This document outlines the key activities and components of the Bonner Cornerstones program, including: - Orientation to build community among students and staff and establish expectations. - A first year trip for freshmen to explore a place or issue through service, culture, and reflection. - A second year exchange where sophomores partner with other programs to delve into an issue. - Capstone projects for juniors and seniors to integrate academic and experiential learning through a community-focused project. - Senior presentations of learning where students reflect on their journey and learning across four years in the program. - Regular one-on-one meetings between students and staff for personal support and

1. Bonner Cornerstones Activities

2. What We’ll Cover
• Orientation
• First Year Trip
• Second Year Exchange
• Capstone Projects
• Presentations of Learning
• Advising: One on-One Meetings

3. Orientation

4. Sense of place -
campus and
community
Personal
Exploration
Bonner
Program
Expectations
Inspiration
Sense of
Bonner
Community
Sets foundation for
success by building
community among
students and staff
Orientation

5. Welcoming and support-building
Establish the Spirit
of your Program &
the National
Network
Requirements,
Processes, Rules
Con
fi
rm decision of being a
Bonner, set personal
aspirations and identity
Locations, demographics,
Community Partners and
their missions
Essential (Bonner)
campus knowledge
Community
Building
Bonner Program:
the Big Picture
Bonner Program:
Goals & Expectations
Getting to Know:
Yourself
Getting to Know:
the Community
Getting to Know:
the College
Orientation Agenda

6. Community Building
• Maryville College - Meal
times (virtual breakfast),
Bowling Night
• Berry College -
Icebreakers, Meal Teams,
Game Night, Pool Party
• Siena College -
Icebreakers & Various
Social Activities
• University of Rutgers @
Camden - Cards
Promoting Humanity
(tailored to their Bonner
Program and Campus),
Get-To-Know-
YouWelcome Activities
(Find Someone and
Preferences game)

7. Bonner Program:
Big-Picture & Expectations
• Maryville College -
Logistics, Handbook and
Rules, BWBRS training
• Berry College - Program
Overview with Re
fl
ection
and creative activity around
the Common Commitments
• Siena College - “Program
Time” Sessions for different
levels
• Show the History Video on
www.bonner.org

8. Get to Know:
The College & Community
• University of Rutgers -
Camden - Annual Review of
Service Partners
• Maryville College - Bike Tour
of Community, Service Projects
• Berry College - Town
Scavenger Hunt, Campus Tour,
Community Partners Tour &
Brunch
• Siena College - Service
Projects, free-time around the
town
• TCNJ - Tour of Trenton (use
Google) and Service Partners,
Professor McGreevey Lecture
on Trenton - Changes in the
Urban Centers and Effects of
Suburbanization

9. Get to Know:
Yourself & Others
• University of Rutgers - Camden - “What’s Your
Passion?,” and Goal-Setting Activity
• Maryville College - Leadership Compass
• Berry College - River Stories / Identity Circles,
Personal Re
fl
ection activities
• Siena College - Re
fl
ection Sessions, other training
workshops

10. Training Modules
• Review Program History and
Structure
• Introduce History of Town/City
Serving
• Tour Town/City
• Community Asset Mapping
• River Stories
• Identity Circles
• Vulnerability and Leadership
• Leadership Compass
• Introduction to Communication
& Active Listening
• Con
fl
ict Resolution
• Service Based Re
fl
ection
• Exploring Diversity - Step to the
Line
• Time Management
• Project Management
• Bonner 101 and BWBRS 101
• Alumni Panel

11. Online Orientation
• Slides
• Games
• Activities
• Facilitation Guides
• All of which you can use
in online formats!

12. •Established Programs: What does your
program currently do? What are the
strengths and challenges? What are
some ways to improve the experience?
•New or Exploring Programs: What
ideas do you have? What are potential
challenges and ways to overcome? What
are realistic strategies for year one?
Small Group Discussion

13. First Year Trip

14. First Year Trip
• 2-7 day cohort experience for fresh
and new Bonners or done remotely
• Pick a distinctive place
• Delve into place or an issue - like
poverty or immigration
17%
17%
17% 17%
33%
Service or Action (i.e., Research)
Culture & History
Community and Team Building
Education, Re
fl
ection & Discussion with Community Experts
Engage Developmentally with New Organizations & Issues

15. Examples
• Emory & Henry in rural Virginia visited
New York City to learn about poverty
in both rural and urban contexts.
• Rider in New Jersey visited Boston and
served with City Year Corps Members,
and met with other campuses and
nonpro
fi
ts
• Maryville in Tennessee connected with
course on Civil Rights Movement and
visited with organizations in
Birmingham, Montgomery, and
Southern Georgia.

