Earlier this month, Humanity in Action and The Corella & Bertram Bonner Foundation formalized a new partnership. This new three-year partnership commits Humanity in Action to hold at least one Fellowship spot per year for a Bonner Student, while the Bonner Foundation will promote Humanity in Action programs amongst its network and encourage Bonner Scholars and Leaders to apply. The agreement also carries an option to extend the partnership should both organizations wish to do so.

The Bonner Program is a four-year commitment in which Bonner Students commit to a weekly commitment to intensive and meaningful service with a local community organization over the four years as an undergraduate student at one of the Foundation’s campus partners. Bonner Scholars and Leaders also commit to continuing this service over the summer, and the Humanity in Action Fellowship will count towards fulfilling this obligation.

Since the program began in 1990 at Berea College, the Bonner Program has graduated over 18,000 alumni, with a large majority still active in service and volunteering within the community.

“I am excited about this partnership because I think the Bonner Foundation and Humanity in Action have educational missions and philosophies that align,” said Humanity in Action US National Director Hannah Sachs. “I’ve known about Bonner Students and the work they do to better their communities since I was a college student, and we are excited for Humanity in Action to play a role in their educational journey. At the same time, we look forward to the contributions and perspectives that Bonner Scholars and Leaders will bring to our Fellowships.”

“I am thrilled to see this partnership come to fruition as the Bonner Network is keen on having Bonner Scholars and Leaders have a global understanding of society’s challenges. The partnership with Humanity in Action and the Bonner Foundation will provide Bonners the opportunity to connect with international communities and gain experience as change agents for democratic societies,” said Bonner Foundation Alumni Network Manager Arthur Tartee. “We are looking forward to building upon this partnership as the world needs more active citizens to respond to societal challenges and bring about positive change through collaborative dialogues across communities.”