Oberlin College

Page history last edited by Donna Russell 4 mos ago

CAMPUS NAME AND ADDRESS

Oberlin College

101 North Professor St.

Oberlin, OH 44074

http://www.oberlin.edu

Bonner Endowment Dinner 2007-class of 2009 The Bonner CSL (aka Lewis House) Sophomore Recommitment 2009-class of 2011

CAMPUS AT A GLANCE (brief description)

Oberlin College uniquely combines both a leading College of Arts and Sciences and a world-renowned Conservatory of Music.

The College of Arts and Sciences offers a four-year undergraduate program leading to the Bachelor of Arts degree. The Conservatory of Music offers four-year undergraduate programs of professional and academic studies leading to the Bachelor of Music degree. In addition, Oberlin offers a distinctive, five-year double-degree program leading to both baccalaureate degrees.

The Conservatory also offers five-year, integrated programs leading to the Master of Music (opera theater, conducting, and historical performance in six private-study areas). Stand-alone graduate programs include the Master of Music in Performance on Historical Instruments (11 private-study areas) and a Master of Music Teaching. Two-year certificate programs in music include a Performance Diploma (undergraduate) and an Artist Diploma (graduate).

KEY FACTS

Location: 35 miles southwest of Cleveland

Enrollment: 2,800 students (2,200 College of Arts and Sciences, 400 Conservatory of Music, 200 double degree)

Other interesting tidbits:

1. Founded in 1833, Oberlin was the first institution of higher education in America to adopt a policy to admit students of color (1835) and the first college to award bachelor’s degrees to women (1841) in a coeducational program.

2. Since 1920, more Oberlin graduates have earned PhDs than graduates of any other American baccalaureate college; three have been recipients of a Nobel Prize and six have been awarded MacArthur “genius” Fellowships.

3. Oberlin’s Science Center features a 64-bit supercomputer – the first installed at any four-year, liberal arts college in the nation.

4. Students helped to design the largest photovoltaic array in Ohio and the first entirely solar-powered academic building at any U.S. college or university.

5. The oldest continuously operating Conservatory of Music in the United States.

BONNER PROGRAM AT A GLANCE

Name of Campus-Wide Center: Bonner Center for Service and Learning

Type of Program: Bonner Scholars

Year Began: 1992

Bonner Program website: www.oberlin.edu/bcsl/bonner/Overview.html

Oberlin Bonner Wiki: oberlinserves.pbworks.com

Number of Bonner Scholars:60

Active in Bonner AmeriCorps Ed Award:12 (5 Oberlin College students who are not receiving the Bonner Scholarship are all enrolled)

Active in Other AmeriCorps Ed Award:0

Active in Learn & Serve CBR:0

Active in FIPSE Civic Ed Certficate/Minor:0

KEY CONTACTS

President:Marvin Krislov

Bonner Center for Service & Learning (Bonner CSL) Director:Beth Blissman

Bonner Scholars Program (BSP) Director: Donna Russell

Bonner Scholars Program (BSP) Senior Intern(s): Elissa "ChiChi" Nieves, Jerome Goings, Margaret "Maggie" Ainsworth

Bonner Congress Representatives: Cindy Camacho, Chloe Drummond, Syrea Thomas

Additional Bonner CSL Staffmembers: Education Outreach Programs Director-Andy Frantz, Administrative Assistant-Vicki Yacobozzi

MORE ABOUT US (our partners, trips, structure, best or unique practices)

In 2007-08, highlights of Oberlin’s Bonner Scholars Program included further empowerment of students to take leadership within the program and increased preparation for first-year students before they served in the local community. Student-run Bonner committees (on activities, the community fund, and reflection) were one of the highlights of the year. The committees were formed in 2006-07 at the suggestion of congress representatives to build stronger community among the Bonner Scholars as well as provide more opportunities for leadership, and they have developed into a central component of Bonner Scholars programming. The committees offered all Bonner Scholars the opportunity to plan activities and award service-related grant funding to their peers. Three Bonner congress representatives led the committees, which each had 6 or 7 members. The committees planned and facilitated activities and meetings for the group, and committee members developed critical Bonner skills in the areas of event planning, budgeting, decision-making, delegation, and teamwork. The activities committee organized the second off-campus, overnight Bonner retreat in five years. The reflection committee organized three meetings, which emphasized artistic expression exercises and discussions about issues Bonner Scholars encounter in performing their service. The community fund committee granted over $6,000 for local programs, Bonner-initiated projects and training sessions. Development of these committees has heightened the sense of empowerment and community among the Bonner Scholars.

Another strength of Oberlin’s Bonner Scholars Program in 2007-08 was the increased preparation first-year students received before they served in the community. First-year Bonner Scholars were introduced to Oberlin College, the City of Oberlin and Lorain County as well as the BSP during a comprehensive orientation that ran three days. Activities began with icebreakers led by returning Bonner Scholars and a community dinner. The first day students completed community service, heard a panel presentation by returning Bonner Scholars about their experiences, and watched the Bonner Foundation video. In addition, the BSP Director shared information about the Bonner Network, so the first-years know that the Bonner Program is a nationwide pioneer in providing community-service scholarships. The second day, new students participated in a ropes obstacle course, shared their backgrounds at a “story-telling” workshop, and learned basic information about the BSP. The final day, students met with staff from a range of Oberlin offices, including Financial Aid, Student Accounts, Multicultural Resource Center, Student Academic Services, Dean of Students and the Bonner Center for Service and Learning (Bonner CSL). To increase their direct knowledge of Lorain County, first-year Bonner Scholars were trained as site leaders for the annual Day of Service during New Student Orientation. The training consisted of information about Lorain County and the service sites, facilitation tips for icebreakers and reflection, and problem solving. After only one week at Oberlin, first-year Bonner Scholars served in leadership roles and managed groups of their peers at non-profit agencies across Lorain County.

