The Center for Excellence in Learning through Service (CELTS)

The Center for Excellence in Learning through Service (CELTS) is the home for student community engagement at Berea College and coordinates academic service-learning, student-led community service, and the Bonner Scholars Program. CELTS programs are based on a model of leadership development that provides students with opportunities to manage and run programs themselves, and then to help train other students so that programs provide consistent service to the community from year to year. Reflection is integrated throughout these programs, by providing structured opportunities for students to apply academic knowledge to community issues. Through CELTS’ team-based, cascading leadership development structure, student leaders coordinate service programs, help facilitate academic service-learning, and work with local non-profits and schools. Students coordinate activities including tutoring and mentoring children and teens, visiting the elderly, helping build houses for low-income families, providing English-language tutoring to Spanish speakers, and taking on environmental and social-justice issues. Each community service program and service-learning project is planned and implemented in partnership with community-based and non-profit organizations and schools. In addition to the many community-based activities, the physical space of CELTS is a site for tutoring and mentoring programs, serving over 100 children each week. More than one-third of Berea College students participate in service and service-learning activities. Service-learning courses have been taught in more than twenty academic programs.

OUR BONNER SCHOLARS PROGRAM AT A GLANCE

The Berea College Bonner Scholars Program began in 1990 as the first school in the Bonner Network. Our program has 60 students, 15 in each class.  Students participate in a wide variety of community service placements; all first-year Bonners participate in one common placement, coordinating and implementing after-school programs in collaboration with local elementary and middle schools.

 Our Bonner Program website: http://www.berea.edu/celts/bonner-scholars-program/

KEY STAFF CONTACTS

President: Dr. Lyle Roelofs

CELTS Director and Bonner Director:  Ashley Cochrane  859-985-3605

CELTS Assistant Director and Bonner Coordinator: Heather Schill  859-985-3804

Bonner First Year Program Coordinator: Katie Basham  859-985-3606

KEY STUDENT CONTACTS

Bonner Senior Intern: Taylor Rutherford

Bonner Congress Representatives: Anna Kate McWhorter and Attila Sa

Bonner Student Advisory Committee Members:

Senior Class Reps- Sarah Kozel

Junior Class Reps- Olivia Spooner and Cathy Hughes

Sophomore Class Reps- Amberly Shook and Makala Settlage

Freshmen Class Reps- Shelby Cansler and Tevin Shouse

Bonner First Year Student Coordinators: Denzell Barnett, Nate Stewart, and Sydney Vaughn

RESOURCES FOR OTHER CAMPUSES

As we come across interesting resources or other items of interest that could be used by other campus administrators or students, we'll post them here.

1. Power-point Presentation created by Heather Schill for the 20th Anniversary and SLI explaining the structure of our Student-led Community Service Programs.