What is the Bonner Leader Program?

The Bonner Leader’s Program (BLP), sponsored by the Bonner Foundation of Princeton, NJ, is a service-based scholarship program. Its motto - “access to education, opportunity to serve” - captures its dual purpose of supporting students in college to use their energy, talent, and leadership to engage in local communities.

The BLP is an outgrowth of the Bonner Scholars Program that began in 1990 and now supports 1600 students on 25 campuses in 12 states. Currently the BLP exists at 49 campuses in 22 states and awards scholarships to more than 2,500 students.

What are the goals of the Bonner Leaders Program?

Program goals are focused on the student, the campus, and the community:

• Student ~ To afford college students an opportunity to use their energy, talents, and leadership to engage in community service while providing developmental and financial support.
• Campus ~ To challenge and strengthen a “culture of service” in which the school’s 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.
  

What are the benefits to a campus in having a Bonner Leaders Program?

The BLP creates a corps of students supported to engage in sustained, long-term community outreach partnerships which goes beyond a one-semester service-learning course or short-term campus volunteer activity.

• The Bonner Program’s student development model provides an opportunity to envision and create a multi-year student development program through service.
• The BLP offers campuses an opportunity to join a network of other higher education institutions across the country committed to and engaged in similar efforts.
• The Bonner Foundation is connected to a series of “Bonner Partners,” over 100 national and international non-profit agencies who are committed to working with and providing service opportunities, internships, and placements for students and recent graduates.
  

What support does the Bonner Foundation provide campuses?

The BLP network creates opportunities to collaborate with other institutions and consortiums to share training ideas and resources and to participate in joint service projects, fundraising initiatives and peer exchanges.

Campuses participating in the Bonner Leader Program have access to the training materials and resources provided by the Bonner Foundation. In particular, the Bonner Foundation has cooperative partnerships with national organizations that provide training opportunities and resources for the entire network.

The Bonner Foundation hosts national trainings and development conferences each year for participating campuses.

The Bonner Foundation supports two Senior Fellows to help develop a series of Student Impact Surveys used to evaluate the impact of the program on members. The Surveys and all related findings and research are available to participating campuses. Our assessment was designed and carried out by the Bonner Foundation Senior Research Fellows, Drs. Jim and Cheryl Keen, co-authors of the book Common Fire.

Bonner Foundation staff and local campus directors and coordinators are available for technical assistance, training, and campus visits to all participating campuses.

How does a campus join the Bonner Leader network? What are the next steps?

1) Review the Start-Up Guide online.

2) Set-up a visit for a Bonner Foundation representative where he or she can meet with relevant on-campus staff and administration (i.e., President, Director of Student Activities, Director of financial aid, Admissions, etc.)

3) Consider how the Bonner Leader Program could become an integrated part of your campus by thinking about such questions as:

o In what office will the BLP be housed at this campus?
o How could this program complement current initiatives on this campus and in this community?
o What community partners would be strong candidates for hosting Bonner Leaders?
o How can current students assist with the creation of the BLP?

4) Attend a Bonner Foundation Training Meeting & talk to Regional Program Officer about projected start date & numbers

5) Decide on BLP structure on your campus:

o Who will coordinate the program on your campus?
o How many Bonner Leaders will you recruit each year?
o Will you recruit incoming students or upperclassmen?
o Who will identify community partners for your program?
o What will the training and enrichment schedule look like on your campus?
o What additional sources of funding can your campus leverage to supplement the student’s holarship package?

Bonner Leader Program Responsibilities

• Student
  • Engage in service
  • Participate in training and reflection sessions
  • Complete all member paperwork (if AmeriCorps) and Bonner Web-Based Reporting Tracking
  • Login hours on the Bonner Web-Based Reporting System
  • Complete the Comprehensive Placement Process with the Service Siteand campus staff
    
• Service Site
  • Provide an opportunity for direct and meaningful service
  • Provide orientation and training opportunities regarding actual service site and field of service
  • Maintain communication with campus and members
  • Monitor and "sign-off" on member service and training hours
  • Review and help members complete the Comprehensive Placement Process Form
    
• Campus
  • Identify and secure community partners
  • Provide orientation to the BLP and AmeriCorps
  • Maintain communication with service sites and the Bonner Foundation
  • Maintain communication with other campus entities re: status of BLP
  • ManageBonner Web-Based Reporting System (BWBRS)
    
• Bonner Foundation
  • Provide AmeriCorps Funding