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Student Development and Leadership

Page history last edited by Ariane Hoy 10 years, 6 months ago

“Access to Education, Opportunity to Serve”

Graduating Leaders of Change for Communities

 


 

The Bonner Program rests on three key principles:  building programs with strong student development and leadership, making a difference through reciprocal community partnerships and a focus on impact, and promoting a campus-wide culture for civic engagement. Here we describe the student development area.

 

The Five E's: The Full Student Developmental Model


Bonner Program students are part of a developmental model that attempts to identify, develop, and integrate service passions, career interests, and academic pursuits. Because the Bonner Program is a multi-year commitment, students are challenged and supported to grow and develop in their service work. As a result, students become more involved and take on additional responsibilities and leadership roles as they advance in the Bonner Program.  This growth and development happens in multiple settings: the service site, cohort-based Bonner Meetings, trainings, and courses.  

 

The four-year student development model has five stages that we refer to as the “5 E’s.” These are to be implemented in both a co-curricular and curricular manner, with integrated linkages.  In service positions, students learn and apply a variety of skills and knowledge areas.  In related academic coursework and co-curricular intensive training, they are supported to more directly develop the skills, knowledge, and values clarification (represented by the Common Commitments) they need.  Through a FIPSE grant, the Bonner Foundation and about 15 colleges and universities built out a corollary model for a civic engagement minor, certificate, or concentration.  Hence, the Five E's are much more than a conceptual framework; they have must support through structured training, education, and reflection.

 

The Five E's are as follows:

 

  1. Expectation: Bonner Programs intentionally recruit and accept students who show an interest in and commitment to community service and engagement.  Bonner Scholar Programs target low-income students (85%+ are Pell eligible) and most Bonner Leader Programs do so also.  Students' commitment to service may be shown in many ways, including being a caregiver to others on one's family or community.  
  2. Explore:   First-year students (and replacement Bonners) are intentionally exposed to and involved in a variety of service sites and activities, which helps them to then identity their passions and make a commitment to a particular place (community), site, and issue areas. Generally by a few weeks or a month into the program, the student has solidified a position for the rest of the first year.  On the training and education site, Bonners often participate in weekly trainings and first-year seminars (often linked to place).
  3. Experience: Second-year students begin to focus on developing more skill and knowledge within their given place (community), site, and issue areas.  Because students can return to that place/site over multiple semesters and years, they begin to understand more deeply the mission, operations, and programs of a particular agency and to develop greater understanding of community issues. This approach also offers agencies consistent and reliable support to help run and manage their programs, developing partner capacity and impact.
  4. Example: By the third year, Bonner students are expected to and in fact do take on expanded leadership roles and responsibilities both on campus and in their communities. For many, this initiative translates into leadership positions in the community (for example, leading one's site based team or designing and coordinating a project) or on campus (for example, in campus-wide initiatives, undergraduateresearch assignments such as CBR or policy research, or program leadership roles).
  5. Expertise: By the fourth year (if not sooner), Bonner Scholars and Leaders work on a capstone-level project, often in the site where they have served for multiple years or sometimes to coordinate networking and change initiatives across sites.  Students are encouraged to and often integrate their academic pursuits and career interests with their service activities. For example, sociology majors become involved in research projects, English majors write annual reports, and communications majors assist with agencies' public relations.  More than one-third of campuses that host the Bonner Program also have related academic programs, such as civic engagement minors or certificates.  Aculminating public presentation provides students with an opportunity to reflect on and share their entire developmental journey, learning, and accomplishments with peers, faculty, partners, and family.  

 

Related Links:

Four-Year Student Development Model — Original Concept Paper:  This model was articulated early in the program's history (Bonner Programs began in 1990), but the model has been built out significantly over the past 23+ years.  This Original Concept Paper captures some of the ideas.  

 

Student Development Reflections by Bonner Scholars:  These reflections, now a bit outdated but still very powerful, were published in a book called "Not Merely a Duty", which collected reflections from Bonner Scholars.  

 

 

The graphic below (which can also be found in the 2012 New Directors' Orientation Handbook) represents the full model of skills, knowledge areas, values clarification, roles at service sites, and corollary high-impact practices that easily connect to the developmental model.  This graphic attempts to bring together the multi-dimensional, integrated (co-curricular and curricular) elements of a Bonner Program student development model and experience.  In the frameworks and links below, you will then find additional resource material and detail.  It is important to note that the Bonner Student Development Model is intended to be more than co-curricular; intentional links with coursework and models for civic engagement minors and issue-oriented academic programs (such as Macalester's Global Studies; Washington & Lee's Interdisciplinary Minor in the study of Poverty; or Emory & Henry's Public Policy and Community Service major) are illustrations of how institutions have institutionalized academic coursework trajectories that are relevant to a student's deep engagement.

