log inhelp

View
 

The College of New Jersey

Page history last edited by pdonohue@tcnj.edu 7 months, 3 weeks ago

CAMPUS NAME AND ADDRESS

The College of New Jersey |  2000 Pennington Road  |  Ewing, NJ 08628-0718  |   www.tcnj.edu

 

CAMPUS AT A GLANCE (brief description)

The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) is a highly selective institution that has earned national recognition for its commitment to excellence. Founded in 1855, TCNJ has become an exemplar of the best in public higher education and is consistently acknowledged as one of the top comprehensive colleges in the nation. TCNJ currently is ranked as one of the 75 “Most Competitive” schools in the nation by Barron’s Profiles of American Colleges and is rated the No. 1 public institution in the northern region of the country by U.S. News & World Report. TCNJ was also awarded, in 2006, a Phi Beta Kappa chapter—an honor shared by less than 10 percent of colleges and universities nationally.

 

 

KEY FACTS

Location: TCNJ is located in Ewing and adjacent to Trenton, the state capital.  It is also approximately one hour away from Philadelphia, New York and the Jersey Shore.  It is also 15 minutes away from the Bonner Foundation in Princeton.

 

Enrollment: 5,600 Students

 

Other Interesting Facts:  Former TCNJ and NBA Player, Greg Grant, is a Bonner partner.  Greg runs the Academic Sports Academy in Trenton.   4 of the Bonner Center's employees are Bonner Scholar alums and 3 alums are now working for one of our community partners.   One Bonner (Alaine) is ranked 4th in the country in judo.   All are Red Sox fans.

 

 

BONNER PROGRAM AT A GLANCE

Name of Campus-Wide Center: The Bonner Center for Civic and Community Engagement

Relevant website: http://www.tcnj.edu/~bonner

 

Type of Program: Bonner Community Scholars and Community Engaged Learning Initiatives

Year Started: 2004

Bonner Program website: Same as above

 

Number of Bonner Community Scholars: 80

Number of Bonners Community Scholars in NJBLP/AmeriCorps positions: 18 (includes full and part-time positions)

Active in Learn & Serve CBR: No

Active in FIPSE Civic Ed Certficate/Minor:  No

 

 

KEY CONTACTS

President: Barbara Gitenstein

Bonner Center Director: Patrick Donohue

Bonner Associate Director:  Paula Figueroa-Vega

Staff

  • Paula Figueroa-Vega (Associate Director)
  • Richard Wilson (Program Assistant)
  • Maria De la Cruz (Senior Program Coordinator)
  • Brittany Aydelotte (Senior Program Coordinator)
  • Heather Camp (Senior Program Director)
  • Kristi Cordier (VISTA Leader)
  • Jaime Hollerith (VISTA Member-ABCD Project)
  • Vertulie Massanatt (Democracy Fellow)
  • Madeline Bell (Democracy Fellow)
  • Maxwell Pollack (Democracy Fellow)
  • Natasha Perez (Administrative Assistant)

 

Bonner Congress Representatives:

  • Eddie Holmes
  • Joey Sison 

 

MORE ABOUT US (our partners, trips, structure, best or unique practices)

Bonners at TCNJ are organized into 14 issue-based teams that cover a range of topics--including urban education, developmental disabilities, juvenile justice, the environment, hunger, child welfare, homelessness and youth development.   These teams provide the infrastrucre for the Bonners to not only transform themselves and their partner organizations through service--but also the larger campus community.  Each year, for example, Bonners mobilize all 1300 first year students who must satisfy their civic engagement graduation requirement. 

 

The Bonner Scholars mobilize the first year students via a co-curricular and curricular track.    It begins in August when Bonners organize 25 floor meetings with students in the co-curricular track.  Via a democratic process, each floor is divided into three issue focused teams (e.g. hunger) and connected to a date during the academic year.  On that date, the relevant Bonner team (e.g. Trenton Area Soup Kitchen), guides the students via a day of learning-serving-and reflecting. They also look for regular "B Vols"; students who will come a few hours a week or month consistently.

 

Senior Bonner interns work over the summer with the staff to organize the curricular track and projects.  This summer, for example, they are helping to shape projects for nearly 40 first year seminar courses.  To view the current plans for the first year seminar courses please click here.  The majority of these projects will benefit the Bonner Scholar Team sites.  Upper level Bonners from those teams or a small group of Senior Interns will "staff" those projects during the fall; working closely with the faculty member to execute the original plan, help guide and supervise the students in the field, and respond to unexpected challenges or opportunities.

