Hosted on the campus of Centre College in Danville, KY, about 150 student leaders from 49 campuses in the Bonner network engaged in training, discussion, networking, and planning on the theme of “Social Justice at the Centre.”
The theme highlighted the emphasis we must place on moving our work from direct service to seeking and creating system-change solutions. We invited participants to think about the ways social justice is at the “center” of our work, transforming individuals, communities, and institutions towards positive social change.
How have students contributed to social justice throughout American history? How are students working for social justice today? How does service lead to justice, or does it? How are or can colleges and universities help affect positive social change?
The conference was designed to support participants learning on the complex topics:
Self (tools for Personally Responsible Civic Engagement | Service & Leadership)
Group (tools for Participatory Civic Engagement | Leadership & Capacity Building)
Systemic (tools for Justice-Oriented Civic Engagement | Social Action & Systems Change)
Below we share presentations delivered at the gathering.
ALL GROUP SESSIONS
Opening Session: Welcome to Bonner Congress 2019
The opening session featured a welcome from President Roush, Centre Bonner Program staff, Centre Planning Team, and Bonner Foundation staff. We heard from Founder and Executive Director of Grace Cafe, a non-profit pay-what-you-can restaurant, who spoke to what “social justice at the centre” means in the context of the Danville community and as a community partner. We heard from two inspiring Bonner Network Student Keynotes on their interpretation of the theme and then rounded the evening out with beloved activist and faculty member, Dr. Rick Axtell, who set the stage for the rest of the conference by introducing a framework for engagement and provided his interpretation of what we should keep at the “center” of social justice work.
• Rochelle Bayless, Founder and Executive Director, Grace Cafe, Inc.
• Destinee Filmore ’21 and Naomi Moss ’21, Spelman College, Bonner Network Student Keynotes
• Dr. Rick Axtell, H. W. Stodghill, Jr. and Adele H. Stodghill Professor of Religion, College Chaplain
From Service to Social Justice
In this session, we built upon the framework introduced in the opening and reflected on participation or lack thereof in various forms of social change efforts (from direct service to participatory to political) through an issue mapping activity.
Art, Music, & Social Justice
Come be inspired by fantastic musician, artist, and environmental activist, Jeri Katherine Howell, Centre Bonner Alumni Class of 2016. Hear about Jeri’s journey from service to social justice and take part in reflection and artistic expression yourself.
STRATEGIC TRACK WORKSHOPS
A Vow To Poverty? Reimagining Financial Wellness as a Tool of Vocational Discernment led by Rayce Lamb, Director of Ministry & Vocational Exploration, Wake Forest University School of Divinity
Discovering one’s vocation is a sacred act. But does following one’s call come at a cost? This workshop works with students around their financial wellbeing by exploring their philosophical and theological viewpoints around money, while providing practical budgeting tools and money management advice to help students build a stable financial grounding for their ministry.
Interpersonal Inclusion led by Jo Teut, Assistant Director of Diversity and Inclusion Programming, Centre College
Come engage in a dialogue around concepts of privilege and oppression considering multiple identities. Participants will discuss the role of unconscious bias and methods for combating our biases. Participants will identify micro-agressions and learn more about how to react to them in the moment. Finally, participants will consider their role in providing inclusive spaces as a person and a professional and brainstorm action steps to continue as we move forward.
Just Mercy, Mass Incarceration, and the Death Penalty led by Byron McCane, Professor of Religion, Centre College
In this workshop we will draw upon the book, Just Mercy (by Bryan Stevenson) in order to explore the concurrent issues of mass incarceration and capital punishment. Participants will explore the troubling dimensions of these issues and will seek to identify those solutions which might be most constructive.
Lead in, Lead out: The Power of Influence in Leadership led by Sara Byler, Senior Intern, Waynesburg University and Bonner Foundation Summer Intern ’19
When should we lead? When should we follow? What is the role of a healthy change agent? These are the questions we are going to be diving into during this session. Whether a leader or a team member, everyone has powerful influence to create effective change. We are going to take a deeper look into how a team can create more effective change through each individual playing a key role in the vision.
