berea college bonner scholars program

26 Pages·2011·1.44 MB·English

Berea College

Bonner Scholars

Program Handbook

Bonner Scholars Program

Access to Education. Opportunity to Serve.

2010 - 2011
BEREA COLLEGE
Bonner Scholars Program Handbook

Table of Contents

TOPIC PAGE
Berea College Bonner Scholars 2
The Bonner Foundation and the Bonner Scholars Program 3
Bonner Foundation Mission Statement
Bonner Foundation Values and Beliefs
Bonner Foundation History
Overview of Bonner Scholars and Bonner Leaders Programs
Berea College Bonner Scholars Program 6
About Berea College
The Great Commitments of Berea College
Service at Berea College
Center for Excellence in Learning Through Service (CELTS)
The Bonner Scholars Program at Berea College
Bonner Scholars Program Common Commitments and Leadership Development 11
Six Common Commitments
5 E’s of Leadership Development
Bonner Scholars Program Student Roles, Procedures and Policies 13
Student Leadership
Recruitment and Selection
Replacement Policy
Transfer Bonner Scholars
Bonner Scholar Code of Conduct
Bonner Scholars Program Requirements 16
Community Service
Orientation
Class Meetings
Reflection
First Year Week of Service Trip
Sophomore Service Exchange
Junior Recommitment Ceremony
Senior Bonner Presentation of Learning and Senior Exit Interview
Summer Service
Bonner Web-Based Reporting System (BWBRS)
Evaluations
Student Impact Surveys
Bonner Scholars Program Resources 21
Bonner Scholars Community Fund
Bonner Congress
Retention
Campus-Wide Collaboration
Service Opportunities at Berea College 22
Service Opportunities through CELTS
Other Service Opportunities at Berea College
Service Opportunities in the Berea Community
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Berea College Bonner Scholars

Class of 2011

Ehidiamhen Akhetuamhen Patrick Kluesener
Tony Choi Chanel Meadows
Katie Frensley PhiYen Nguyen
James Hamblin Brittany Stowers
Taryn Henning Juan Torres
Sabrine Ishimwe Jose Victoria
Karuva Kaseke

Class of 2012

Kevonia Adamson Seth Hutchins
Jessica Brown Kurstin Jones
Matthew Callo Ana Megrelishvili
Jonathan Davis Shaina Theis
Sonja Escamilla Justin Thomas
Joao Ferreira Filho Raven Weaver
Michelle Gardner Gary Zornes
Marah Holz

Class of 2013

Sarai Bailey Rosemary Meloney
Seth Bailey Grace Par
Ryan Fortenberry Lydia Patton
Hannah Franklin Gloria Reina
Kyle Horn Bianca Scott
Sarah Kozel Nichole Stetten
Corey Lewis Ivan Titaley

Class of 2014

Katie Boyd Son Nghiem
Joel Cecil Megan Osborne
Chan Choi Matthew Ribar
Katie Downey Taylor Rutherford
Ethan Hamblin Erica Scott
David Kretzman Olivia Spooner
Corey Lowery Matthew Walker
Joan Maninang
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The Bonner Foundation and

the Bonner Scholars Program

Bonner Foundation Mission Statement
Through sustained partnerships with colleges and congregations, the Corella and Bertram F. Bonner
Foundation seeks to improve the lives of individuals and communities by helping meet the basic needs
of nutrition and educational opportunity.

Bonner Foundation Values and Beliefs
 The Bonner Foundation is committed to working with all people and institutions regardless of
age, race, belief, or nationality.
 The Bonner Foundation believes that colleges and congregations have vital roles to play in
society in nurturing and mobilizing thoughtful, caring, and diverse leadership dedicated to
community service.
 The Bonner Foundation recognizes that often the best way to help someone is to give them the
opportunity to help themselves, and that the people best able to address a problem are the
people whom it most directly affects.
 The Bonner Foundation recognizes that effective community service programs involve all
stakeholders in their leadership.
 The Bonner Foundation recognizes that long-lasting partnerships are based on mutual respect
and common commitments.
 The Bonner Foundation supports innovative programs that have the potential to serve as
models for the field.

Bonner Foundation History

The Founders - Corella and Bertram F. Bonner

Bertram Bonner was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1899. He was born into poverty and worked his
way through college by taking night classes. At the age of 22 he was named Head Treasurer for Heda
Green Banks in New York City. Eventually, he became involved in real estate in New Jersey, New York
and Florida, and had a career that spanned six decades, including building over 30,000 homes and
apartments.

Corella Allen Bonner was born in Eagan, Tennessee. She spent her young life growing up in coal mining
towns in West Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee. At the age of fourteen, she and her mother moved to
Detroit where she found work as a cashier. She attended Wayne State University at night and made
sure that her younger siblings also went to school, although she never earned a college degree. She
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later transferred to the Statler Hotel in New York City, where she met Bertram Bonner. They were
married, four years later, in 1942.