 

In order to implement this model, Bonner Programs build a robust educational enrichment program including:

 

  • Cohort-based meetings (generally at least once every other week all four years)
  • Site-based or team-based meetings (tied to the service work)
  • All Bonner Meetings (generally at least once a month, and often tied to the Common Commitments or broader themes that benefit from the whole program's involvement)
  • Orientations and Retreats
  • Courses (which may be suggested or required in some cases)

 

Frameworks and Critical Resource Material


 

Below is an annotated guide for how to approach and utilize the plethora of resource material we have created for Bonner Programs to build and implement a comprehensive approach to student development.  Each of the linked Student Development Resources below includes detailed resource guides, handbooks, trainings, or other materials.  

 

  • Comprehensive Training & Enrichment Resources

    •  on this page, you will find a Sample Bonner Training Calendar, created to address the skills, knowledge areas, and Common Commitments described in the student development model.  These are designed for Bonner Program staff, faculty, and student leaders to use.  Some of them are longer, designed for retreats, or to be carved up across weekly or bi-monthly cohort (class-based or site-based) meetings.  

 

  • Student Handbook

    •  This Handbook is designed as a web-based resource for Bonner Programs to share with students.  Written by students (summer interns) for students, the Handbook introduces the Bonner Student Developmental model, key frameworks, terms, goals, and more.  This is idea content to use in a local Bonner Program Handbook (you can cut and paste content or pages), in a Bonner Program Orientation, or in ongoing meetings.

 

  • Common Commitments

    • These pages introduce each of the key Bonner Common Commitments–-civic engagement, community building, diversity, international perspective, social justice, spiritual exploration––including definitions or words used, examples or illustrations, videos (made by Bonner during a road trip across 20 institutions to interview people about the Common Commitments), relevant evidence or data from the Student Impact Survey, and more.  It is our hope that all Bonner students will encounter these commitments in one way or another throughout their time in the program. Our belief is that exposure to these commitments through the Bonner Program will help Bonner Scholars develop the skills and initiative to go into the world after completing the Bonner Program well-prepared to live and serve as educated, culturally aware, and civic-minded individuals.

 

    • Social Justice: Advocate for fairness, impartiality, and equality while addressing systemic social and environmental issues.
    • Civic Engagement: Participate intentionally as a citizen in the democratic process, actively engaging in public policy and direct service.
    • Community-Building: Establish and sustain a vibrant community personal relationships and common interests.
    • Spiritual Exploration: Explore personal beliefs and value systems while respecting the spiritual and personal beliefs / practices of others.
    • International Perspective: Develop international understanding that enables individuals to participate successfully and sensitively in a global society.
    • Diversity: Respect and engage the many different dimensions of diversity in our public lives.

 

  • Connecting Service & Politics

    • The aspiration of the Bonner Program is to graduate students who are civically engaged in a multitude of ways–including through volunteer activities, voting, public education, advocacy, activism, socially responsible business, career work, social entrepreneurism, and personal choices.  In order to support this work, this resource material also embellishes training sequences to more directly introduce students to the dimensions of civic engagement.  Created in light of the 2008 Summer Leadership Institute at Allegheny College, this resource material narrates strategies for helping students connect service to politics. 

 

  • Civic Professionalism

    • Civic Professionalism is defined as the intersection of formal knowledge, vocational exploration/ development, and a commitment to the common good.  Faculty members may define themselves as “civic professionals” by having commitments to a broader public and the skills to work beyond the borders of disciplinary questions, by drawing their institution into a greater engagement with civic life, and/or by nurturing civic inquiry, learning, and vocational reflection among their students. Undergraduate students may be formed as civic professionals by, for example, engaging in apprenticeships of knowledge, skills, and purpose in an intentionally developmental program.

 

  • Bonner Student Impact Survey

    • The Bonner Foundation conducted a longitudinal assessment of its student impact over more than seven years.  This assessment indeed supported the positive impact of the program on students' skills, knowledge acquisition, and leadership.  Moreover, it points to the impact of the program in producing graduates who remain civically engaged and profess a commitment to social justice.  The Bonner Alumni Survey, conducted in 2010, found similar results and also found that the program graduates students who score highly as civic-minded professionals.  See this page to find and download published papers and research presentations including  Engaging with Difference Matters: Longitudinal Student Outcomes of Co-Curricular Service-Learning Programs (2009) and Engagement multiplied: The impact of college-level dialogue and reflection experiences on civic mindedness as professionals (2011). 

