The SRU Bonner Program welcomed the fourth cohort during a week-long orientation, intending to familiarize first-year students with the program, campus and fellow Bonner Leaders. The program has expanded and grown in many ways since it’s inception in 2019. This year will not only be the first year with a full curriculum but the first year, since before the pandemic, that we will offer the full experience to Bonner Leaders. As we move into this fourth year of the program, there are many things to be excited about. Bonner Leaders will get to experience Domestic Community-Engaged Learning trips as we travel with various cohorts to the City of Pittsburgh and Williamsburg, W.V., on immersive service trips with our local partner, Amizade. Students will get to engage in service with the local community, seeing and learning about their daily lived experiences.
In an attempt to expand leadership development opportunities within the program, Bonners now have the opportunity to hold various positions that support program operations and their fellow Bonners. These include positions such as Cohort Representative, Community Team Leaders, Engagement Coordinators and many more. These positions provide additional opportunity for Bonners to grow their skillsets and support and connect both the program internally and our network externally.
There is a lot of excitement around the full launch of the Bonner Service Saturday initiative. This Fall alone, there will be four service events held between the Slippery Rock and Butler communities at Bonner site placements. Bonner Leaders will plan and support service events at their respective site placements, which will be posted on RockServe and available to all students who attend SRU. This year, Bonner aims to engage 200 students in service through the Service Saturday initiative and hopes to increase engagement in future years.
Bonner includes a diverse group of dedicated students who will lead across campus in building a culture of service and will build relationships within and strengthen our campus and local communities. This year, Bonners will continue to serve in the Slippery Rock University and Slippery Rock and Butler communities at various organizations. The Bonner Program will also establish new partnerships to host our current first-year students over their next four years with the program.
In the 2022-2023 academic year, the SRU Bonner Leader Program will reach new heights and will continue to seek opportunity for Bonner Leader growth and SRU student engagement.
For questions regarding the SRU Bonner Leader Program, contact bonner@sru.edu.