2026 Fall Bonner Congress

Friday, October 9 - Sunday, October 11
YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly

84 Blue Ridge Cir, Black Mountain, NC 28711

The Bonner Foundation is excited to host an in-person 2026 Fall Bonner Congress from Friday, October 9th to Sunday, October 11th at the YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly near Asheville, NC. Generally hosted each fall, Bonner Congress is a gathering of about 150 student leaders from across the 65+ schools in the Bonner Network.

Each Bonner Program selects at least two student* leaders as Bonner Congress Representatives to attend and represent their programs and campuses during the year. Bonner Congress Representatives are part of the Bonner Leadership Team and support the quality of their programs and campus-wide engagement. These students engage in leadership training, discussion, networking, and planning on key initiatives. Bonner Congress Meeting sessions often focus on improving students’ knowledge and skills, equipping them to mobilize their peers and to develop innovative ideas for enhancing their program’s and campus’s social impact.

*There will be additional spaces available to send more than two students, on a first come, first served basis upon request.

Location

The 2026 Fall Bonner Congress Meeting we be in-person and will be held at the YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly in Black Mountain, North Carolina. The YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly is located twenty-five minutes east of Asheville, NC, and thirty-five minutes from Asheville Regional Airport. Meeting spaces and overnight accommodations will be available for up to 150 students. The space offers comfortable all-group and breakout areas, which will support Bonner Congress Representatives as they network and share ideas for their programs, campuses, and communities.

REGISTRATION

Each Bonner school should send at least two student representative(s)* to the 2026 Fall Bonner Congress. Program staff and student leaders should communicate with one another before registering to ensure their everyone is on the same page regarding covering costs for registration fees, travel, and other items.

Funded Bonner Programs can draw on several sources to cover these costs, including the Bonner Congress Travel Fund, Special Project funding, and their Community Fund.

*There will be additional spaces available to send more than two students, on a first come, first served basis upon request.

Registration to be open soon!

Lodging & Meals

Lodging information will be announced soon.

MEALS

All of the following meals are provided during the entire conference:

  • Friday, October 9th - Dinner

  • Saturday, October 10th - Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

  • Sunday, October 11th - Breakfast

We will also be providing light snacks through out each day.

WORKSHOP Submission

Attention: Bonner Students, Alumni, and Partners! We invite elective workshop proposals from those in the Bonner Network, including student attendees, alumni, Bonner graduate and national partners, and others. We seek workshops that aim to showcase best practices, models, tips, and examples of community engagement, student leadership, the Bonner Program, campus-wide engagement, social justice initiatives, and community partnerships.

This year’s conference theme focuses on student leadership and career connections, so particularly, we are looking for Bonner students to showcase interesting projects and initiatives. More example topics below:

  • Bonner Accountability & Wellness

  • Bonner Fundamentals (Recruitment & Cornerstones & Meetings)

  • Bonner Leadership Teams & Student Leadership

  • Bonner Program Visibility & Communications

  • Campus-Wide Student Leadership & Service Coalitions

  • Capstone Projects

  • Career Connections & Post Graduate Success

  • Capacity Building Projects

  • Civic Learning & Democratic Engagement

  • Social Action and Activism

  • Streamlining Operations and & Program Efficiency

Additionally, this is a great opportunity to hold space for conversations with other Bonner students about successes and/or challenges regarding service work, Bonner Program, and/or campus-wide engagement.

Workshop Form to be opened soon!

Student Keynote submission

SLI’22 Keynote Speaker, Rashel Bernal-Reyes ‘22 Rutgers New Brunswick

Are you a student who is passionate about service work and public speaking? If so, you're exactly the student we're looking for! We're excited to invite applications Student Keynote Speaker(s) at this year's 2026 Bonner Congress. This event is a fantastic opportunity to share your perspective with a diverse group of student leaders from all over the country.

To apply, you'll need to submit a speech outline and a draft of your speech. This is your chance to demonstrate your creativity, thoughtfulness, and dedication as a Bonner on your campus. We're looking for student speakers who can inspire and motivate other Bonners to take action and continue to make a positive impact on their communities.

Student keynote submission from to be open soon!

TRAVEL

The host location, YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly, is located in Black Mountain, North Carolina about 18 miles from Asheville, NC. There will be a shuttle running from the Asheville Regional Airport (AVL) to the YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly on Friday and a return airport shuttle on Sunday. If possible, we recommend traveling as a campus team.

YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly, 84 Blue Ridge Cir, Black Mountain, NC 28711

FLYING

If flying we recommend the following airports —

Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) — 110 mi to YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly

5501 Josh Birmingham Pkwy, Charlotte, NC 28208

Asheville Regional Airport (AVL) — 31mi to YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly

61 Terminal Dr #1, Fletcher, NC 28732

SHUTTLEs

There will be a shuttle offered and will be announced soon!

ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION

Uber/lyft - there are uber and Lyft services available but can vary on availability. They also offer services that you can reserve in advance.

DRIVING

If planning to drive, we recommend carpooling where possible. YMCA Assembly’s address is YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly, 84 Blue Ridge Cir, Black Mountain, NC 28711. Free parking on-site will be available.

QUESTIONS

IF YOU HAVE OTHER QUESTIONS, PLEASE CONTACT...

Jeniffer Gonzalez Reyes, Director of Communications and Campus Engagement at jengr@bonner.org

Liz Brandt, Community Engagement Director at liz@bonner.org

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