ANNUAL Report for 2007-2008

 Program Section

a)    Implementation of Student Development

Morehouse College Bonner Scholars are first introduced to the Student Development Model during orientation.  Thereafter, trainings are scheduled during class meetings or monthly all-Bonner meetings that help them to live that model as part of their day-to-day, and as it pertain to their role of servant-leaders.  The explanations of the five Es help them to scrutinize their development in light of personal goals.  A mid-year evaluation is conducted that require scholars to identify the level they consider themselves to be in terms of the five Es.

Trainings: Planned throughout the year to provide a clear and detailed understanding of the Student Development Model. 

First Year Trip:  During the week dedicated to the First Year Trip, quite a bit of time is spent discussing the Student Development Model.  Since the consensus is that this trip is the one activity that turns the tide for Morehouse College Bonner Scholars as it determines for them who, will and how they will demonstrate further growth.  As we stress, the First Year Trip is the time to move on pass the year of Exploration, to the state of self-awareness as to identifying personal goals and the gaining of Experience as a servant-leader and agent for change.

Second Year Exchange: Here is when Sophomores have the opportunity to display skill sets acquired over the previous two years.  Collaboration efforts with other Bonner Schools in our region (Berry, Oxford, and Spelman) enable students to demonstrate project planning abilities.  This past year, students made plans to attend the “Summit at the Summit” annual Stone Mountain Park Retreat, but a communication breakdown left Morehouse Bonners doing the climb by themselves.  

Junior Year (and beyond) Leadership Roles:  At Morehouse, we challenge the  Third Year students to demonstrate their gained experience and willingness to be examples to underclassmen and others by planning a major annual event:  the       End of the Year Award Ceremony and Celebration.  The event is generally an on-campus affair designed to honor the college community and campus partners for their hard work throughout the year.  They had to plan the event in every detail, from the speaker (this year it was Greg Ricks), to the menu.   The celebration required them to select awardees from five categories (community partner, alumni, senior, faculty and college staff ).  Looking at the Student Development Model, each Bonner can periodically conduct a self-evaluation determine his personal growth

Senior Capstone & Presentation of Learning:  Each Bonner can anticipate that on becoming a senior and just prior to graduating he will have the privilege to present a capstone of the learning that took place over the four-year period of being a Morehouse College student and Bonner Scholar.  The instructions given at the beginning of the fall semester, outlines all that should be included in this 8-10 minute PowerPoint presentation.  Based on the Student Development Model, seniors are to track their own progress and results of putting into practice the skill sets and leadership ability acquired overtime. By using the model, most of the students can see how by their commitment to service and civic engagement they have truly mastered servant leadership and are now examples of life-long servers ready to function as productive alumni.

b.)      Implementation of Community Partnerships  

Orientation and managing community partnerships begins with a request from agencies looking for the assistance of students to fulfill a community need.  We require that such a request be in submitted in writing on the Community Partnership Opportunity form.  The requesting agency must state their mission and make a case for the partnership.  Site visits are often scheduled to solidify the terms.  Once the partnership is approved and a Community Learning Agreement is created on the Bonner Webbers students can began service.  They must also be recognized by being registered on TigerPoints (our on-line campus-wide management system), to be reviewed by other potential volunteers.  When Bonner Scholars are placed with a community partner they must obtain approval by means of a Community Learning Agreement and register them on Bonner Webbers. Once per semester, community partners participate in two on-campus events:  volunteer fair and workshop/luncheon.  These events make it possible for the BOCS to embrace the needs of the community through dialogue and collaboration that result in effective and intentional placement.

Partners as Co-educators  (Two examples)

The Georgia Legislative Black Caucus

During the course of three years, the Bonner Office of Community Service has collaborated in partnership with the Brisbane Institute’s Georgia Legislative Black Caucus Program (GLBC).  Each year the Brisbane Institute has the responsibility of selecting twenty of the Atlanta University Centers and Georgia State University most qualified students to serve the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus as interns.  Through this relationship, both students and legislators benefit greatly.  The students gain invaluable practical experience to supplement their classroom educations, one on one mentoring relationship with an elected official and the opportunity to be a part of the legislative process.  In return, legislators receive a skillful professional service and the much needed assistance with many of their official duties and responsibilities. 

The Georgia Legislative Black Caucus, Inc. is a non-profit, charitable and educational organization whose primary purpose is to promote the general welfare of minorities and other citizens of Georgian matters of health, welfare, education, criminal justice, employment and economic development.  The Caucus actively works to stimulate the professional and intellectual growth of all citizens of Georgia, while arming them with knowledge about public policy issues, which affect their political, economic, health, and social conditions.

The Georgia Legislative Black Caucus, Inc. is the largest black caucus in the United States with 44 members.  Representative AL Williams is currently Chairman of the Caucus and is presently serving as member of the House of Representatives for the 165^th District in the Georgia General Assembly.

Achievement First

In 2007, Achievement First approached the Bonner Office with a unique experience.  They asked “how can we get the best teachers for children? Begin with the one of the best schools, Morehouse College.” Based out of Brooklyn, New York they came seeking Morehouse students that exemplified what they were looking for in teachers, leadership, mentorship, building relationships and networking.  Achievement First is a non-profit charter school management organization that operates a growing network of high-performing, K-12 public schools in Connecticut and New York. AF was founded in 2003 by the leaders of Amistad Academy, a nationally acclaimed charter school in New Haven, CT.

Our relationship has been so successful that Achievement First, not only came back this year of 2008, but they came twice in the spring semester to receive even more students from Morehouse College for their summer internship program.  We have a well established relationship that will, we anticipate, be long-term.