In 1956 the Bonners moved to Princeton, New Jersey and began a crisis ministry/emergency food
program. Their generosity continued with the founding of the Corella and Bertram F. Bonner
Foundation, Inc. in 1987. This foundation led to the establishment of the Bonner Scholars Program in
1990. Mr. Bonner passed away in 1993, and Mrs. Bonner passed away in July 2002, at the age of 92.

Berea College, Home of the First Bonner Scholars Program

In the fall of 1990, the Bonner Foundation began
recognizing college students who demonstrated
commitments to academic success and community
service. With the assistance of Dr. John B.
Stephenson (former President of Berea College)
the first Bonner Scholars Program was established
at Berea College. Berea College was an obvious
choice to pioneer the Bonner Scholars Program,
given the College’s history and mission, its already
established commitment to service, and the prior
relationship between Mr. & Mrs. Bonner, then
Berea College President John B. Stephenson, and

former Bonner Foundation President Wayne
Meisel.

Overview of Bonner Scholars and Bonner Leaders Programs

The Program was designed to provide access to higher education and an opportunity for students to
serve. In 1992, the Foundation decided to expand, and 12 more schools were invited to participate in
the Bonner Scholars Program. Six years later, Union College became the site of the second Bonner
Scholars Program in Kentucky. In 2005, Centre College became the third. Two other Kentucky schools -
Lindsey Wilson College and the University of Louisville - are part of the Bonner Network, as Bonner
Leader Schools.

The Bonner Scholars Program is based on the premise that young people care about others and given
the opportunity, will become active and involved in their communities. It is also based on the
understanding that college students have a unique and important contribution to make to our society
and future.

To be eligible for the Bonner Scholars Program, students are required to meet three basic
requirements: an above average academic record, financial need, and demonstration “that he or she
has held a role or roles in service with significant responsibility at home, in church, at school, or in the
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community.” Currently active in 24 colleges, most of which lie in the southern Appalachia and
Piedmont regions, the Bonner Scholars Program assists students who prefer to spend their out-of-class
time addressing social issues and engaging in community-based learning. In the summer months,
through Summer of Service, Bonner Scholars continue their efforts and turn Foundation assistance into
the type of sustained community action not possible during the school year and not feasible without
financial assistance.

Nationwide, there are approximately 1500 Bonner Scholars annually.

In 1997, the Bonner Foundation began an effort to expand its original model of service-based
scholarships. Today, the Foundation works with more than 60 institutions nation-wide which have
begun chapters of the Bonner Leaders Program. Each of these campuses has a core group of 5-30
students who work on issues such as improving educational opportunities and fighting hunger through
community programs that focus on literacy issues, mentoring, and nutrition/anti-hunger initiatives.

Bonner Foundation Staff and Contact Information

President, Bobby Hackett Bonner website: www.bonner.org
Senior Program Officer, Ariane Hoy Bonner wiki: http://bonnernetwork.pbworks.com/
(See website for full listing of staff)

Bonner Foundation contact information: Bonner Foundation
10 Mercer Street
Princeton, NJ 08540
609-924-6663
609-683-4626 FAX

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BEREA COLLEGE
BONNER SCHOLARS PROGRAM

About Berea College
Berea College is distinctive among institutions of higher learning. Founded in 1855 as the first interracial and
coeducational college in the South, Berea charges no tuition and admits only academically promising students,
primarily from Appalachia, who have limited economic resources. Berea offers rigorous undergraduate
academic programs leading to Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees in 28 fields. All students work at
least 10 hours per week in campus and service jobs in more than 130 departments.
The College has an inclusive Christian character, expressed in its motto "God has made of one blood all peoples
of the Earth." Guided by this inclusive Christian message of impartial love, Berea's founders held fast to their
radical vision of a college and a community committed to interracial education, to the Appalachian region, and
to the equality of all women and men from all "nations and climes." This scriptural heritage compelled Berea
College to serve all persons regardless of race, creed, color, gender, or class, and led the College to draw its
students from two immediate constituencies: African-American slaves freed by the American Civil War and
white mountaineers.
Today, Berea's primary service region is the Southern Appalachian region, but students come from all states in
the U.S. and in a typical year, from more than 60 other countries representing a rich diversity of cultures and
faiths. About one in three students represents a racial or ethnic minority.
Berea continues to build upon a distinctive history of 150 years of learning, labor and service, and find new ways
to apply our mission (called the Great Commitments) to contemporary times by promoting kinship among all
people, serving communities in Appalachia and beyond and living sustainably to conserve limited natural
resources.
The Great Commitments of Berea College
Berea College commits itself:
 To provide an educational opportunity primarily for students from Appalachia, black
and white, who have great promise and limited economic resources.
 To provide an education of high quality with a liberal arts foundation and outlook.
 To stimulate understanding of the Christian faith and its many expressions and to
emphasize the Christian ethic and the motive of service to others.
 To provide for all students through the labor program experiences for learning and
serving in community, and to demonstrate that labor, mental and manual, has
dignity as well as utility.
 To assert the kinship of all people and to provide interracial education with a
particular emphasis on understanding and equality among blacks and whites.
 To create a democratic community dedicated to education and equality for women
and men.
 To maintain a residential campus and to encourage in all members of the community
a way of life characterized by plain living, pride in labor well done, zest for learning,
high personal standards, and concern for the welfare of others.
 To serve the Appalachian region primarily through education but also by other
appropriate services.
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Service at Berea College

Berea College has a long history of service, reflected in the phrase, “Learning, Labor and Service.”
There is a long history of successful outreach programs, of service to the region, of commitment to
equality and human dignity, and of community members engaged in compassionate acts towards
others in and beyond the College itself.

