Front Page / Bonner Program Resources / Education and Reflection / Campus Examples
Education and Reflection
Overview | Guides | Training Modules | Campus Examples | Documents to Download
Bonner Meeting / Training Calendar
Morehouse College
Morehouse College used Bonner 8-themes curriculum to facilitate class-based meetings and identified subject-matter experts to plan All Bonner Meetings. Their calendar serves as a good example of aligning Bonner meetings with the developmental approach to community-based learning.
Sewanee: The University of the South
Sewanee's meeting calendar also includes many topics from 8-themes curriculum such as "Understanding Identity and Intersectionality," "Community Asset Mapping," "Managing Up," "Issue Briefs" etc. Additionally, they also incorporate discussions using "Clifton Strengths," and "The Enneagram" to help acknowledge team members' different strengths and talents.
Siena College
Siena College meeting calendar includes cohort-based meetings, which include 8-themes curriculum, Bonner common commitments, capacity-building and capstone-level projects, as well as campus speakers. Some additional topics, relevant to Bonner work are also discussed during these meetings such as "Navigating Difficult Conversations," "Basics of Nonprofits," "Language Matters: Microagression and Person First Language" etc.
Curricular Resources from Schools in the Network
Carson-Newman University: Bonner Academic Course Series
All Bonner Scholars at Carson-Newman University are required to take a three class sequences in order to graduate from the program in good standing. The three courses are: ID 102 – “Power, Privilege, and Difference”, ID/PSY 212 – “Social Entrepreneurship Seminar”, and ID/PSY 312 – “Social Entrepreneurship Practicum”. Below are the syllabi for the respective courses:
Colorado College: Capstone Curriculum
The Bonner Capstone Canvas module at Colorado College is a resource designed to walk students through the development of their capacity-building Capstone projects. Within the module, students have access to the capstone expectations, junior capstone proposal preparation resources, and capstone presentation expectations.
Colorado College: The Changemaker Curriculum
The Bonner Leader Program at Colorado College is housed under the Collaborative for Community Engagement (CCE). The CCE developed a 4-year Changemaker Curriculum that offers one workshop per block (month) geared toward students in each cohort.
To impact students’ development into lifelong citizens, the CCE believes students must have the opportunity to learn and grow from their engaged experiences in structured spaces. The Changemaker Curriculum workshops aim to generate these spaces for dialogue and reflection around three core themes, with skills of organizing and co-creation interwoven throughout each theme. The three core themes focused on are:
-
Self: how one’s position in the social and political world shapes one's perspective, voice, and influence in community-engaged work
-
Community Impact & Issues: how to gain place-based knowledge and deep understanding of the issues in which you engage
-
Theories of Social Change: theories and models of social change, and strategies to engage with communities beyond campus
To learn more about curriculum opportunities for students to identify, develop, and integrate personal identities with civic engagement passions, academic studies, and career interests connect with the CCE staff at Colorado College!
George Mason University: Moment of Obligation
George Mason University's Moment of Obligation is a reflective activity through which students illustrate their journey for social change. The prompts in this activity ask students to share a moment or an experience that committed them to do something to address a problem that they care about. Bonners have the opportunity to share their story individually at the beginning of the class during their first year.
Rutgers University- New Brunswick: Envisioning a Beloved Community
The Collaborative Center for Community Engagement and the Rutgers Bonner Leader Program prepared a one-hour virtual program entitled “Envisioning Peace in our Beloved Community,” featuring performances and a panel discussion of four community leaders on how to stem the recent uptick in gun violence in the city of New Brunswick. Pre-COVID, students would serve at their partner sites on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service. Due to the pandemic, in-person service was shutdown, thus, the panel was implemented to bring together the community and continue Dr. King's legacy. Bonners, other university students, staff, and community partners engage in critical conversations to learn about issues facing the community such as youth, education, city resources, spiritual healing, etc.
Sewanee: The University of the South
All Bonner students complete a digital reflection video at the end of their time with the program. The creation of these Digital Stories allows students to enter into thoughtful reflection and helps them to make sense of their service experiences as they prepare to say goodbye to the community.
