Annual Report – Programmatic Section

 

Please complete this template below to share programmatic highlights.  The entire report can be three pages or less.  Please share information and highlights, in a letter-like or reporting format, that addresses the following three categories and provides a synopsis of your Bonner Program this year.

 

Implementation of Student Development: 

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How did you implement the developmental model this year within your co-curricular and service activities? (suggested one page text):

1. The role of trainings, courses, & meetings 
2. First Year Trip
3. Second Year Exchange
4. Third Year (and beyond) Leadership Roles
5. Senior Capstone & Presentation of Learning

 

1. The developmental model was integrated through student planning and programming where the Bonner Scholars participated in development trainings sessions based on their respective classification as follows:

 

1st Year Development Series

Beginning with the Fall 2007 semester, the Bonner Scholars Program collaborated with the Spelman College Dean of Sisters Chapel and the WISDOM Center under the leadership of Dr. Reverend Lisa Rhodes where she facilitated spiritual autobiography reflection sesssions as part of the Bonner Common Commitments of introducing students to spritual awareness. The Spring 2008 semester concluded with the successful completion of the spritual autobiography reflection sessions. This collaboration effort provided the 1st year Bonner Scholars the opportunities to share their spritual journeys and to critically reflect on how this experience may guide them in cultivating their vocation.

 

2nd Year Development Series

The Bonner Scholars class of 2010 met monthly where they discussed various topics on their development and service accomplishments over the last year. Topics of discussion focused on the creation of a mission and vision statement, personal development, social development, academic development and civic responsibility. These meetings also addressed action steps needed to enhance and improve the sophomore development series program as well as the creation of projects and initiatives that would support the needs of our communities. 

 

The Upper Hand Program (Junior and Senior class)

The Bonner Scholars Program partnered with the Spelman College Office of Career Planning and Development, Spelman Women Empowered Through Professional Training (SWEPT) program where the junior and senior Bonner Scholars participated in an eight-week training program that is designed to fill the gap between classroom training and the professional skills that business and professional communities expect in the workplace. This was a pilot collaboration effort that proved very successful and will become integrated into the Bonner Scholars Program training and enrichment component as part of the Bonner Student Development Model.

2. First Year Service Trip

The 1^st Year Service Trip for the class of 2010 took place December 8-12, 2007 in Birmingham, Alabama. The mission of this service trip was to increase the students’ awareness of the history of the Civil Rights Movement in which a portion of this movement took place in the city of Birmingham, Alabama where four little girls were killed in a bombing at the historic 16^th Street Baptist church. In addition, the 1st year service trip for the class of 2011 took place March 9-13, 2008 in Hiawassee, Georgia. The mission of this service trip was to teach students good stewardship and to gain an appreciation of our natural resources and how vital our contributions are in ensuring that we continue to nourish and cultivate our environment.

3. Second Year Exchange

The Sophomore Exchange Trip for the Bonner Scholars class of 2010 took place on February 29, 2008, where the sophomore bonner scholars collaborated with Berry College in Rome, Georgia to participate in a Servant Leadership Conference presented by The Center for Servant Leadership at the Pastoral Institute. This conference provided some key practices of servant-leadership and explored the meaningful lives of servant-leaders of today. The conference also presented the different models of leadership and service and how servant-leadership correlates with both models.

4. Third Year (and beyond) Leadership Roles

The developmental nature of student leadership roles consists of Bonner Scholars becoming project coordinators at their service sites, student coordinators, interns, bonner congress representatives and class representatives within the Bonner Scholars Program. The Senior Intern role works closely with the Bonner Scholars Program Coordinator in creating and implementing service initiatives, developing curricular for Bonner Scholars training and enrichment, identifying a diverse group of community service providers, and collaborating with student-led organization’s, faculty and other departments to enhance the culture of service on campus. The Junior Intern role requires a junior Bonner Scholar to live in the SERVE Living and Learning Community with the 1st year Bonner students. The junior intern is responsible for planning and coordinating programming for the freshmen Bonner Scholars. Junior and Senior Bonner Scholars who serve as Bonner Congress and Class Representatives are intrumental in creating and leading project initiatives as well as being the liaison between the Bonner Scholars Program Coordinator and Bonner Scholars network.