 

  • High-Impact Initiative

    • At this time, the Bonner Foundation is working to integrate high-impact practices with community engagement.  This is a strategy both for propelling more community change and impact and for making community engagement and civic learning deeper, more pervasive, and more integrated across institutions, affecting not only Bonner Scholars and Leaders but also other students.  This initiative leverages aspects of the proven program model, as well as evidence from other organizations and networks about what works best for student learning and persistence, as well as collective organizing and community change.  Learn more here.   

 

Detailed Implementation Guides


Building and running a fully established Bonner Program requires staff and student leaders to play a variety of roles that intentionally build integrated, deep, intensive, and developmental experiences for students.  These activities include co-curricular programming (such as frequent meetings by class year, site, and the whole program), curricular connections (such as required or suggested coursework or links to high-impact practices), advising (such as 1-1 meetings each semester),

 

  • Co-Curricular

    • A structured progression of training and education is the backbone, along with service, of the Bonner Program. These activities often occur in co-curricular settings, positioning program staff (whether they are student affairs or academic affairs professionals) with an opportunity to structure and impact the learning experience of Bonner Scholar and Leader students. The Student Impact Survey and 20th Anniversary findings support that structured education and reflection magnifies learning for students in the program. Also called the Cornerstone Activities, required program elements include: 
    • Freshman Orientation 
    • First Year Trip 
    • Second Year Exchange 
    • Small Group Meetings (generally in cohorts, such as by class or site)  
    • All Bonner Meetings

 

  • Curricular

    • The Bonner Foundation worked with more than 15 colleges and universities, with the support of a FIPSE grant, to build out a model for a civic engagement (civic leadership, etc.) minor, certificate or concentration.  The architecture and structure of these models, as well as lessons learned, are the subject of a 2008 publication by the Association of American Colleges and Universities called "Civic Engagement at the Center: Building Democracy through Integrated Co-curricular and Curricular Experienceswhich you can purchase at www.aacu.org.  This project and its implementation helped refine the knowledge areas and course sequences connected to the student developmental model.  Here on the wiki, you can find supplemental resources related to this project, including essays by faculty members involved in designing and teaching courses as well as self-assessment rubrics. The Bonner Foundation also uses the VALUE Rubrics, developed by AAC&U, as descriptors of the learning outcomes and as assessment tools for student learning.  Bonner Foundation staff (Ariane Hoy) was involved in the creation of the Civic Engagement and Integrative Learning rubrics.  See this page (http://www.aacu.org/value/index.cfm) if you want to download the rubrics.   

 

  • Advising

    • Advising is critical to the success of a student's Bonner Program experience. Through advising and coaching, students gain a sense of connection with the Bonner Program, which works to sustain persistence. Students will also gain a stronger sense of his or her values, talents, skills, and leadership style. This type of growth often happens in the context of one-on-one relationships with staff members, but other types of interaction should not be excluded. Advising happens in small groups in many places. Students may also serve as advisors to other students, especially veteran Bonner participants to their new Bonner peers.   See this implementation guide to learn more about how to structure and maximize advising.

 

  • Vocation

    • As Bonners begin their experience with the Bonner Program through exploration, so too, do they begin their college career. This is a time for them to explore the world in which they live and to discover where their specific talents may be leading, or “calling” them. By the end of their second year of college, most Bonner Scholars will have declared a major and are beginning to focus more specifically on their career, or “vocation”. Juniors and seniors begin to critically examine how all of the pieces of their lives (academics, civic engagement activities, co-curricular experiences, spiritual and religious beliefs, and values) are interconnected. This prompts a quest to determine how they can live a life than honors who they are as human beings. This quest is the journey of vocational discernment.  The Bonner Foundation has defined vocation as:  “the ongoing process of discerning one’s life work and its impact on local and global communities.”  This page includes resources for helping student explore vocation, including by linking it with program elements (such as the Sophomore Recommitment).

 

  • Bonner Alumni Network

    • As Bonners say, "once a Bonner, always a Bonner."  Many programs have alumni networks.  The Foundation, while limited by staffing capacity, also has developed some strategies to connect Bonner Alumni to current Bonner Scholars and Leaders, each other, and a national network of individuals and organizations working for social change.  The Bonner Career Network is a new initiative  designed to bridge the professional and personal gap between current Bonners and Bonner Alums. This network, available via LinkedIn and Facebook, provides a platform where students can build their professional toolkit and network. The Bonner Summer Fellowship (in 7 cities in 2013) connects alumni as mentors to current students.  We are interested in supporting other alumni-led organizing.  Contact us!

