Connecting Service and Politics

Experience (Second-Year) Stage

Goals/Objectives | Skill Development | Training & Enrichment | Cornerstones | Academic Connections

Goals/Objectives 

Now that you have chosen a service site and have deepened your understanding of basic and general community needs, you may be ready to learn more about the specific issue facing your service site. In your second year, the main focus will be issues-based knowledge. In this stage, you will learn more about root causes and solutions to these community issues (and specifically the ones addressed at your service site), as well as the ways in which you can get involved through both service and politics. This year, you will be able to distinguish different types of civic engagement and find out what types may work for you. Also, you'll learn about the history of your service site and their effort in addressing the issue, which will greatly benefit your understanding of that specific community need.

Skill Development

The second stage of this model will help you develop the following skills, knowledge, and values: 

     • developing an understanding of different forms of civic engagement, such as direct service, advocacy, activism, working to create socially responsible business practices, public policy research, and other forms

     • learn to distinguish types of service and political engagement, and their advantages and disadvantages

     • deepen place-based knowledge with an issues-based understanding of root causes and possible solutions to the issues you're confronting; for example, know how homelessness is impacting your local community and what some of the best strategies are to tackle homelessness in the present and long-term future, knowing about legislation and policies that may affect this issue

Training, Enrichment & Reflection

As a Bonner, you'll be able to supplement your service work with meaningful reflection and activities. Through specific skill trainings, educational and spiritual enrichment activities, and personal and group reflection, you will be able to think about gaining experience at your service site in lots of new ways. These activities will help you develop the skills listed above that emphasize developing your understanding of a specific set of community needs as addressed by your service site. The following sequence of events could be useful as a model for a year long commitment to exploring this level of civic agency. 

Cornerstone Activities

Connecting service and politics can also be accomplished through preexisting Bonner Program activities such as the Second Year Exchange, monthly and class-based meetings, site-based teams, and more. Click here to see how to utilize these program features to achieve the goals and acquire the skills in this experience stage.

Academic Connections

Here are some ideas for how service and politics can connect in the classroom and complement service work to create a well-rounded developmental experience toward civic engagement. 

• Justice & Civil Society Course: An issues-based course that covers a history of "justice" and the issues/policy that prevent it from being afforded to all

• Optional student-chosen course: Students can choose a preexisting course in the curriculum that is connected to the issue/policies their service site faces. This would need to be approved by the Bonner director/coordinator.

• Issues-based team forum or event: A team could develop their skills by hosting an event that promotes awareness by connecting their issue with local, national, and global contexts. It is essential that  this event includes an educational piece. 

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