Slippery Rock University: Bonvos (Bonner Conversations)
Slippery Rock University’s Bonvos (Bonner Conversation) is a new initiative conceptualized by a Bonner Senior Intern - Montanna McClue. The program creates a space for discourse within the program about various social justice issues and how they align with the Bonner Common Commitments and Values. For instance, students discussed the school-to-prison pipeline, policy decisions by the U.S. President and public officials; local, national, and global news events.
Slippery Rock University: Bonner Civic Leadership Framework
Slippery Rock University’s Bonner Program developed The Bonner Civic Leadership Framework to align the curriculum and goals of the program. Feedback from SRU Bonner Leaders played a role in the development of the framework, when Bonners were asked “what characteristics/qualities do you believe a Bonner Leader should hold?”. These responses helped guide the main focuses of the curriculum. SRU Bonner Program’s Civic Leadership Framework can serve as a good example in seeing the translation of ideas/beliefs into curriculum to expose students to meet respective competencies, and the final outcome of learned skills being applied in action.
Bonner Field Guide
Davidson College
Davidson College's Bonner team developed field guides for First Year and Second Year Bonner students with careful selection of prompts, images, vibrant colors, and graphic design. The guides include reflection activities, worksheets that go along with Bonner training modules on "Identity Circles," "Community Asset Mapping" etc., and prompts to design Capstone projects. This is a great way to help Bonners navigate their service work and get a sense of their progress or developmental journey in the program. Stay tuned for Year Three and Year Four Field Guides.
Bonner Roadmap / Developmental Progression
Christopher Newport University
CNU wanted to strengthen the way it conveyed the Bonner student developmental model to students, not only at Orientation but in ways that they could return to later. The Bonner Summer Interns - students in the program - worked closely with staff to develop a new CNU Bonner Service Scholars handbook and binder. It is very visual, with tabs for each class year to then add new materials from their trainings, projects, and reflections. They used Canva to make the inserts, so that too provides students with a gist of the developmental focus for each year. They had the binders embossed and made (at Fedex, like the inserts) and the results are very professional! As they develop materials for each of the trainings offered during cohort meetings and All Bonner Meetings, the students can add these materials to their binder in the correct tab. Check this out.
Rollins College
This roadmap allows students to visualize the four-year commitment they are making as participations in the Bonner Program.
Academic Integration
Averett University - Bonner Cohort Freshman Seminar
The Bonner Leader Program at Averett University is housed under the Center for Community Engagement and Career Competitiveness. All Bonner students are enrolled in the Bonner section of Averett 110, formerly called Averett 101, the introductory freshman seminar. In the class, Bonners are able to focus specifically on expectations and Bonner culture for the Bonner Leaders. They also participate in a Community Engaged Learning (CEL) project that further engages them with the Danville community as they are also committing to their service site. This provides an opportunity for semester long reflection as well as connecting and building bonds amongst the freshmen during the crucial first semester of college. It gives each student a sense of belonging and space within the Bonner Program.
Christopher Newport University - Civic Engagement and Social Justice Minor
The minor in Civic Engagement and Social Justice is an interdisciplinary program open to all students who want to make a positive difference in the world. The civic minded individual is one with the moral conviction that all citizens have the inherent responsibility to identify and address issues of public concern. Engaged citizenship requires knowledge and understanding of societal problems, willingness to utilize one’s skills in service to society and commitment to building strong communities. This program explores issues of social justice, economic opportunity, access to resources and cross-cultural understanding, with an emphasis on promoting the quality of life for all members of the community. Through interdisciplinary study and service, students will become proactive citizens who find creative and practical solutions to local, national and global problems. Included below is the catalog for the minor, and syllabi for the core courses.
Issue-Based Projects
Allegheny University
Allegheny University’s Sophomore Year Round Issue Brief Project has been adapted to align with the work of the Bonner students. This is an intensive training that provides the opportunity for students to get to know the community that they serve, and refine specific skills that can be used at their sites. Looking towards the future, the issue brief project helps Bonners practice the process for capstones. They are guided through the steps by learning about the project’s application to Bonner, using guiding questions, handouts, and flowcharts. Below are Issue Brief Handouts and some examples of “Issue Briefs” prepared by students at Allegheny College.