In 2000, the Center for Excellence in Learning Through Service (CELTS) was created to house all of the
student-led service programs, and to lead an initiative to integrate service-learning into the academic
curriculum. This Center, in collaboration with the Appalachian Center and other already existing service
programs at the College, has expanded and deepened the commitment to excellence in learning
through service at Berea College. Today, CELTS is the primary student-based service center at Berea
College and is home to The Bonner Scholars Program, CELTS Student-led Programs, and the College’s
Academic Service-Learning Program.

Center for Excellence in Learning Through Service (CELTS) at Berea College

CELTS provides a network of support and
resources as well as a common meeting place for
students, faculty, staff and community partners
involved with Berea’s service-related activities.
The opportunities for service and service-learning
facilitated by CELTS take place in the immediate
Berea/Madison County community, in the larger
Appalachian region, and at sites throughout the
United States and the world. Every Berea College
student, who must be low-income, receives a full-
tuition scholarship and holds a ten to fifteen hour
per week labor position either on campus or in
the community. Over 80 students each year hold
their labor position through CELTS, where they

coordinate student-led volunteer programs, help
facilitate academic service-learning courses, or
work in local non-profit organizations. CELTS and
Berea College have been recognized nationally for
the service and service-learning programs.

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CELTS Vision
We envision an educational system that successfully combines community service with academic
learning to create an environment that challenges and prepares students to be critical thinkers,
reflective learners and active members of just communities, near and far.

CELTS Mission
The Center for Excellence in Learning Through Service (CELTS) educates students for leadership in
service and social justice through promotion and coordination of academic service-learning and
student-led community service.

CELTS Administration & Program Staff

Chad Berry is the Director of CELTS and the Appalachian Center, and Professor of Appalachian Studies.

Ashley Cochrane is the Associate Director of CELTS and the Director of the Bonner Scholars Program.
She is also the Coordinator of the Service-Learning Program.

Heather McNew Schill , ‘99 is the Assistant Director of Community Service and the Coordinator of the
Bonner Scholars Program.

Katie Basham, ’02, is the Coordinator of the First Year Bonner Scholars Program. She also works in the
Berea College Campus Christian Center, as the Assistant Director and the Coordinator of Interfaith
Programming.

Sheila Lyons, ’86, CELTS Program Associate, provides administrative support to the Bonner Scholars
Program, including the administration of student payroll.

CELTS Programming

Student-Led Service Programs
CELTS is home to ten student-led service programs which are based on a model of leadership
development that provides students with opportunities to design and manage programs themselves.
Their responsibilities include recruiting and training volunteers, planning and executing weekly
program activities, facilitating team meetings and reflections, and mentoring team members. These
programs include mentoring and tutoring programs, Habitat for Humanity, an environmental advocacy
program, and a program that serves the Spanish-speaking community, among others.

Bonner Scholars Program
CELTS is also home to a Bonner Scholars Program, which includes sixty Berea College students who
focus on service activities throughout their undergraduate career. They serve through their labor
positions, and they participate in and lead other service activities such as Summers of Service. As first-
year students, Bonners embark on a journey of personal growth and exploration augmented by a
structured program of training, teambuilding, guided reflection, enrichment activities, and experiences
that remain with them long after their time at Berea has ended.
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Service-Learning Program
The service-learning program at Berea College provides support for faculty, staff, students, and
community partners who are involved in service-learning activities. Today, service-learning courses are
taught in over twenty disciplines across campus. Community partners include non-profit agencies,
community organizations, and schools. Service-learning experiences and structured reflection provide
students with the opportunity to make connections between academic course content and community
issues, in the broader context of civic engagement. Service-learning also facilitates the exchange of
ideas, knowledge and resources between Berea College and the local community, the Appalachian
region, and beyond.

CELTS Focus on Hunger
Bonner Scholars have the opportunity to participate in a series
of student-led service events that CELTS sponsors each year to
help address hunger in our community.

Hunger Hurts Community Food Drive: Students conduct this
event during the fall term to collect non-perishable food
donations from homes throughout the city of Berea. These
foods are delivered to - and then sorted and stored at - the
Berea Community Food Bank.

Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week: In November, students coordinate a series of educational
events during National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week. These events include an Oxfam
Hunger Banquet and tabling about current legislation related to hunger and homelessness.

Empty Bowls: Held during the spring term, students organize the Empty Bowls event, in partnership
with the Berea College Ceramic Apprenticeship Program, to draw awareness to hunger issues and raise
money for several local food banks through the sale of tickets for a handmade bowl and a simple mea
of soup and bread.

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