Social Action 101 led by Sophia Lombardo, Coordinator of Community Service & the Bonner Program, Centre College
This session will explain how YOU as an undergraduate college student can teach a Social Action course, how students can lead the way for social change on their college campuses and empower each other to make a difference.
7 Key Ways Students Can Act To Stimulate Electoral Engagement On Campus led by Johanna Mudry, State Director, Campus Election Engagement Project
Campus Election Engagement Project (CEEP) works with campus administrators, faculty, staff, and student leaders, helping them engage their students in local, state and federal elections. Student voting doesn’t just happen. It takes cultivation. We’ve developed seven key areas of electoral engagement to create a roadmap for increasing your level of success, areas that complement each other as you effectively engage your campus. Our approaches address all the key barriers to participation, from lack of information about the election process, to student cynicism about whether their voices matter. You don’t have to do everything on this list to make a major difference, but these approaches reinforce each other, so it’s crucial to address all seven areas — choosing approaches that fit your campus best.
Civically Engaged Careers led by Clare Blim, Bonner Program, Centre College, The Bonner Foundation Summer Intern ’19 and Ariane Hoy, Vice President, The Bonner Foundation
What does it mean to have a civically engaged career? This session will explore that question and the vast possibilities there are for careers in the civic engagement field. We will provide new and engaging resources for students in the Bonner Program and more broadly the higher education industry that can be used for professional development.
Don’t Tell Me Your Values, Show Me Your Budget and I’ll Tell You What You Value led by Dexter Horne, Policy Researcher and Non-Profit Consultant, Center for Environmental Policy and Management, University of Louisville, Centre Bonner Alum ’16
In this session, we will explore why your direct participation in the budgeting process at home, at your schools, and at the city government level is the best way you can see your social justice priorities come to fruition. As they say in my favorite musical, Hamilton: “follow the money and see where it goes.”
What I Wish I Had Known: Lessons Learned from 7 Years and 10 Elections Worth of Political Campaigns led by Ethan Epping, Senior Analyst, Democratic National Committee (DNC), Centre Bonner Alum ’12
Are you interested in politics? Campaigns? Social Justice? In this session, you'll hear personal and professional reflections on how to pursue social justice through the high-intensity and occasionally opaque world of political campaigns and electoral politics.
Social Justice & Technology led by Sophia Lombardo, Coordinator of Community Service & the Bonner Program, Centre College
How do you use LinkedIn to market yourself towards a social justice career? How do you use Twitter to share your response to a world event? What apps do you use to communicate a cause? Everyday we use technology and social media to promote ourselves, share our passions, and to be activists. In 2019, online campaigns and movements are able to change laws and make a difference in the world, but when does the online activism cause problems? As the world is advancing the use of technology and social media, we can learn how to be better social justice advocates and deter the negative impacts of online activism.
UNDOCUPEERS led by Katherine Duarte, Bonner Program, Centre College
This training will allow you to become a visible ally for the members of the undocumented community in order to help shape a positive statement about humanity of all people. The topics and information discussed in the training are meant to equip members of the community with the tools to be better informed about immigration issues and the other (lack of) protections the undocumented community has/is experiencing. Undocupeers was created by United We Dream, the largest immigrant youth organization in the country. This training has been carried out across the country and was brought to Centre in the Spring of 2018.
Developing the Inside to Shape the Outside led by Kristi Cordier, NJ Bonner AmeriCorps Program Director, The Bonner Foundation
The goal of this session is to go beyond the surface and facilitate the development of the people the you lead. This session will stimulate thoughts around how to determine our values to shape a character and behavior development systems within your Bonner Program and Bonner Leadership Team (BLT).