5. Senior Capstone & Presentation of Learning

The Bonner Scholars graduating class of 2008 shared their Senior Capstone of Learning Experience at an All Bonner Scholars general meeting. This capstone of learning was illustrated in a form of storytelling and a skit where the seniors demonstrated their journey as a Bonner Scholar and imparted their learned lessons to the group. Seniors noted that Bonner was life changing, rewarding and transformed their lives. They also expressed to their fellow Bonner Scholars how giving back and working in their communities helped to provide a sense of direction for their fuuture endeavors. Many of the seniors experienced an interest in pursuing a career in the non-profit sector and advanced degrees in non-profit management. In addition, a couple of the Senior Bonner Scholars have already began the process of creating their own non-profit organization. The senior class also addressed their different levels of achievement by highlighting their leadership roles within the community agencies in which they served. Many of which held site coordinator positions, facilitators, team leaders, and lead mentors.

 

 

 

Implementation of Community Partnerships: 

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Please share a summary of your work with community partners, touching in particular on the following categories (suggested one page text):

 

1. Orienting and managing community partnerships (orientation, site visits, meetings, strategic planning)
2. Partners as co-educators and other unique initiatives (including new academic linkages)
3. Integration of site-based or issue-oriented teams

    

 1. Orienting and managing community partners:

The Bonner Office of Community Service and Student Development has partnered with over 150 community-based organizations within the metro-Atlanta area. Training and Orientation takes place four times throughout the school year. Sites visits are conducted on a monthly basis to keep partners abreast of new policies and procedures as well as to orientate and train new staff and/or volunteers. In addition, Spelman College has created a community engagement and development strategic planning committee that meets monthly to devise a plan of action that would help to revitalize and transform the surrounding communities within the west of end of the Atlanta area where Spelman College is located. The Bonner Office of Community Service and Student Development will be the agent for the community transformation as it strives to impact policies and systems for social change.

2. Partners as co-educators: 

The Spelman College Art as a Social Action class in conjunction with The Study Hall Afterschool Program created "Power Play: Choosing Empowerment on the Playground"  a 4-x-5- ft. interactive outdoor life-size painting of children to promote self-esteem and self-empowerment. Power Play is a creative learning tool designed to teach children to make positive choices at an early age. The installation addresses financial literacy, education, political empowerment and health and wellness. In addition, the Study Hall Afterschool Program serves as the 1st Year Bonner Scholars service site and provides on-going training and development for the Bonner Scholars who serve at their site.

3. Integration of site-based or issue-oriented teams

Due to the reorganization and the transition of leadership within The Bonner Office of Community Service and Student Development, the office was unable to develop and/or implement an integration of site-based or issue-oriented teams. With the creation of the community engagement and development planning committee in collaboration with the Bonner Program, plans are in progress to establish a focus group that would address site-based and issue-oriented team efforts. 

Campus-wide Culture and Infrastructure: 

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Please describe key elements and progress in the development of campus-wide infrastructure and the role of the Bonner Program in enhancing (or being enhanced by) campus-wide culture and participation in service, touching on the following (suggested one page text):

1. Key relationships and activities involving faculty and academic connections.  In particular, what work was done with relevant coursework, a minor, or other curricular integration.
2. Key relationships and activities involving other departments or divisions on campus (for example for recruitment, student wellness or retention, financial aid, and so on).
3. Unique initiatives (such as events or strategic planning) that have enhanced institutionalization of service and civic engagement on campus.