 

 

Student Leadership Training and Roles


 

Bonner students often play strong leadership roles both within the structure of their Bonner Programs, but also in campus-wide service organizations and with their service placements.  This is supported through intentional development of their skills, both in community contexts and in on-campus organizing and leadership roles.  

Intentional training, as mentioned above, is critical to the effectiveness of this.  Strong Bonner Programs engage students in multiple leadership roles.  These include:

 

    • Bonner Congress: two representatives from each program who strengthen their programs and campus-wide service work  
    • Senior Intern(s):  1-3 students in each program whose primary placement is in the Bonner Program office, helping to build and run their programs
    • Other Student Leadership Roles:  Bonners also hep create a culture of service, promote social justice, promote diversity, connect service and politics, work on protecting nature and promoting sustainability, and more.  
    • Bonner Leadership Teams:  Many programs find it helpful to convene a 'Lead Team' that is made up of various reps and student leader positions.  Here, you can find an explanation and illustrations of unique leadership team structures.
    • Best Practices for Leadership Roles:  Profiled in the Student/Congress Newsletter in January 2010, several schools have highlighted how they build in committee, leadership roles for underclass and upperclass students, and more.  Check these out (and add one if you have a good model).
    • Trainings for Student Leaders:  You can use various training modules from the Civic Engagement Curriculum (above) to mobilize your student leaders, committees and/or team. Here's a curriculum guide for doing that.  Also, contact the Bonner Foundation about having a staff member come to your campus to help facilitate a retreat to do this.

 

 

Financial Aid and Work Study


 

While service is the major focus of the Bonner Program, it is also designed to provide financial assistance to individuals pursuing their educational dreams. Most students in the Bonner Program receive financial assistance either from the Bonner Foundation, Federal Work-Study, or other forms of need-based financial aid. The Bonner Program seeks to ensure that the work expectation within students' financial aid packages is met through community service rather than a campus-based position.

 

Related links can be found on the Program Management page.  

- Summary Description of Bonner Scholarship Award

- Community Service Federal Work Study

- Bonner AmeriCorps Education Awards

- New Jersey Bonner AmeriCorps Program

 

 

Quick Start Guide for Student Development


 

1)  Make sure you understand the key concepts.  You might review the following:

 Bonner StudentDevelopment1.pdf 

 Bonner StudentDevelopment2.pdf 

 

2) Merge the key concepts of the developmental model with your own institutional learning outcomes and make a schematic of how these skills and knowledge areas might best link with your program. 

  • Take a look at the sample Training & Enrichment Calendar here:

 SampleBonnerTrainingCalen.doc

  • Complete the schematic using this Roadmap Planning Tool (see pages with schematic ladder graphic):

 BlankNewRoadmap1.doc

  • You can also find other examples (including in a Bonner Program Handbook) on this page:

http://bonnernetwork.pbworks.com/Roadmap+Planning+Tool

 

3)  Complete the Student Development planning worksheet, in which you can create a Training & Enrichment Calendar.  Download this document here.  Try to build in class- or cohort-meetings at least two times per month (for freshmen though juniors, and perhaps once per month for seniors).  Try to build your calendar around the following principles:

  • Identify key themes for your program overall and build them into all levels (e.g., project management then becomes a first year emphasis on goal setting, a second year emphasis on facilitation, a third year emphasis on team management, and a fourth year emphasis on evaluation and transitioning leadership)
  • Concretely identify 3 skill/knowledge areas per semester and build around them.
  •  Worksheet-StudentDev1.doc 

 

4)  Finally, make sure that your Training & Enrichment Calendar is also reflected in BWBRS.  Enter each training and code it according to the skills and knowledge areas it addresses.  Flag it as part of your intentional training plan.  See BWBRS Help Guide for more instructions.  Use the Sample Bonner Training Calendar as a start.  Or create a more comprehensive process, using the Roadmap Planning Framework.  Both of these are noted above.  

 

 

Related Presentations


Below are the powerpoints, handouts, and worksheets from the 2008 New Bonner Directors & Coordinators Meeting. If you have resources to share or add for these aspects of student development, go ahead and add them!

 

 Student Development — Part I:  Meetings, Training, and a Roadmap for Your Students’ Learning

 

Student Development — Part 2  Knowledge, Academic, Connections, & Faculty Engagement 

 

Building and Using Your Bonner Team and the National Network: Congress Reps, Senior Interns, & Student Leaders with a special focus on the Bonner Network Wiki and Serve 2.0 

 

Bonner Cornerstone Activities

 

 

 

 

 

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