The Dickinson Bonner Community Engagement Fellows program is a nationally-recognized, four-year community-service program available to students who are committed to service and engaging in the local community while in college. Each Spring, the Bonner Fellows program selects a cohort of six changemakers from the incoming first year class and the rising second year class for this selective program. All participating students exemplify an ethos of service, leadership, and social justice and put it into practice through their intensive commitment to:
- 3-4 years of sustained engagement in their community-based placement, 6-10 hours/week. By the time a student graduates, they will have logged at least 600 hours in community engagement and received the equivalent of a full academic course (1 credit) for their internship experience.
- Regular civic leader training and professional development. Bonner Community Engagement Fellows supplement their community internships with reflection, training, and skill-building that helps them bridge their learning across the curriculum and co-curriculum.
- Presenting their community-based research and experiential learning with public audiences through annual participation in the Experiential Learning Showcase and opportunities to share at Bonner national conferences.
- A culminative senior experience, whether that is taking a student leadership role as Bonner Program Coordinator, pursuing a community-engaged academic capstone, or serving as an Engaged Scholarship Fellow who supports community-engaged learning in the classroom.
Taken together, the Bonner program at Dickinson supports students with biweekly wages, access to micro-grants, professional development, and personal growth opportunities that can total up to $22,500 over four years.
At Dickinson College, the Bonner Community Engagement Fellows community includes nearly 30 students across the class years who are placed at 20 unique community organizations. Originally established in 2003, the Bonner program has evolved through multiple other names, including the Montgomery Service Leaders and Community Engagement Fellows, before returning to the Bonner national model.
The original Bonner Scholars program was founded in 1990 at Berea College in KY, designed to be a college access program for underrepresented students with high financial need who were deeply committed to service. Guided by the intent to provide “access to education, opportunity to serve,” the national Bonner network now includes over 60 institutions, engages 2,500 undergraduates each year, and includes over 30K alumni since its founding. The Bonner programs share “six common commitments,” a set of learning outcomes, and an enduring investment in service-based scholarships to support underrepresented students in higher education. The Bonner model has proven outcomes in improving student retention and persistence, leadership opportunities, and post-graduate outcomes, including civic participation and first destination outcomes.
In recognition of their exceptional leadership and unique commitment to community engagement, Bonner alumni gain access to specialized graduate fee waivers and scholarships, unique access to national partners for internships and employment opportunities, and an expanded alumni network.
To learn more about the program, please navigate through the following menu based on your interest. Specifically, if you’re a student interested in applying to be a new Bonner Community Engagement Fellow, please check out “Become a Fellow” below. The priority application deadline is late March each year.
Please reach out to Sam Ha-DiMuzio, Director of Local and Regional Partnerships, for any additional questions about the program.
Questions about getting involved with the Community Engagement Fellows Program? Get in touch with us!