Bonner Network:
Join us on
June 15-18, 2025

The Bonner Foundation is thrilled to partner with the University of Richmond to host the 35th Anniversary of the Bonner Program embedded within the longer 2025 Bonner Summer Leadership Institute (SLI). Teams of student leaders, staff, and faculty from the Bonner Network are invited to join us from June 15-18 for this celebration and national conference. Additionally, we invite the president or another senior leader from each campus to join us for celebratory and networking opportunities from June 15-16. Senior leaders, visit this page for the unique schedule and to register for the two day event.

The Bonner Summer Leadership Institute (SLI) is the largest annual gathering of the Bonner Network. We anticipate 350-400 Bonner staff, students, faculty, field leaders, representatives from national partner organizations, alumni, and others across the Bonner Network. Below, you can find information about registration, housing, how to propose a workshop, and other details.

schedule

The 35th Anniversary Celebration will begin the evening of Sunday, June 15 and conclude with a celebration luncheon banquet on Monday, June 16. The Celebration will include Presidents and other senior leaders from the Bonner Network, and will feature interactive activities to honor the history of the Bonner Program and our collective work. After lunch on Monday, June 16, the Summer Leadership Institute will continue until the late morning on Wednesday, June 18. During this time, we’ll include additional professional development tracks, inspirational programming, elective workshops, and special immersion opportunities with historical and partner sites in the city of Richmond. This tentative schedule will continue to change. Please stay tuned for updates.

SPECial Presenters

Through this event, the Bonner Foundation and our sustained partners aim to provide senior leaders with inspiring opportunities for networking, sharing models and best practices, and engaging in dialogue and problem solving around the issues facing our institutions, programs, higher education, and community impact. We will be joined by leaders, speakers, and presenters, ranging from current student leaders to veteran leaders in higher education and civic contexts. Through plenary, signature sessions and elective workshops, all participants will have opportunities to engage with these exceptional alumni, field leaders, and presenters including:

• Chaz Antoine Barracks, Postdoctoral Fellow at Syracuse University, storyteller (Black Matter podcast on Spotify), and graduate of the Bonner Program at the University of Richmond

• Anushri (Anu) Baskar, Associate Software Engineer with Fannie Mae and graduate of the Bonner Program at George Mason University

• Patti Clayton, Senior Scholar with the Institute for Community and Economic Engagement at the University of North Carolina Greensboro; co-author of the *Democratic Engagement White Paper;* and creator of the DEAL model for reflection

• Terry Dolson, Senior Associate Director for Community-Engaged Learning with the Bonner Center for Civic Engagement at the University of Richmond

• Arielle del Rosario, Associate Director of Project Pericles and graduate of the Bonner Program at Rutgers University - New Brunswick

• Katherine Diaz Garcia, Community Organizer and Bilingual Client Services Coordinator in Richmond and graduate of the Bonner Program at Centre College

• Timothy K. Eatman, Dean of the Honors Living Learning Community at Rutgers University - Newark; Chair of the Board with AAC&U, and co-author of Scholarship in Public: Knowledge Creation and Tenure Policy in the Engaged University

• Sylvia Gale, Director of the Bonner Center for Civic Engagement at the University of Richmond, board member with Imagining America (IA), and first director of IA’s Publicly Active Graduate Education Initiative (PAGE)

• Kevin Hallock, President of the University of Richmond (VA), a labor market economist, the author or editor of 11 books and over 100 publications, and UR’s Distinguished University Professor of Economics

• El-Mahdi Holly, State Representative in Georgia and founder of the Georgia Africa Legislative Caucus and Morehouse College Alum

• Shannon Maynard, Executive Director of the Congressional Hunger Center (Washington, DC) and graduate of the Bonner Program at the University of Richmond, and member of the Foundation’s Board of Trustees

• Caryn McTighe Musil, Former Senior Vice President at AAC&U, where she directed initiatives including American Commitments: Diversity, Democracy, and Liberal Learning; Liberal Education and Global Citizenship; Core Commitments: Educating Students for Social Responsibility and others; writer and editor of A Crucible Moment

• Tony Richardson, President of the Gund Foundation, graduate of the Bonner Program at Oberlin College, and member of the Foundation’s Board of Trustees

• Paul Pribbenow, President of Augsburg College (MN), who also serves on the Boards for the Coalition for Urban and Metropolitan Universities (CUMU) and Campus Compact

• Paul Schadewald, Associate Director of Bringing Theory to Practice, board member with Imagining America and Project Pericles, and co-author of the 2020 award winning volume Digital Community Engagement: Partnering Communities with the Academy

• David Scobey, Director of Bringing Theory to Practice, professor of history at Elon University and (formerly) University of Michigan, founder of Arts and Citizenship, and contributor to Change magazine

• Carol Geary Schneider, President Emeritus of American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) and Fellow with the Lumina Foundation, who is also a driving force behind the Civic Learning for an Engaged Democracy coalition

• Arthur Tartee Jr., Program Associate with the American Association for the Advancement of Science and graduate of the Bonner Program at the University of RichmondOver the next few weeks, we will update this content to reflect sessions.