 

1. The Bonner Program has worked with faculty members to integrate service and academic connections through service-learning coursework within the following courses:

 

SOC 291 - Race, Class and Gender

(partnered with The Southern Center for Human Rights and The Latin American Association)

An analysis of the significance of the role of race, class, and gender in defining one's personal and social identity, and an exploration of how the social sciences and literature provide critical insights about the roles of race, gender, and class.

 

SOC 301 - Violence Against Women

(partnered with the Partnership Against Domestic Violence, Dekalb Rape Crisis Center, and Men Stopping Violence)

This service-learning course examines how cultural, social and political ideologies create environments that support and nurture various manifestations of violence against women. Theoretical analysis of gender role constructions will form the foundation for this investigation.

 

PSY 304 - Adolescent Psychology

(partnered with Aid to Children of Imprisoned Mothers and Jean Childs Young Institute for Youth Leadership)

An examination of the basic principles, concepts, theories, and problems of human behavior and experience applied to the adolescent years.

 

PSY 420 - Mental Health Practicum

(partnered with Youth Empowerment Project)

Enhance students' awareness of how social, political and cultural trends affect an individuals mental health status.

 

ART - Art as a Social Action

(partnered with The Study Hall Afterschool Program)

Give students an opportunity to use art as an agent of social change and awareness.

 

2. Key Relationships with other Departments and Divisions on campus:

The Bonner Office of Community Service and Student Development collaborates with the Office of Enrollment Management in identifying and selecting new Bonner Scholars. Once prospective Bonner Scholars are selected, the Office of Student Financial Services reviews and determines financial eligibility that are in accordance with the Bonner Scholar Program requirements. The Spelman College Housing and Residential Life also collaborates with the Bonner Program by establishing a Living and Learning Community where the 1st year Bonner Scholars live together; the purpose of this living and learning community is to support the student’s transition into the Bonner Scholar Community and the College, enhance peer interactions surrounding a central theme of service, connect faculty to Bonner Scholars and program activities, create and support a cohort/pool of students who can respond and react to community challenges based on shared experiences, and to provide a network of support for 1^st Year Bonner Scholars. The Bonner Office of Community Service and Student Development also works closely with the Department of Undergraduate Studies to provide service opportunities for Spelman students as part of the service requirement for first and second year students.

 

3. Unique initiatives that have enhanced institutionalization of service and civic engagement on campus:

The Bonner Office of Community Service and Student Development has united with the House of Representatives of the Spelman College Student Government Association to restructure the formally named Student Service Coalition. This united effort will bring together all the service organizations at Spelman College to make a large, more notable impact in the community by creating service projects and initiatives that would expand throughout the Atlanta University Center. The Super Service Series Initiative is a project created by the Bonner Program to provide campus-wide service opportunities that enables students, faculty and staff to participate in civic engagement projects throughout the metropolitan area of Atlanta on weekends. During Spelman College Spring Break 2007, the Bonner Office of Community Service and Student Development Alternative Spring Break Program collaborated with Orphanage Outreach, located in the Dominican Republic to provide opportunities to orphaned, abandoned and disadvantage children. Volunteers tutored the children at the orphanaged, working with them in reading, math, art, science and more. The Bonner Office of Community Service and Student Development advises the Spelman College Gamma Sigma Sigma National Community Service Sorority which provides students who are interested in lifelong commitments to service and civic engagement the opportunity to connect on a national level that share the same interest. In addition, the Bonner Office of Community Service and Student Development supports the Shepherd Poverty Alliance program which integrates academic study and learning through service to help students gain an understanding of poverty through working in communities with organizations that combat it on a daily basis. Lastly, the Bonner Office of Community Service and Student Development facilitates the Civic Engagement Fellows Program where selected Spelman College students convened weekly to focus on encouraging civic engagement projects in their communities and on how to jumpstart a civically engaged campus; topics of discussion included an overview on one of the largest non-profit associations that offers training and mentorship to all Georgia non-profit organizations, board member development, proposal writing, prospect research, and career options in non-profit.