Local and Regional Faculty, and Educators: Please Join Us
A track within the 2025 Summer Leadership Institute
On behalf of the University of Richmond and the Bonner Foundation, we invite Virginia and regional faculty, partners, and organizers to join us on June 15, 16, and 17 for a unique networking and professional development experience. People, Power, and Place: The Urgency for Community Engaged Learning will engage faculty members in an immersive experience in the city of Richmond. This track is embedded in a larger conference, the Bonner Summer Leadership Institute, in which teams of faculty, staff, and partners from a national network of 65 colleges and universities convene. This track is part of the larger 35th Anniversary of the Bonner Program, which since 1990 has provided “Access to Education, Opportunity to Serve” to diverse students from high financial need backgrounds, supporting the college attainment of more than 20,000 alumni. Through an intensive four-year developmental experience, students engage directly with nonprofit, educational, and government partners to address community defined needs, learning strategies for civic engagement and social action.
This conference offers opportunities to engage in learning and immersing with community-driven projects throughout the Richmond area. Through unique collaborations, partners, faculty, educators, and residents are working to advance positive social change and address historic and current injustices. Individuals will have opportunities to network with colleagues and share strategies they are using in and out of the classroom to engage in place, build networks for mutual benefit, and serve the common good. We will be joined by leaders from a number of organizations and people in the field of higher education and community engagement, including Bonner, Bringing Theory to Practice, Campus Compact, the Civic Learning for an Engaged Democracy network, Imagining America, and others. You’ll have a chance to choose from a range of plenary and workshops that mesh with your own interests and professional development. 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.
Note: As this track is embedded within the larger conference, the schedule below reflects what attendees will be able to join and experience. Some of this programming, particularly the immersions, are being designed specifically for attendees. When you register, we ask that you indicate which of the optional meals you would like to join.
Download a printable handout with this information and schedule here.
Sunday, June 15, 2025
5:30 pm Dinner and Networking (Optional)
Join us for a special dinner and conversation (the South Room in the Dining Hall)
7:00 pm. Opening Celebration: In the Spirit of Ubuntu: We Are Because You Are (Optional)
At this inspiring session for all attendees, hear from student, local, and national leaders in community engagement and higher education
9:00 pm. Evening Reception (Optional)
Opportunities for social connection
Monday, June 16, 2025
8:00 AM. Breakfast in the University of Richmond Dining Hall (Optional)
9:00 AM. Signature Sessions: Choose from outstanding larger plenaries, each featuring an array of speakers:
Careers in Service to the Common Good: featuring Bonner Alumni Across 35 years
Creating Change within Institutions: Lessons from Imagining America’s Research
Movement Building: Insights from Bringing Theory to Practice Change Makers
The Future of the Civic Engagement Movement in Higher Education
11:00 AM Salute to the Field: The Bonner Program’s 35th Anniversary Celebration and Reception
Join us for a special celebration featuring remarks by President Kevin Hallock, University of Richmond, various tributes, and a keynote by Dr. Timothy K. Eatman
12:00 PM Lunch in the University of Richmond Dining Hall (Optional)
Meet and dine with friends and new colleagues
1:15 PM Elective Workshops: Choose from 10-15 Sessions, including several designed for this track on topics like:
Lessons from the Carnegie Community Engagement Classification
Research on Youth Civic Engagement: What Works
Project Pericles: Dialogue and Debate for Democracy
2:30 PM Gather to commute to special immersion in Richmond (Parking Lot Near THC)
Learn more about the Collaboratory here: https://cemeterycollaboratory.org.
3:00 PM People, Power, Place: A Special Immersive Visit In Richmond
Participants in this track (up to 30) have the opportunity to visit Devil’s Half Acre and learn from members of the Richmond Cemetery Collaboratory working with the East End and Evergreen Cemeteries in Richmond, historic African American Cemeteries. These projects engage faculty from several local institutions in working directly with community partners and residents to build community and address historic and current inequities.
5:00 PM Dinner in Richmond (Optional)
Join us for a meal and good conversation (location TBA)
Tuesday, June 17, 2025
8:00 AM Breakfast in the University of Richmond Dining Hall (Optional)
9:00 AM Power in Place: Centering the Voices of Community
Join this inspiring session within the larger Summer Leadership Institute featuring speakers from the Richmond area. We’ll hear from representatives of some of the partnerships and projects involved in the immersion.
11:00 AM Special Session with Dr. Patti Clayton and Dr. Rachayita Shah
Let’s delve into ways to structure and utilize outcomes, assessment, and reflection to deepen learning. We’ll focus on frameworks that support reciprocity and deep impact.
2:00 PM People, Power, Place: Continued Immersive Visit Into Richmond
Participants in this track have the opportunity to visit several nearby spaces including the Sons and Daughters of Ham Cemetery and the Burying Grounds. We will continue to explore place-based pedagogies during this time.
GETTING INVOLVED
Within the conference, anyone attending may propose a workshop for inclusion. There are two elective blocks occurring (one within this track, but you are welcome to present during either or both). The dates and times are as follows:
Monday, June 16 at 1:15 pm (75 minutes); especially good for topics relevant to this track
Wednesday, June 18 at 9:00 am (75 minutes); can include other topics
If you would like to talk more about how to contribute, please contact Terry Dolson, Senior Associate Director for Community-Engaged Learning with the Bonner Center for Civic Engagement at the University of Richmond at tdolson@richmond.edu or Ariane Hoy, Vice President and/or Rachayita Shah, Director of Community Engaged Learning at the Bonner Foundation. You can also visit the full conference schedule on this page about the 2025 Summer Leadership Institute, where you can submit a workshop.
registER NOW (by MAY 2)
To register, please use the link below. The cost is $25 (which includes your meals). We ask that you provide all contact information. As we are providing this opportunity at no cost for Virginia area faculty, we ask that you please let us know which meals you will join.
You should be prepared to pay by credit card when registering for the People, Power, Place Track.
Please register by May 2nd, 2025
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.
DRIVING
If planning to drive, we recommend carpooling (with others from your organization or institution) where possible. Parking will be available on campus.
More information on transportation options can be found here.
QUESTIONS?
IF YOU HAVE OTHER QUESTIONS, PLEASE CONTACT...
Liz Brandt, Community Engagement Director, at liz@bonner.org, Ariane Hoy, Vice President, at ahoy@bonner.org, or Jen Gonzalez Reyes, Program Manager, at jengr@bonner.org.