• Foundation staff, including Robert Hackett, Ariane Hoy, Rachayita Shah, Liz Brandt, Clifton Davis, and Jeniffer Gonzalez Reyes will also lead sessions.

registER BY MAY 2

As usual, campus teams should register together. Please review the following options.

Student leaders, staff, and faculty will be provided with lodging on campus. Our housing at the University of Richmond will include suite-style rooms. All administrators will have a single room within a suite. Student leaders will mostly be housed in doubles in suites, with limited availability of single rooms. There is also an option to register without campus housing. Most meals are included, with the exception of dinner off campus in Richmond on Monday evening (with the option for some to stay and dine on campus, should they choose). Please note that attendees should arrange own transportation to and from Richmond and campus. See information below.

Registration Types and Rates:

• Administrator or Faculty Registration - Single Room in Suite - $350

• Student Registration - Single Room in Suite - $350

• Student Registration - Double Room in Suite - $285

• Off Campus Registration - No room provided but includes meals - $235. We do have a block of rooms reserved at the nearby Westin Hotel. Use this link to access that special rate. (Note: the last day to book using this room block is Friday, May 23.)
  
  Note: President or Senior Leader Registration - $150 for the 35th Anniversary Celebration. Please register on the separate page here, featuring information about the June 15-16 event. Senior Leaders will also find information about how to book a room at the Westin Hotel using the special rate ($159/night) for the event.

You should be prepared to pay by credit card when registering for SLI.

TRAVEL

The host campus, University of Richmond, is located in Richmond, Virginia. There are a variety of travel options for getting to and from campus including plane, Amtrak train, and car. Campus teams will need to travel to and from the University of Richmond on their own.

The University of Richmond's street address is 410 Westhampton Way, University of Richmond, VA, 23173.

FLYING

• Richmond International Airport (RIC) is located twelve miles northeast of the city of Richmond and it approximately thirty-minutes (driving/taxi) from campus. Taxi and rental car service are available within the airport.

DRIVING

• If planning to drive, we recommend carpooling where possible. Specifics on parking will be provided before and upon arrival. It may be helpful for campus teams to have a vehicle to participate fully in Richmond immersion activities.

train

• Amtrak serves the University of Richmond via its Staples Mill Road station (RVR) or its historic Main Street Station (RVM). Both are approximately fifteen-minute (driving/taxi) minutes from campus. Taxi and rental car services are nearby.

More information on transportation options can be found here.

Click here for interactive and printable map of campus.

workshop proposals

We invite elective workshop proposals from those in the Bonner Network, including staff, students, faculty, alumni, graduate school and national partners, and others. Within each workshop block, we aim to offer 10-15 elective choices that appeal to all of these audiences:

• Engaged Faculty: 4-5 sessions will be tagged as part of the People, Power, and Place track designed especially for 25-30 community engaged instructors, educators, faculty, and organizers. Local and regional faculty (from institutions that do not host a Bonner Program) will join us for some blocks of the conference.

• Student Leaders: 4-5 sessions will be tagged that are especially designed to build the skills, knowledge, and success of college students. These sessions will be complimented by the track for Bonner Congress Representatives and Interns, in which alumni also participate.

• Community Engaged Professionals: 4-5 sessions that are relevant for professional development and support for staff. These sessions will be complimented by the track for administrators and staff (including those who run centers and Bonner Programs)

• All Attendees: some sessions may interest individuals in all roles

This year, we will also feature some options that immerse participants in the city of Richmond, where they can learn directly from community partners and local leaders. These may be capped based on the capacity of the site or transportation. (Bonner and University of Richmond staff are recruiting these immersion workshops and will collect additional information from presenters). As you submit your session proposal, please provide relevant information so that we can best schedule your workshop. You’ll be asked for a title, description, presenter details, and AV needs.

Elective workshop proposals are due April 30th.

Awards and Recognitions

As part of its 35th Anniversary celebration, the Bonner Foundation seeks to formally recognize individuals who have made significant contributions to the impact of the Bonner Program. This milestone celebration will honor outstanding community partners, Bonner alumni, current Bonner students, and dedicated campus staff and faculty who embody our mission and Common Commitments.

We invite nominations from across the Bonner Network to help us identify and celebrate those who have shaped our network's success over the past 35 years and, more importantly, engaging in building and sustaining people and communities. We invite anyone to nominate individuals (from their own institution and place or others) for one or more of the following tributes. We encourage each team complete at least one nomination (but there is no need to come to consensus).

The deadline to submit a nomination is Wednesday, April 30th, 2025.

