
Academic Research Career planning
vocation Evaluation Networking Public
Speaking Skills for lifelong involvement
Training and enrichment opportunities support
students to develop skills
Example
Academic Connection Leading inquiry
reflection Personal and civic values Project
coordination Resource development
Experience
Critical thinking Diversity awareness Group
dynamics communication Project
planning Introduction to social issues/civics
Exploration
Community knowledge Personal exploration
reflection Setting goals Time management
Expectation
Introduction to Bonner Work ethic
professionalism
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Through Academics Knowledge and Analysis
Expertise
Enhancing the rigor of students knowledge
development and learning
Internships Capstones
Example
Coursework (varying orders) As in experience
level International Internships
Experience
Coursework (varying orders) Poverty Politics
policy Issue related (education, arts, race,
etc.) service learning
Exploration
Lead-In Course
Expectation
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Foundation Resources

• Networking
• Bonner Program consortium of 70 schools
• 130 Bonner Partner Organizations
• Web/Print
• 50 Planned Co-curricular Training Modules
• Handbooks Implementation Guides
• Meetings/Training
• Director Coordinators
• Bonner Congress
• Summer Leadership Institute
• Bonner Web-Based Reporting System
• Assessment
• Collaborative Fundraising (AmeriCorps Ed Awards,
  FIPSE, etc.)
• Foundation staff campus visits