Bonner Center for Civic and Community Engagement

Bonner Community Scholars

The Bonner Community Scholars are a diverse group of students who share a common desire and commitment—to work as part of a team (of students, staff and community members) that strives to improve the quality of life in the Trenton area.  This four-year student and community development program provides all with opportunities to develop their own skills while promoting positive change and social justice.  In return, Bonner students receive an annual scholarship which can cover from 50 percent to 100 percent of their tuition bill.

At the beginning of the Bonner experience, Bonner Scholars choose to join one of 12 issue-based service teams (approximately 5-8 students). Each one focuses on an area such as health, hunger, homelessness, housing, developmental disabilities, urban education, the environment, youth and family services, youth development, and immigrant services. These teams work primarily with one or two community-partner organizations, which currently include: Habitat for Humanity, the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen, the Academic Sports Academy, the Hedgepeth-Williams School (k-8), El Centro de Recursos Para Familias, the Salvation Army, Visitation Home, the Rescue Mission, Isles Inc., the Albert C. Wagner Correctional facility, PEI Kids, and Trenton High West. In addition, the incoming class of Bonners take their First-Year Seminar (FSP) together; which focuses on Leadership and Social Justice. This brings together their service and academic experiences in significant ways.

As students continue in the Bonner program, they are given multiple chances to pursue their interests and increase their levels of participation, commitment, and leadership--both at their sites and on campus. For example, Bonner students play a key role in creating service opportunities for all first-year students.  This year, they are helping the staff organize more than 40 Community-Engaged Learning Days, during which groups of first year students gather with their floormates to learn and serve together around projects that address all of the issue areas listed above--and more. Bonners also help integrate CEL projects into select FSP courses, organize forums on campus to address local and international issues (i.e. immigration, Darfur), and participate in short-term service trips (e.g. 1 week service trips to help rebuild New Orleans).

Student participation in the program includes a number of key components:

• A three-day orientation at the beginning of the academic year to inform, educate and familiarize students with one another and the Bonner Program
• 300  hours of community service, meetings, and trainings during each academic year
  (max of 8-10 hours per week, depending on the package)
• Weekly meetings with the Bonner Center staff and the other Scholars to discuss their service, current events, and projects
• Trainings, forums, panels and other educational opportunities related to civic engagement, the Bonner common commitments, and the local community
• A First-year service trip

The College of New Jersey’s program is modeled after the Bonner Scholars Program and it is part of a national network of college’s attempting to increase ‘access to education and opportunities to serve’ via a range of innovative programs.  To learn more about the BSP and the Bonner Foundation, located in nearby Princeton, go to www.bonner.org.

• Community Partners/Sites