After surveying administrators throughout the network, we learned that administrators lack effective tools to manage their students abroad, including to keep in contact with their students, juggle the dates and deadlines of students abroad, and establish a direct relationship with the site supervisor abroad. In response, we have gathered some best practices and included some useful tools in this section:

 

Features opinions from Bonners in the network on web technology and how students prefer to be contacted. See how other programs are utilizing Serve 2.0 tools to keep their Bonners abroad in the loop.

 

This timeline features management tips organized by calendar and by class year.

 

Copied from the student Service Abroad Handbook, this timeline guides students through the process of selecting and preparing for a service abroad experience. It may be useful for you to view this timeline while creating your own management schedule.

 

This chart is useful for keeping track of your normal program deadlines as well as the adjusted deadlines for students studying abroad, who are often on different academic calendars.

 

With respect to establishing a direct relationship with the site supervisor abroad, we encourage you to use the Service Partner Guide, described below. Have your students print this guide and either send it to their potential site or bring it along with them when they go abroad.

 

Service Partner Guide: Introducing the Bonner Program to an International Service Partner 

download here: Service Partner Guide.pdf

A comprehensive guide that introduces potential site supervisors to the Bonner Program. It also features a CLA workbook for potential partners and student volunteers to fill out together. The workbook considers community needs and student assets, leading students to create an effective and useable CLA. It also includes worksheets on providing contact information, which would provide international site supervisors with your information. Considering time differences, technology abroad, language, and cultural issues, it may be useful to develop your own strategies for contacting them on a case-by-case basis.

 

USEFUL TIP: You can use this handbook for introducing the Bonner Program to local community partners too!