 

This First Year Community Engaged Learning project and work supplements the weekly service activities that the Bonners complete throughout the year.  These activities are captured in Site Plans that are developed with community partners in August.  They capture the major goals and objectives of the team as well as clarifies the leadership or management structure.  Each team is co-led by a Student and Community Leader--but a staff member acts as the Site Manager, who provides assistance and direction as needed.  He or she also acts as the 1 on 1 advisor for the students on his or her team.

 

In addition, TCNJ Bonners are involved in supporting three additional capacity building and community education projects on a regular basis.  Each team typically works on an issue brief that responds to a question posed by their community partner.  In addition, a few teams organize a Critical Issue Forum.  In the past, forums have focused on genocide in the Sudan, the urban-suburban acheivement gap, homelessness, hunger and immigration.  Finally, Bonners help shape and manage upper level community engaged learning classes (e.g. Cost Accounting)--as part of the "CEL 2" Initative.

 

Finally, Scholars now participate in two trips each year to provide them with a national and international perspective.  For years, they have worked on Hurricane Relief projects in New Orleans.  This is a required trip for first year students and many upper class Bonners join them.  A delegation of rising seniors and staff also visited Nicaragua this summer, where they participated in a Witness for Peace program.  The group met with a number of non profit organizations and also explored how they might set up a long-term relationship with one neighborhood and center in Managua, the capital.

 

 

COMMUNITY PARTNERS

Academic Sports Academy

Mission:The GGrant94ft, Inc. Academic Basketball Academy is designed to foster learning through rigorous academic tutoring as well as through basketball training that stresses high expectations for students. Our program includes parent/family involvement and school/community volunteers so that students will acquire a base of real world experiences. Through these experiences our student athletes will become life-long learners and positive community participants.

Programs/Services:tutoring; afterschool enrichment; mentoring

Website:http://www.ggrant94ftinc.com/ACAD.htm  

 

El Centro de Recursos Para Familias (Trenton)

Mission:  The mission of El Centro is to promote a world in which immigrant families reach their full potential, achieve self-sufficiency and live in a just and compassionate world.

Programs/Services:  adult basic education; ESL; individual and family counseling; health screenings and education; men and women support groups; information and referral; after-school tutoring and enrichment; community forums and advocacy. 

Website: https://cctrenton.powweb.com/fdca/index6.html

 

Habitat for Humanity/East Trenton Neighborhood Center (Trenton)

Mission:  The mission of Habitat is to embrace people of all faiths and work in partnership with them to build decent, affordable housing and to create healthy vibrant and self-sufficient communities.

Programs/Services: sweat equity housing construction; emergency food pantry/distribution; homeless shelter (winter months); after-school homework assistance; summer enrichment and recreation camp; clothing distribution; narcotics anonymous. 

Website: www.habitatnj.org

 

Hedgepeth Williams School (Trenton)

Mission:  The mission of Hedgepeth Williams School is to develop lifelong learners who respect themselves and others, contribute to their community, and are productive in a changing world.

Programs/Services: in-classroom support, tutoring, community service and arts projects for students

Website: http://www.trenton.k12.nj.us/hedgepeth/ 

 

 

ISLES (Trenton)

Mission: The goal of ISLES is to support personal and community change, addressing immediate challenges such as food, shelter, jobs, and toxic environments in an entrepreneurial way that impacts future generations.  It also assumes that strengths and assets exist in even the most challenged areas and helps people to re-imagine and re-develop older communities.

Programs/Services: community planning and research, housing & real estate, youth education and development, financial self-reliance, environment & community health, energy & green job training

Website:  http://www.isles.org

 

Kidsbridge (Ewing and Trenton)*

Mission: The goal of Kidsbridge is to encourage the students, families and educators of the greater Mercer County region to understand and appreciate the strengths and opportunities that are inherent in the diverse, mosaic cultures of our community and world. 

Programs/Services:  character education; conflict resolution; mediation; life-skills; children’s museum tours; community education & awareness. 

Website: www.kidsbridgemuseum.org

 

Division of Natural Resources/City of Trenton (Trenton)*

Mission: The goal of the Division of Natural Resources is to enhance the quality of life for residents by establishing comprehensive and professional natural resource management programs, including park maintenance, recreation maintenance and urban forestry; thereby providing a healthy, pleasant environment for both active and passive forms of recreation. 

Programs/Services:  park planning, maintenance and renovation; open space maintenance; tree maintenance and planting.

Website: www.ci.trenton.nj.us

 

Mercer Street Friends Food Bank(Trenton)

Mission: The goal of Mercer Street Friends is to develop and deliver services of the highest quality to meet the diverse needs of individuals and families in our community, based on our commitment to excellence which is fundamental to all services and is reflected in staff performance, program integrity and positive results.