The Oberlin Bonner Scholars work at 20 sites in and around Oberlin. Check out our community organizations to learn more about how Bonner Scholars are helping in the Oberlin community:

America Counts -http://www.oberlincommunityservices.org/tutoring.html

America Reads - http://www.oberlin.edu/bcsl/amreads/Overview.html

The Boys and Girls Club of Lorain County –Oberlin Unit - http://www.loraincounty.com/bgc/

The Bridge - http://www.oberlin.net/~thebridge/

Family Planning Services - http://www.familyplanningservices.org

Firelands Association of the Visual Arts (FAVA) - http://www.favagallery.org/

Girls in Motion

Kendal At Oberlin - http://kao.kendal.org/

Lorain County Joint Vocational School - http://www.lcjvs.com

Lorain County Rape Crisis

The MAD* Factory -http://www.madfactory.org/

Main Street Oberlin, Inc. - http://www.oberlin.org/

New Agrarian Center - http://www.gotthenac.org

Ninde Scholars Program - http://www.oberlin.edu/ninde

Northern Ohio Youth Orchestra (NOYO) - http://www.noyo.org/

Oberlin Choristers - http://www.ochoristers.org/

Oberlin City Schools- http://www.oberlin.k12.oh.us/

Oberlin Community Services (OCS) - http://www.oberlincommunityservices.org

Oberlin Early Childhood Center (OECC) - http://www.oberlinearlychildhood.org/

Oberlin Heritage Center -http://www.oberlinheritage.org/

Peace Community Church - http://peacecommunity.mychurch.com/

Save Our Children - http://www.saveourchildrenelyria.org

Spanish in the Elementary Schools-http://www.oberlin.edu/SITES/homepage.htm

Western Reserve Land Conservancy - http://www.firelandslc.org/

Zion Community Development Corporation

ANNUAL REPORT OF PROGRAM ACTIVITIES

Highlights of the Oberlin College Bonner Scholars Program (BSP) for 2008-2009 include the development of the Oberlinserves wiki as the online campus source for community service information, the creation of Site-based Teams at community partner service sites in collaboration with the Oberlin College Community-Service Work-study Program (CSWSP), and connecting Oberlin’s Bonner Scholars with other Bonner Network schools and the Bonner Foundation.

The Oberlinserves wiki was developed as the on-line campus source for information about community service opportunities, Bonner CSL programs and civic engagement related resources. Launched during the first week of classes in February, the wiki incorporates a variety of web-based tools (including Google calendars, Google maps, pictures (via Slideshare), Blogger and on-line surveys) to help manage programs and advertise service opportunities. The wiki is instrumental in the management of Bonner CSL programs by centralizing information about service opportunities and dates for Bonner CSL events and by providing students with directions to CSWSP service sites through Google Maps. In addition, representatives from each Bonner CSL program are able to add information to the wiki without knowledge of website development and maintenance software. Since the wiki is formatted similar to a Microsoft Word document it was very easy for Bonner CSL staff and students to use.

This year, the Bonner CSL staff sponsored four community partner meetings to review the requirements of the BSP and CSWSP, determine the best way to incorporate the Site-based Team Model, provide time for the community partners and site coordinators to work on Site-based Team development and plans for next year, and discuss Best Practices when working with students. These meetings strengthened the collaboration between the BSP and CSWSP, as the BSP Director and CSWSP Coordinator worked closely on the Site-based Team development at service sites and visited sites to assist organizations with implementing the Model.

The BSP Director planned activities with other Bonner schools to connect Oberlin College students with the Bonner Network. During the First-Year Trip, the BSP Director and 19 students worked with staff and volunteers at the Drueding Center, a transitional housing facility in Philadelphia, PA, to paint the facility, provide enrichment activities for the children at day care, organize clothes at the thrift shop, clean apartments for new residents, sort the canned food in the pantry, and pack ‘Welcome Kits” for the new residents. While in Philadelphia, the group took advantage of the close proximity to Princeton, N.J. and visited Bonner Foundation president Wayne Meisel at Sheldon House, home of the Bonner Foundation. After the visit to Princeton, the students spent an evening participating in community building exercises with Bonner students from The College of New Jersey in Ewing, N.J. In spring 2009, sophomore Bonner Scholars participated in the Sophomore Exchange with Allegheny College in Meadville, PA. A representative from each school worked with Allegheny’s senior intern to plan the Exchange, which sent three teams of students from both schools to three sites for a half day of service and also had students participate in enrichment activities and reflection exercises.

Oberlinserves articles

The Oberlin Review

Oberlin Events Calendar

Oberlin Newsletter

Click here to complete next wiki-based portion of Annual Report.

2009 ANNUAL REPORT OF PROGRAM ACTIVITIES