16. •Established Programs: What does your
program currently do? What are the
strengths and challenges? What are
some ways to improve the experience?
•New or Exploring Programs: What
ideas do you have? What are potential
challenges and ways to overcome? What
are realistic strategies for year one?
Small Group Discussion

17. Second Year
Exchange

18. Second Year Exchange
• Cohort experience for sophomores
that exposes them to national
movement
• Pair up with 1 or more other Bonner
Programs or other schools
• Delve deeper into an issue - integrate
activism and advocacy
• Can be a conference (in person or
remote)

19. Rollins, Stetson, University of Tampa
Students participating in “The
Privilege Walk” activity The
Everglades
Discussion: Environmental
Sustainability
The Everglades

20. •Established Programs: What does your
program currently do? What are the
strengths and challenges? What are
some ways to improve the experience?
•New or Exploring Programs: What
ideas do you have? What are potential
challenges and ways to overcome? What
are realistic strategies for year one?
Small Group Discussion

21. Capstone Projects
Capacity-Building
& Social Action

22. Junior/Senior Year
• Bonner Capstones engage students in an
individual or team project
• It has a clearly de
fi
ned community
purpose for a partner or constituency
(involving an advisor).
• It allows the student to integrate academic
and experiential learning.
• It involves a staff or faculty mentor (who can
provide structure, help, feedback, and
support. This may or may not involve credit).

23. Presentation
of Learning

24. Senior Presentations
of Learning
• An integration re
fl
ection across
four years of experience
• An inspiring presentation to one’s
cohort, campus, and community
• A high-impact practice in which a
student articulates her or his
journey and learning
• Can be linked with assessment

25. First Year Written Re
fl
ections
• Identity and place: Let’s
talk about experiences in
service in which you
learned about place and
thought about your
identity and the identities
of others different from
your own. What have you
learned?
• Recognizing Solutions: Let’s
talk about issues you have
begun to
fi
nd a passion for
addressing. What strategies
and solutions have you
learned? What courses and
other college experiences
have meshed with these
interests?

26. Fourth Year Written Re
fl
ections
• Leaving a legacy: Let’s talk
about the evolution of your
work in service and community
engagement. What are the
most meaningful contributions
and impacts you believe you’ve
helped to make? How will or
has your capstone project
allowed you to integrate your
identity, learning, service, and
long-term interests?
• Civically-engaged Lives: As
you re
fl
ect on your whole
Bonner experience, what
impact do you think it has had
on you? How has the
experience clari
fi
ed or shaped
your own personal values or
aspirations? What are your
hopes for how you carry
forward this learning after
graduation?

27. • University of Richmond's POL occur over
four separate nights in late March and early
April, each night having a social issue focus
so that concepts raised and discussed align.
• Wofford College host a POL Banquet
Program for their seniors-pro
fi
ling each
graduating Bonner
• The University of the South -
Sewanee requires seniors to create and
develop a Digital Story for their Senior
Presentation of Learning.
Senior Presentation of Learning

28. •Established Programs: What does your
program currently do? What are the
strengths and challenges? What are
some ways to improve the experience?
•New or Exploring Programs: What
ideas do you have? What are potential
challenges and ways to overcome? What
are realistic strategies for year one?
Small Group Discussion

29. One-on-One
Meetings

30. One-on-One Meetings
• Chance to discuss the student’s service
placement, goals and objectives, academics,
personal development, and re
fl
ection
• Allow Bonner staff to support students on a
personal level that matches the student’s
stage of development
• Opportunity to become aware of concerns
or issues
• Opportunity to show gratitude for a
students' place and contributions to the
program

31. Why One-on-One meeting?
• Build trust and respect with students
• A personal experience for each student
• Emphasize importance of service and
accountability
• Recognize good work privately (and
publicly)
• Get to know students and support their
growth
• Help students integrate learning across
Bonner and college experiences

32. One-on-One Benchmarks
• Meeting is benchmark within a program
• Programs have at least two formal
one-on-one meetings with students
annually (per semester)
• Consider documentation and tracking
• Prepare with a knowledge of the
available campus resources (mental
health, academic support, etc.)

33. Common Challenges & Strategies
• To prepare, have straightforward plan or form
• Students can discuss 1) service performance, 2)
program participation, 3) training and learning,
4) participation in campus community
• May want to schedule one-on-one meetings over
two weeks or more
• Expand circle of mentors
• Involve relevant campus staff/faculty to help
meet with the Bonner students
• Chaplain, Career Development staff, Student
Life staff, DEI staff, faculty members, and others

34. •Established Programs: What does your
program currently do? What are the
strengths and challenges? What are
some ways to improve the experience?
•New or Exploring Programs: What
ideas do you have? What are potential
challenges and ways to overcome? What
are realistic strategies for year one?
Small Group Discussion

35. What questions do you have?
To Do Checklist in Handbook