Start a Bonner Program
If your campus is interested in engaging in intensive and meaningful service with your student and community, we encourage you to consider developing a Bonner Program on your campus.
Since the Bonner Foundation’s original partnership with six start-up schools in 1998, the Bonner Foundation has partnered with more than 40 additional schools in the implementation of Bonner Leaders Programs. Together, these schools have taught us that “replication is not duplication.” Though we have identified a core model for Bonner Leader schools, each school we partner with brings new ideas and adaptations to the program, which we then share with other schools.
Schools interested in the Bonner Leaders Program often ask us what they should do first when considering the creation of a service-based scholarship program on their campuses. In response, we have developed a start-up guide for prospective Bonner Leader Programs that schools can think about as they begin this process. We also host an orientation for new and prospective Bonner Program staff in Princeton each summer.
We recommend that campus representatives interested in the Bonner Program discuss the program with other members of the campus community. Specifically, we have found that presidential support is a very important element when creating a successful campus-based program.
In addition, schools should consider what model of service-based scholarship program they can afford. There are range of service-based scholarship program models for schools to consider, depending on available financial resources.
Community Service Work-Study — The Bonner Program model leverages the work opportunities that schools provide as part of a student’s overall financial aid package using Community Service Work-Study (fulfilling the school’s 7% minimum requirement) or institutional work-study funds. The chart below shows a range of options by hourly wage and number of hours served. While the Bonner Program Model demands the most amount of time, other less intensive models are more common.
Combination of Community Service Work-Study & Scholarship Support — Some schools package students with both Federal and/or College Work-Study awards (as shown above) and a service-based scholarship starting that start as low as $1,000 but often higher. This combination provides additional financial aid support and motivation for participating students who have to work their way through college.
Service Scholarships — Other schools just provide only scholarship support to students engaged in community service. The amount of these service-based scholarships needs to be sufficiently large to replace the work requirement for students who need to work their way through college.
To pursue the Bonner Program model, campuses will need to have the following in place:
Federal and/or College Work-Study to pay students who will be doing community-service work 8-10 hours per week for 14 weeks each semester (225-280 hour ;
Someone on staff who can coordinate the program, including holding weekly meetings with the Bonners for training, education, and reflection.
Transportation is another consideration, since Bonners will be traveling to/from their service sites several times per week, and we ask all schools to attend our annual series of national meetings for staff and students.
We know the Bonner Program model is a heavy lift. We also know that there are other effective models that require fewer hours. The Bonner Foundation is committed to expanding our replication initiative through the creation of service-based scholarship programs across the country. We welcome conversations with institutions that are dedicated to offering this type of opportunity to their students.
These two anniversary celebration annual reports from the College of Charleston and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill tell the story of their Bonner Program start-up years.
If you're campus is interested, please complete the Request for Follow Up below. If you have any direct question, please reach out to Robert Hackett at 609-924-6663 or rhackett@bonner.org at the Bonner Foundation.