Programs/ Services:Organize and distribute food orders to emergency food providers

Website: http://mercerstreetfriends.org 

 

Mercer Alliance to End Homelessness*

Mission: The goal of Mercer Alliance is to help set public policy to prevent and end homelessness.  Mercer Alliance advocates for the most effective use of our collective resources.

Programs/ Services: homelessness prevention, outreach and permanent housing

Website: http://www.merceralliance.org/index.htm 

 

PEI Kids

Mission:  The goal of PEI Kids is to promote and maintain a safe environment for all children. PEI Kids works with the child, family and caregiver to provide prevention, education and intervention programs regarding personal safety, sexual abuse and the overall well-being of the child.                 

Programs/Services:  Mentor and help develop life-skills of kids enrolled in the program                                                    

 Website: http://www.peikids.org/

 

Rescue Mission 

Mission: The Rescue Mission of Trenton, New Jersey, is the agency in the City of Trenton that serves the truly needy men and women who have no place to turn for shelter, food, and clothing. The Mission provides a safe, clean, warm refuge for the homeless, the hungry, the transient, and the addicted.

Programs/ Services: GED classes, permanent supportive housing, outpatient clinic, addiction services.

Website:

 

Salvation Army (Trenton)

Mission: The mission of Salvation Army is to meet the needs of the Trenton community without discrimination. 

Programs/Services: homeless drop-in center; mobile-feeding unit; job readiness/life-skills; substance abuse counseling; men’s fellowship groups; after-school tutoring; religious education. 

Website: www.newjerseysalvationarmy.org

 

Trenton Area Soup Kitchen (Trenton)

Mission:  The mission of TASK is to respond to the needs of people in the Trenton area by providing meals to all those who are hungry, delivering services to encourage self-sufficiency and improve the quality of life, informing the wider community of the needs of the hungry, and advocating for resources to meet these needs. 

Programs/Services:  soup kitchen (lunch and dinner); adult basic education; GED preparation; social work/case management; health screening and counseling; adult art; youth enrichment. 

Website: http://www.trentonsoupkitchen.org

 

Trenton High West (Trenton)

Mission:The Medical Arts Academy, which was absorbed into TH West,  is dedicated to offering high level skills necessary for career success in the professions encompassing the various medical technologies and/or therapies or the field of professional nursing. The students’ personalized educational plan is designed to move him/her along a personalized developmental ladder culminating with a senior internship at a local medical center or social service agency.

Programs/Services:Providing a curriculum rich in science and mathematics, assisting in student career focus, providing state-of-the-art equipment, resources materials, and computer skills and writing enhancement.

Website:http://www.trenton.k12.nj.us/tchsmedarts/Default.htm

 

Wagner Corrections Facility

 Mission: Wagner Corrections Facility emphasizes on vocational, academic and social programming as well as individual and group psychotherapy, substance abuse treatment, social casework and psychiatric treatment. The Bureau of State Use Industries/DEPTCOR operates a metal fabrication shop at the facility.  Programs/Services:  Classes are held weekly (topics range from current events to poetry writing); create and publish a magazine with and for the inmates

Website: http://www.state.nj.us/corrections/cia/wycf.html

 

Visitation Home (Hamilton)

Mission:Visitation Home is a Catholic community (open to all) where people with developmental disabilities and those without, live together as family, called by the truth of the Gospel principle that human life is sacred at every stage and in every situation. We recognize our responsibility to grow in a spirit of openness, simplicity, and love through meaningful relationships. It is through these relationships that we discover each other's gifts and the inherent dignity of each individual.

Programs/Services:a shared living community where developmentally disabled adults and their assistants live together as family.

Website: http://www.visitationhome.org/

 

Student Leadership Planning:

 Click here for Congress Leadership Plans:

TCNJ Congress Action Planning

 

 

ANNUAL REPORT OF PROGRAM ACTIVITIES

 

2010-2011 ANNUAL REPORT OF PROGRAM ACTIVITIES

 

2009 ANNUAL REPORT OF PROGRAM ACTIVITIES 

 

Click here to view the wiki-based portion of our Annual Report.  

 

 

SPRING 2009 INITIATIVES

Serve 2.0

 

Bonner AmeriCorps

  • Primary Contact:  Richard Wilson, Program Assistant
  • Community Scholar Coordinator/Democracy Project Fellow:  Brittany Aydelotte

 

Issue-Based Research

 

 

PHOTOS

 
PDF version