Annual Report – Programmatic Section

Please complete this template below to share programmatic highlights.  The entire report can be three pages or less.  Please share information and highlights, in a letter-like or reporting format, that addresses the following three categories and provides a synopsis of your Bonner Program this year.

Implementation of Student Development: 

Our Bonner Program is designed to host an entire Bonner Community training and enrichment meeting bi-weekly through the academic year and weekly over the summer. Both Bonner Leaders and Bonner Scholars come together for a 2-hour session. We typically focus our activities around the Common Commitments, and use Bonner Scholar class meetings in opposite weeks to address skill development.

In the fall semester, third year scholars facilitated trainings and presented their learning about their second summer of service. Topics included: urban youth, international immigration and border patrol, HIV AIDS and medical care in China. The spring semester covered everything from listening to speakers like the activist Jeff Johnson to civic engagement, presidential candidates, gender dialogues and SLI group work.

Our first year trip is committed to working with Laughlin Memorial Chapel where students serve in the soup kitchen, mentor youth and repair homes. Our second year service exchange was hosted through the All Bonner Service initiative of SLI. Students lead groups of their peers to organizations like: Fresh from the Vines Farm, Earth Force, Wesbury United Methodist, and The Erie International Institute.

Our third year students took on much of the training and service leadership this year. Seniors regularly present their experience and learning during our Bonner & Beyond reception in April. This year, Richard Cook was recognized for his service in creating our Bonner Program by Wayne Meisel. 

Implementation of Community Partnerships: 

Every year we host at least a fall Community Partner dialogue on campus. This year, our primary focus was to provide partners with a reorientation to the Bonner Program, provide resources and materials for use as supervisors of students, and encourage the development of new and deeper partnerships as our program continues to increase.

This year alone we have created several new placement sites for students, most of which were student lead initiatives. They include: The Crawford County READ Program English as a Second Language Initiative, Penncrest School District, Crawford County CARE Center, Wellness and Oncology Institute, NWPA Autism Outreach and Creating Landscapes.

Campus-wide Culture and Infrastructure: 

With the addition of the Bonner Scholar Program on campus, the growing leadership within the Bonner Leader Program, and student interest in engagement and service, we are starting to see a shift in campus culture. The word is out on service and interest in Bonner is flourishing. Students are more readily leading their peers to volunteer. Community projects are accomplished regularly. And, applications have increased.

Collaboration within the Center for Experiential Learning increased this year, particularly with Leadership Programs and Career Services. Our work with Diversity Affairs is ongoing, particularly through Martin Luther King Celebrations and our Stuff the Bus program. Financial Aid and the Learning Commons continually offer support to our students. There will be a shift in Student Activities staff this year which we also hope will enhance our recruitment and programmatic strategies for greater campus involvement. Because of the SLI theme, we were able to engage the Center for Political Participation in programming this year, a relationship we hope to maintain through the coming election period.