Colorado College
902 N Cascade Avenue

Colorado Springs, Colorado 80903

https://www.coloradocollege.edu/

CAMPUS AT A GLANCE & KEY FACTS

Colorado College is one of the only small, private liberal arts school in the south/midwest region, with a student body of ~2,000 students. We are located in an urban context, the sprawling city of Colorado Springs, and are stationed just an hour south of the large metropolitan city of Denver. One unique fact is that Colorado College utilizes the Block Plan as an academic calendar, rather than a semester or trimester schedule, which means that our students only take one class at a time for three and a half weeks. As a result of this schedule, we have had to modify our Bonner program to adapt accordingly. 

BONNER PROGRAM AT A GLANCE

Type of Program: Bonner Leader School

Year Began: 2017-2018 (pilot year with only five students)

Bonner Program Website: https://www.coloradocollege.edu/offices/cce/our-work/student-learning-and-programs/bonner-fellowship/engagedfellowship.html

Application Deadline: Students apply to join the Fellowship in Block 1 of their first year

Where is the Bonner Program located: Academic Affairs division of the college, with the Collaborative for Community Engagement Office

Number of Bonner Students: 39

Highlighted Bonner Specific Programs:

1. To support exploration, first year Bonners participate in Block long "mini-internships" where they work with 3 separate partners across three blocks (rotating each block). This allows our students to get a more in depth look into community organizations and the projects they be able to work on long term. The final block in the class, is a fully exploratory block where students could continue work with a partner that they worked with during their mini-internship rotation or to meet with other partners that they might have interest in working with the following year, with the main goal that they would have an identified community partner for their sophomore year. 
2. To ensure we are providing support to all Bonners, the CCE has a core advisor to every student (the Bonner program coordinator) in addition to providing opportunity-based advising and regular touch points from other students. The coordinator reaches out semesterly to advisees to check in on progress, answer questions, help problem solve, support goal setting, and generally provide guidance on Bonner student community engagement paths.  A member of the BLT Bonner Care team is assigned a group of Bonners to touch base with at least once a semester.

CAMPUS-WIDE ENGAGEMENT AT A GLANCE

1. Bonners at Colorado College participate in a shared curriculum of weekly workshops (known as our CCE Changemaker Curriculum), trainings, guest speaker panels, and discussions along with other engaged students as part of their paid fellowship hours. These co-curricular training and enrichment exercises afford students the opportunity to identify, develop, and integrate personal identities with civic engagement passions, academic studies, and career interests.
2. Near the end of each school year, the CCE hosts a community event to celebrate the various ways in which our campus engages in community-based work, democratically invests in shared futures, and develops our students into engaged citizens. At CERN, we honor those faculty, staff, students, and community partners who have gone above and beyond in contributing to the public good. With over 150 attendees each year, this event serves to affirm and renew energy for a culture that supports community-based work.