The "Quick Start" Guide to Selecting and Preparing Your Programs Congress Reps

1) Read and distrubute the Bonner Congress Handbook

Getting this handbook to students is the first essential step to getting started with your Congress team. It contains information on what the role of a Congress Rep is, what meetings look like, and additional information on the Project Proposal process. It might be useful to print out one or two copies to put in your Bonner or Community Service Office where your students can access it. If you already have your Bonner Congress Representatives selected, you may want to give a copy directly to them.  To view the 2009-2010 Bonner Congress Handbook, download it here:

• Bonner Congress Handbook 2009

2) Select Your Bonner Congress Representatives

For those schools that have not selected their Representatives yet we ask that you include the Bonner Congress Project Proposal as the essay portion of your application process. Each school will be expected to have their Representatives submit one proposal by September 18, 2009. It is important that you include in your process these elements:

• Education on the role of a Congress Rep (the handbook might be a good resource for this)
• Application including submission of a Bonner Congress Project Proposal
• Recognition of student voice in voting process
• Administrator input

For a list of suggested selection processes click here.

3) Notify the Bonner Foundation of your selections

In order to plan for the Fall Congress Meeting, the Foundation needs to have cofirmation of the names of each schools Bonner Congress Represetatives by September 10, 2009. These can be submited on the Wiki by clicking here.

4) Work with your Congress Reps on their Bonner Congress Project Proposals

Working with your Congress Reps on their Project Proposals will help to make sure that the Proposal is realistic and important to your program and your community. Submissions are due on the Wiki by September 18, 2009. On time submissions are essential to the success of this year's Fall Congress Meeting.  Students will propose a project to strengthen their Bonner Programs.  We anticipate that there will be several focus areas for this initiative, including:

• Bringing Issue-Focused Model to Campus
• Improving Bonner Orientation (Bonner 101)
• Building Training and Enrichment Activities
• Building a Bonner Leadership Team
• Improving your program’s Recruitment and Selection process
• Improving the Freshman Class Placement Process
• Improving your First Year Service Trip
• Improving your Sophomore Service Exchange
• Working on Summer Placements
• Improving Junior Year Placements
• Creating and Exploring International Service Projects
• Building your Rising Senior Enrichment Fund
• Improving Senior Placements
• Creating a venue for Senior Presentation of Service