BONNER PROGRAM AT A GLANCE
Name of Campus-Wide Center: Department of Service-Learning within Campus Life
Relevant website: http://www.rider.edu/commservice
Type of Program: Bonner Leaders- Rider Bonner Community Scholars Program
Year Began: 1999
Bonner Program website: 2013 Bonner Fellowship Weekly Newsletter http://www.rider.edu/bonner
Number of Bonner Leaders: 60
Active in Bonner AmeriCorps Ed Award:41
Active in FIPSE Civic Ed Certficate/Minor: No
KEY CONTACTS
President: Dr. Mordechai Rozanski
Dean of Students: Dr. Anthony Campbell
Assisstant Director of Campus Life for Service Learning/ Bonner Director: Annie Pasqua
Coordinator of Community Service: Jane Sanchez
Bonner Senior Interns: Brittany Gilstein- Admistrative and Program Management
- Campus Engagement
Jalyssa James -Community Impact
HOW WE ARE DEVOTED TO THE SIX COMMON BONNER COMMITMENTS
1. Civic Engagement:
The Community Values Statements of Rider University states that "true leadership is derived from service to others". This statement is the basis for the work that takes place in the Department of Service-Learning within Campus Life. Rider Bonner Community Scholars (RBCS) are campus-wide agents of change at Rider. The serve in site teams at the following placements (Please see the link for additional information):
El Centro
HomeFront : Family Preservation Center
HomeFront: Joy, Hopes and Dreams
Trenton Area Soup Kitchen
The English School
The Boys and Girls Club of Trenton
Food Stamp Outreach
Get Set
Eggerts Crossing Village
2. Community Building
Here at Rider, we have a strongly built community dedicated to service. To begin with, we have a learning community for first year Bonner's called the Community Service Learning Community (CSLC). The learning community gives them a chance to live together and creates a unique bond for the first year Bonner's bringing them closer as a class.
In addition, the Freshman Bonner class goes for a service trip in their spring break. They are led by three sophomore Bonners, the Bonner Director, and the Coordinator of Community Service. This gives them an opportunity to make bonds, and exposes them to national level AmeriCorps projects, such as City Year. For the past three years, the first year trip has been to Boston.
Apart from these opportunities for Freshmen, there are many other opportunities where the Rider Bonner Scholars can build a larger community. Every Wednesday, all the Bonners get together for different types of discussions. These include, but are not limited to, issues of social justice, racial discussion, as well as general group discussions about their service sites and how they can be improved.
Another great opportunity for the Rider Bonner community to make bonds, is the Bonner Winter Retreat. The weekend before classes start for the spring semester, all the Bonner Leaders have to attend a mandatory Winter Retreat. This includes participation in Leadership Day activities at Rider University, along with a service project the next day. This past year the we served at the Jersey shore to rebuild communities effected by Hurricane Sandy.
3. Diversity
Associated with two organisations, i.e. Bonner Foundation and Rider University, we are committed to having equal opportunity for all. To exhibit this, a profile of our Rider Bonner Community should be enough. So, here it is:
By observing these charts, our commitment to diversity is evident.
4. International Perspective
Each year after exams are over, our leaders have the opportunity to go for an optional international service trip. This exposes them to issues of international importance and gives them a chance to serve the underprivileged communities abroad. They come back home with a greater understanding of the suffering in undeserved areas and a better perspective of how they can be agents of global change. This past year our trip went to Belize, Central America. This gave the students an opportunity to serve at an international level. They interacted one-on-one with the locals and made close connections. Serving at three different schools in a foreign country and exploring the country together, strengthened the Rider Bonner Community as well.
International perspective is not limited to issues of international importance, but rather includes interactions with people from different countries and different schools of thought. Therefore, our Rider Bonner community is made up of a mix of international and American students. This gives our American students a chance to get an insight of what different parts of the world are going through. Whereas, our international students get a family and an overdose of Bonner love. This interaction helps form bonds and brings about a stronger global community.
5. Social Justice
Common themes for our weekly meetings are social justice issues. The entire Rider Bonner community gets together to discuss these issues. This allows them to learn about different view points their peers have about different issues, and how these issues can be overcome. This leads to a better understanding of the world around them, and how they have the power to change how things are done. The Bonner Leaders who are unable to make it to the weekly meetings due to an academic conflict, are required to participate in the Social Justice Book Club. They read and discuss books centered on social justice issues.
Apart from theoretical discussions about these issues, the scholars get opportunities to serve to overcome these issues. For example, we have just created a Hunger Team that would focus on hunger as a social justice issue. This team would have two components. One would be in different food banks, where our scholars would serve and impact the community directly. The other component is service in the garden, because we see environmental degradation as a social justice issue.
Every fall, we also hold a Hunger and Homelessness Awareness week. Throughout this week the Rider Bonners get the opportunity to increase awareness about and draw people towards the social issues of hunger and homelessness.
6. Spiritual Exploration
Our Rider Bonner community is very diverse in regards to religion. Consequently, the creation of a forum where our Bonner leaders could learn more about various religions was necessitated. And so, we started a Bonner Faith Group. This allows our Rider Bonner Community to not only learn about other religions, but also teach others about their own religion. Understanding of each other's religion leads to greater unity and stronger community.
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