The 35th Anniversary celebration will be held during the Summer Leadership Institute (SLI) at the University of Richmond, June 15-18, 2025. We hope many of our honorees will be able to join us for this special occasion. Below are the categories for the tributes. Please note that these nominations, while mainly focused on the national Bonner Network, are also open beyond it to acknowledge and recognize other colleagues in our place-based and national work.

• Lives of Service: this tribute will recognize individuals for 10+ and 20+ years of work with the Bonner Program, we invite you to provide names and dates of staff, faculty, and/or partners who have made these long-tern commitments.

• Living the Mission: this tribute will recognize alumni, year of service members, or interns who have moved into professional roles in the field (staff, faculty, and/or partners). 

• Legacy: this tribute will recognize individuals (including those who are no longer with or outside the network) who have made significant, positive impact and contributions to the Bonner Network and/or field of civic and community engagement.

• Spirit of Ubuntu: this tribute will recognize individuals (students, staff, faculty, and/or partners) who demonstrate one ore more Common Commitments (civic engagement, community building, diversity, international perspective, social justice, spiritual exploration, and wellness) and embody the spirit of community engagement.

• Engaged Scholar: this tribute will recognize scholars and practitioners who have made significant contributions to the field of through community-engaged research, scholarship, and/or action that produces knowledge in partnership with communities. 

• Champion: this tribute will recognize individuals in executive leadership roles (presidents, senior leaders) that are unwavering champions for advancing civic and community engagement in higher education. Note that you can include former administrators (and combine with Legacy Award).

• From Action to Impact: this tribute will recognize individuals (faculty, students, alumni, staff, partners) that demonstrate excellence in teaching or engaging in social action (i.e., advocacy, legislation, community organizing, etc.) and address the needs of places and communities. 

student keynote proposals

We invite students in the Bonner Program (who are attending SLI with their teams) to submit a proposal to be a student keynote during the 2025 Summer Leadership Institute. We seek 1-2 student speaker(s) to give a TED Talk style presentation (5-7 minutes) during an all-group or signature session. The keynote may be standard presentation (limit to 5 slides) or more creative (i.e. poetry, spoken word, song). You’ll have the opportunity to describe your ideas in the proposal form.

For submission, we invite you to reflect on and speak to your own experiences as you interpret the themes for this year’s gathering.

• Your Service and Personal Experience: How have you made an impact on communities and individuals through your Bonner, service, and community engagement experiences? How have you grown personally and professionally from these experiences?

• Bold Vision for the Future: Imagine you are in the future (20+ years), what is the world you want to see? Thinking about the seventh generation principle, [the idea is that our decisions today should consider the potential benefits or harm that would be felt by seven future generations], what kind of bold visions do you have for our collective future?

• Ubuntu: I Am Because We Are: What does the concept of Ubuntu mean to you? How have you experienced Ubuntu or the beloved community in your life?

Student keynotes must be registered to attend SLI for your proposal to be accepted. 

The deadline to submit a student keynote proposal is Wednesday, April 30th.

resume coach sign up

We invite Bonner staff, alumni, and other professionals to serve as a Resume Coach at the 2025 Summer Leadership Institute. This is an opportunity to provide one-on-one feedback to Bonner students and staff across the network on their resumes. This event takes place during the Networking Fair with National and Graduate School Partners and Resume Review on Tuesday, June 17th from 11:00 AM-12:00 PM. We seek about 10-12 volunteers to be resume coaches, as the resume review has been well utilized at the past Bonner conferences.

If you’re interested in being a resume coach, please sign up below.

The deadline to sign up to be a resume coach is Wednesday, April 30th.

EXPLORE RICHMOND

The capital of Virginia, Richmond is a dynamic and growing city. From the Virginia State Capitol to Hollywood Cemetery and Evergreen Cemetery to the old tobacco warehouses to Jackson Ward, a Harlem of the South, Richmond’s past is an important site of exploration and engagement. Richmond continues to grapple with its racist past, surfacing erased stories of indigenous and enslaved people and highlighting legacies of resistance and liberation. The mighty James River runs through the city, with a series of city parks and trails, Class Five rapids, and more. Residents love restaurants, farmers markets, local products, and innovation. To learn more, explore some of the resources provided by the University of Richmond’s Bonner Center for Civic Engagement.

The 2025 Bonner Summer Leadership Institute encourages attendees to take advantage to explore Richmond through formal programming and informal opportunities. Whether food, arts, nature, history, or culture – see what the University of Richmond recommends to visitors.

QUESTIONS?

Please contact Bonner staff member for questions related to:

• General: Liz Brandt, Director of Community Engagement at liz@bonner.org

• Registration: Clifton Davis, Operations and Special Projects Coordinator at cdavis@bonner.org

• Faculty, Presidents, and Senior Leaders: Ariane Hoy, VP at ahoy@bonner.org or Rachayita Shah, Director of Community-Engaged Learning at rshah@bonner.org

• Elective Workshops: Jen Gonzalez Reyes, Program Manager at jengr@bonner.org