Grassroots Community Organizing 101 led by Dave Newton, Democracy Organizer, Kentuckians For The Commonwealth and Nia Dye, Bonner Program, Centre College and Voter Empowerment Organizer, Kentuckians For The Commonwealth
This workshop is an introduction to a Grassroots Community Organizing model utilizing case studies from Kentuckians For The Commonwealth. The model places an emphasis on the restoring Voting Rights campaign, which works to restore voting rights to people with felonies in their past.
Understanding Identity, Intersectionality, Privileges, and Our Role in Communities led by Rachayita Shah, Community Engagement Scholarship Director, The Bonner Foundation
This session is intended for participants to critically reflect on different aspects of their identity (race, class, gender, sexual orientation, religious/spiritual affiliation etc.) and the ways in which these aspects intersect with one another. It provides a safe space to recognize areas of vulnerability as well as privileges, and engage in collective meaning-making of these experiences. The session also includes a discussion around historical policies and social contexts, which reflect structural forms of prejudice. At the end, participants share their perspectives on being cognizant of one’s power and privileges and structural forms of prejudice, while working with communities (especially marginalized populations).
ELECTIVE WORKSHOPS
Art and Justice: Lessons from Latin America led by Laura A. Chinchilla, Spanish Professor, Centre College
Participants of this workshop will discuss the intersection of art and activism in Latin America. What can we learn from performers and artists about fighting injustice and building better worlds? Our main focus will be the drama methodology developed by Brazilian playwright Augusto Boal, who envisioned theatre as a space for democracy and political participation. We will practice games and techniques from Boal's "Theatre of the Oppressed" as well as look at how Boal's work is currently used in the United States by activists, teachers, and community organizers. Participants should leave this workshop emboldened, ready to try out techniques with their own communities and groups they serve.
Cross-Cultural Engagement led by Lori Hartmann, Director of the Center for Global Citizenship; Professor of International Studies, Centre College and Jeffrey Chen, Bonner Program, Bonner Congress Planning Committee, Centre College
This workshop will feature best practices in the area of cross-cultural interaction especially for students studying abroad. We will explain and demonstrate ways to be mindful of cultural difference in order to make the most of your abroad experience. In addition to our experiences, the workshop will feature a panel of international students from Centre College.
Education Inequity in Memphis: An Historical Consideration of Today's Injustice led by Philip James, Recruiter, Memphis Teacher Residency
Education inequity around the country is among the greatest social justice and civil rights issues today. How did it develop in Memphis, and what can we learn from looking at the issue in Memphis to apply to our own cities, neighborhoods, homes? In addition to some lecturing, there will be times for discussion, reflection, and Q&A.
Emergent Strategy led by Roland Donnelly-Bullington, Sophomore Coordinator, Rhodes College
Emergent Strategy is a guide for facilitation, a framework for change-making, and a grounding for radical self- and community-help. Developed out of the work of Octavia Butler, emergent strategy blends
community organizing, nature, science fiction, and spirituality to benefit our movements through change. This workshop will provide an introduction to emergent strategy principles and practices.
Navigating the Graduate School Admissions Process led by Kylene Planer, Admissions Officer, NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
Are you interested in applying to graduate school, but concerned that you'll miss a key step because you've never done it before? Or are you fairly certain you want to apply to graduate school, but still have a few lingering questions about the process? If you answered yes to either of these questions, then this workshop designed to demystify the graduate school admissions process was designed for you!
Reducing Harm in Service led by Douglas Harms, Board Member, Companion Community Development Alternatives (CoCoDA) and Professor of Computer Science, DePauw University
Too often, the service of volunteers does as much harm as good. The resources of host communities and organizations are depleted in order to give the volunteer a “positive” experience. Students have their stereotypes and privilege reinforced rather than challenged. Even with a thoughtful ethical framework for such engagements, the chief beneficiary is often the student volunteer. However, understanding the inherent inequities in these collaborations can mitigate the possible harms. This workshop will offer a tested orientation tool designed to encourage “fair trade” in both local and international community service.
