The Bonner Foundation has started issue-focused organizing with the Bonner network. Our goals of this effort are to:
We began this effort formally at the Fall 2009 Bonner Directors Meeting held in Montreat, North Carolina. Based on a survey of our schools, we assigned staff from each school to a different issue working group (see assignments below). We used workshops during the meeting to gather initial information for the working groups (see their issue working group pages linked to the titles below). You can review the handouts from the meeting here — Fall 2009 Directors Meeting - Facilitator Notes.
TED Conference presentation by Liz Coleman, President of Bennington College, on ways to reform liberal arts education to address the great challenges of our day:
We have asked schools to prepare two written documents during the Spring 2009 semester. We will use this information to plan the day and a half Bonner Summit portion of the 2009 Summer Leadership Institute which will take place June 3-6 at Stetson University in De Land, Florida. This research consists of the following:
Bonner Foundation staff have been assigned to each issue working group. They will assist in the research process, and in assisting you and your students' use of both wikis. The first step will be to gain editorial access to you and your students for both wikis by clicking on the "Request Access to this Wiki" button on the top of the right sidebar.
Finally, in preparation for the 2009 Summer Leadership Institute, we will be contacting everyone to determine what issue working group you would like to be assigned to and whether you will be bringing a local community partner to the meeting with your campus team.
If you have any questions, please contact the Foundation staff member assigned to the issue area (see each issue working group page to see these assignments).
Greetings! In 2009, Bonner Programs are encouraged to identify one issue around which to contribute their knowledge and experience towards our networked capacity to create and sustain impact through our service and civic engagement work. In order to complete one issue brief by June, we'd recommend consideration of the following strategies:
1) Build the issue brief assignment into the work of one class of Bonners (i.e., juniors or seniors), integrating education, discussion, and ongoing work on it into your regular class meetings. This is a good option for many, as it complements the training and enrichment plan you already have (which often includes policy research, academic connections, and other related skills).
2) Build the issue brief assignment into the work of one (or more) site-based team or issue-based team.
This may be the easiest way to go, if you have at least one site with multiple volunteers. Note that this project doesn't have to be confined to Bonner Scholars/Leaders; other students and volunteers can be engaged. Community partner staff can serve as a major resource for topic definition, research, and review of work done (as the suggested research process affirms). A faculty advisor could be sought for the process. You can use existing site-based team meetings or schedule other meetings, or create a wiki page to facilitate work being done online (and at students' convenience).
3) Build the issue brief assignment into the work of an existing course.
Another possibility, which many of the schools involved in the 2007-2008 pilot utilized, is to build the issue brief process into an existing (or new) course. Courses in public policy, sociology, government, and non-profit management are often good places for this work. Talk with a faculty member who is already knowledgeable and engaged in academic-service connections or CBR, if possible, or one who wants to be. Take a look at the Research and Writing Guide for more information to share.
In each of these cases, you may find it helpful to do the following:
Click here to get to the beginning of the PolicyOptions Guide to Researching and Writing Issue Briefs.
Please note that these initial school issue working group assignments are not set in stone. We do expect every school to join at least one issue working group, but you may join another group(s) at any time.
Hamilton College Johnson State College Middlesex County College Macalester College Washburn University Criminal Justice and Violence Prevention College of Charleson Defiance College Earlham College Union College University of Richmond Whitworth College
Defiance College DePauw University Dickinson College Mercer County Community College Rhodes College Ursinus College Washburn University
College of Charleston Concord University Emory & Henry College Davidson College Hobart & William Smith Macalester College Oberlin College Waynesburg College WV Wesleyan College
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Education—Middle & High School Bluefield College Hobart & William Smith Colleges Pfeiffer University Ripon College UC Berkeley Widener University Economic & Community Development Defiance College Maryville College Morehouse College Ripon College Spelman College
Berea College Centre College DePauw University Ferrum College Lees-McRae College Lynchburg College Oberlin College Warren Wilson College Amherst College Bates College Edgewood College Johnson State College Lynchburg College Mars Hill College Maryville College Rhodes College |
Augsburg College Davidson College Lynchburg College Mars Hill College Morehouse College Notre Dame de Namur College Rider University Young Harris College
Berry College Carson-Newman College Emory & Henry College Siena College UC Berkeley Wofford College WV Wesleyan College
Amherst College Bluefield College Concord College Mars Hill College Tusculum College University of New Mexico University of Louisville Washington & Lee University |