Site-based and/of Issue-Oriented Teams

Jumpstart Atlanta is one of the programs that functions under the Bonner Office of Community Service umbrella.  Jumpstart’s mission is to engage young people in service work toward the day every child in America enters school prepared to succeed.  The focus of Jumpstart is Early Childhood Development and as such has various pre-K sites throughout the area that sustains some eighty or so volunteers who by their work to help children to “connect early,” earn AmeriCorps education awards.  This program is very attractive to future teachers as it provides first-hand experience with children under 5 years of age.  The program is staffed by two talented and dedicated young people (Allan Clarke and Jennifer Cobb) who contribute much to assisting us in adhering to the college’s mission.

c.)       Campus-Wide Culture and Infrastructure

This continues to be one of our challenges as all too often we seem to be working within a vacuum.  We continue to connect well to the Morehouse College student body but that seems to happen more by chance than on purpose.  Not having access to freshmen when they first enter the gates (at New Student Orientation NSO) makes us have to play catch-up for the remaining four years to inspire them to make community service a life-long choice.  With a new President, who happens to be extremely service-oriented, (be sure to read his book Crisis in the Village) we remain hopeful.  Additionally, the BOCS has a new director, Dr. Monty Whitney, who is a long time professor and service-learning advocate.   With the new academic year we have implemented a plan to develop internal alliances by inviting key personnel (as they relate to our mission and purpose) to make presentations once a month during the BOCS staff meeting.  This will also allow us to introduce our staff, our strategies, expertise and passions to individuals who could be instrumental to our overall success.  To date, we have invited Professor Marks from the Psychology Department who shared his vision concerning his work with the Morehouse College Black Male Initiative.  Next we plan to invite the Freshmen Dean, College Legal Counsel, and so on.

Our plans to create a new Advisory Board will be an important tactic for garnering the support of key people from among the community and beyond in the critical area of fundraising.

Bonner Scholars continue to make a good name for them selves on the campus by taking the lead in creating initiatives that are pertinent and powerful. i.e. I AM Jena 6 and the Processional on Equality.  The Annual Campus-wide Day of Service has become an anticipated event and has gained the support of non-Bonners, faculty and staff.

Under the umbrella of the BOCS is a new program called Summerbridge Breakthrough Alumni Network(SBAN).  The connection is through a Morehouse College Alumni, Keno Sadler ’95, who has remained part of the MASTERS group for several years.  SBAN is a community for fellow graduates and former staff of Summerbridge and Breakthrough students teaching students model programs and whose commitment is on education, social justice, and youth development achieves equity for all.  Keno is an asset to the BOCS as he brings knowledge, experience and a shared vision to have Morehouse on the cutting edge on public service and civic engagement.

The Admissions Department is helping us to identify Bonner prospects by giving a list of all incoming freshmen who are already slated to receive institutional scholarships.  From this list we invite students to apply for the Bonner Scholarship program in an effort to make the award more affordable to the college.  Financial Aid gives us the final thumbs-up to accept 15 hopefuls.  Students who apply must still demonstrate a strong commitment to service and go through a vigorous interview.

Academic Connections through Service-Learning and/or Coursework

Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) is developed to bring forward timely and influential “grass-roots” perspectives as essential components of comprehensive actions and analysis of key issues affecting African American and underserved communities.

Faith Communities & Urban Families Project examined the relationship between low-income families and churches in their neighborhoods that fosters and sustains an inclusive, global civil society where justice is tempered by integrity, compassion and courage.

Research Center on Health Disparities (RCHD) contributes to the elimination of health disparities by building a coordinated body of research and information that helps to explain the morbidity and mortality gaps experienced by racial and ethnic groups in the United States and by developing effective population-level intervention strategies.  The RCHD is working to unite researchers from HBCUs with the communities they serve to generate innovative, participatory research and prevention activities that respect the ethics of the community and that results in social action.

Under the NASA Project Space, there exists a program called CAUSE (Creating Appeal for Undergraduate Scientific Endeavors).  Through CAUSE, McNair scholars serve as mentors to help pre-college students with research development, college preparation and career development.  The program was designed to help achieve the common goal of motivating high school students to pursue careers in Science, Mathematics, Engineering and Technology (SMET) fields and encouraging volunteerism among SPACE Scholars.  This year’s CAUSE program provides students with optimum exposure to college and career development, teamwork, and scientific exploration.  CASE teamed up with Project Identity (another Morehouse Program.)  Student participants engaged with an exciting robotics competition.

                    Unique Initiatives

1.      We’re Doing It for the Hood  -  This year the Bonner Office came “out the box” and worked with one of our community partners, Everlasting Vitality. Everlasting Vitality is an after school program that assists in the development of at-risk youth throughout the Atlanta metropolitan area. We had a recruitment community service pep rally that carried the tag line “We’re Doing It for the Hood,” and was attend by over 700 AUC students.  It was one of the highlights as a unique initiative that has enhanced our commitment with the students as well as the Atlanta community.

2.      Renaissance Processional on Equality -  Students associated with an exciting new initiative called F.O.C.U.S. were extremely active this year. F.O.C.U.S. stands for Fostering Our Conscience by Uniting Society.  Its mission is to show the youth-led International equality and civil rights movement is still progressing.  F.O.C.U.S is a student social organization co-founded by the individuals who led the “I Am Jena Six” AUC Movement to CNN Center and Jena, LA.  

 Their next major event was called the Renaissance Processional on Equality whereby students took full advantage of the mediahoopla around the commemoration of Dr.King’s birthday and assassination to bring attention to social issues around equality.  They staged a walk identical to the procession from Ebenezer Church to Morehouse College during the funeral of Dr. King forty years earlier.  They were joined by several members of the King Family.   F.O.C.U.S. made excellent use of the BOCS as their base for advisement and planning.   The BOCS continues to be a hub for community planning, developing strategies for change and a think tank resource.