The Value of Service in the Business World led by Matthew Caldwell, Graduate Assistant, Admissions Development, Crummer Graduate School of Business, Rollins College
This workshop will explain many of the ways in which service and the work students do in the Bonner Program not only translate but are needed in the world of business. This session will also include tips on how to succeed professionally with the power of service.
Activism in our Modern World led by Landy Lin, Bonner Program, Bonner Congress Planning Committee and Hannah DiDomenico, Bonner Program, Bonner Congress Planning Committee, Centre College
This will be a workshop that asks students to delve into the history of activism in the United States and how it relates to them. Students will explore activism in the context of social movements in the past and
present. Participants will explore the mechanisms of a social movement, and how they are started. Many different perspectives of activism will also be considered as students will create their own difference awareness campaigns.
Contested History led by Andrew Patrick, Assistant Director of Experiential Learning; Assistant Professor of History, Centre College
This workshop will explore the ways our histories, and the ways we choose to remember it, shape contemporary social issues. Using the lens of public history, participants will uncover the hidden arguments about the past that surround us every day and practice crafting their own alternatives.
First Generation Action led by Cesar Romero, Grissom Scholar, Centre College
As a preeminent group at Centre College, first generation students have unique experiences before college, during college, and after their four years at a higher institution. The Grissom Program is composed of incredible students who have important stories to share with the community and through a group panel, they will voice their experiences with Bonners and have profound discussions about social change in their different communities.
Graduate School... Can I Get Some Advice? led by Courtney Leistensnider, Admissions Coordinator, Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy, University of Virginia, Rayce Lamb, Director of Ministry & Vocational Exploration, Wake Forest University School of Divinity, Kylene Planer, Admissions Officer, Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, New York University, and Matt Caldwell, Graduate Assistant, Crummer Graduate School of Business, Rollins College
Looking for inside scoop on graduate programs to boost your application as a Bonner? Hear from a panel of experienced admission directors and recruiters as they discuss ways to navigate the waters of higher education. They’ll discuss what you should know before starting your advanced degrees journey from the rigorous application process to connecting with potential advisers to translating your degrees into successful careers of impact.
Managing Projects led by Arthur Tartee Jr., Alumni Network Manager and Bobby Hackett, President, The Bonner Foundation
Today we are often expected to simultaneously work on multiple tasks independently and as a member of a team. This requires project management skills that are often not taught in a classroom. This session unpacks the bare bones of project management as part of the new 8 Themes Curriculum. Using a capacity building project as a case study, participants will gain an overall understanding about project management processes and be introduced to a number of tools that support the planning, implementation, and conclusion of projects regardless of its’ size, discipline, or importance.
Power of Near Peers in Driving Impact in Health Education led by Evan Joy McLaurin, Manager, Business Development and Ann W Peralta, VP, Partnerships, Peer Health Exchange
Participants will experience directly the power of Peer Health Exchange’s innovative and interactive skill- building program that uses college students as near- peer educators, discuss the strengths and limitations of the near-peer model and its correlation with known impact to date. Then participants will break into small groups and co-design a new workshop based on an unmet need or an un-addressed skill necessary for health education. Each group will design learning objectives, core skill-building activities, and potential assessments.
To Heck with Mission Trips led by Canela Gonzalez, Senior Congress Representative, Pablo Rios-Cruz, Sophomore Congress Representative, Alexis Warren, Junior Congress Representative, Earlham College
Imagine a Jenga tower. With every piece that gets removed, the tower becomes more and more unstable. Eventually, the tower will collapse due to the continuous removal of fundamental pieces that sustain the structure. Now imagine that this tower is a community and pieces that have been removed are part of a community’s identity that were changed or stripped away. In this workshop, we will examine “voluntourism” and the “white savior complex,” as well as their effects on communities in order to educate ourselves and become more critical and aware of the influence and impact we have abroad.
