Common Commitments	Service
Monies	Four-Year Personal Development Plan
Program Requirements	FAQs

 

 

Application/Deadlines
Return completed application (Word format/PDF format) to the Bonner Scholars Program, Davidson College, Box 7181,
Davidson, NC  28035.
 

The Bonner Scholars Program is supported by the Corella and Bertram F. Bonner Foundation The program allows 20 students from each class who demonstrate both financial need and outstanding commitment to community service to contribute volunteer hours in place of workstudy as a part of their financial aid package.

The Bonner Scholars Program is based on the premise that young people care about others and, given the opportunity, will actively contribute to the local community.  Bonner Scholars are also dynamically involved in a variety of other college activities - including athletics, SGA, fraternities and eating houses, orchestra, and College Union leadership.

Bonners engage in many different types of service. Some examples are:
The Ada Jenkins Community Center as tutor/mentor
Carolina Raptor Center as assistant
Davidson IB Middle School as tutor
Free Clinic of Our Towns as translator, physician’s assistant, or clerk
The Urban Ministry Center as food bank volunteer, soup kitchen volunteer
Catawba Lands Conservancy as stream cleanup volunteer or Board member

 

COMMON COMMITMENTS
Six common commitments have emerged that embody the work of those involved in the Bonner Program. These commitments are meant to  help to create students who go into the world well prepared to live and serve as educated, culturally aware, and civic-minded individuals.

Social Justice	Advocating fairness, impartiality and equality while addressing systemic social and environmental issues
Civic Engagement	Participating intentionally as a citizen in the democratic process; actively engaging in public policy and direct service
Community Building	Establishing and sustaining a vibrant community of place, personal relationships, and common interests
Spiritual Exploration	Exploring personal beliefs while respecting the spiritual practices of others
International Perspective	Developing international understanding that enables individuals to participate successfully and sensitively in a global society
Diversity	Respecting and engaging the many different dimensions of diversity in our public lives

SCHOLARSHIP DETAILS

	4-Year Bonner Financial Award	Per Year	Total
A.	School Year Support (1/2 fall, 1/2 spring)	$2,100	$8,400
B.	Summer Service & Living Expense Stipend		$5,500
C.	Loan Reduction/Graduate School Grant (to be applied to loan at graduation)		$1,600
			$15,500

A. $2,100 ($1,050 received during the first week of each semester) replaces the work study component of the financial aid package. Students serve ten hours per week in community placements (140 hours per term). They may put part or all of the School Year Support directly towards their tuition bill or use it for expenses.

B. $5,000 is available for two required summers of 280-hour, seven-week summer service placements (which can also carry a salary, such as summer camp counselor). Each of these two summers include a $1,500 earning stipend and a $1,000 living stipend in addition to whatever salary the position pays. The student can choose which two summers he/she wants to do the required service and can use any leftover living stipend plus a $500 bonus for a third optional summer.

C. $1,600 at graduation to reduce loan indebtedness (paid directly to the loan institution) or to contribute to graduate school tuition within five years of Davidson graduation

D. $100 per Bonner Scholar per year forms the Community Fund, a grant pool administered by the Bonner Steering Committee for Davidson College student service projects.

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS and 4-YEAR DEVELOPMENT PLAN

General Requirements

All Bonner and Community Scholars attend a fall and spring retreat. These are on campus, one day retreats during which we plan for the semester and reconnect with each other.

Semester interviews are also required for all Bonner and Community Scholars. Each class has an advisor with whom they must meet at least three times a year.

Four-Year Plan

First Year: Exploration

Second Year: Experience

Third Year: Expertise

Fourth Year: Evolution

1st Year Students

The first year of the Bonner Program is
focused on exploration and awareness
of self and community. All first year
Bonner and Community Scholars
participate in a series of Monday night
dinners that occur for the entire academic year from 5-7pm. Some examples are a windshield tour of the town of Davidson, a workshop for writing personal mission statements, a panel on housing issues, and a discussion on gratitude.

2nd Year Students
The second year of the Bonner Program is focused on experience. Since sophomores are choosing majors, the second year Bonner Scholars are encouraged through their monthly meetings to reflect on personal motivations, goals and academic gifts. Examples of sophomore meetings include "Literature for the Mind" (a discussion of the place of literature in our service) and "Service to Our Souls.”

3rd Year Students
The third year of the Bonner Program encourages the students to gain a feeling of expertise in their chosen fields of service and academics. Because so many juniors study abroad, the focus of the third year also tends to be on awareness of global issues.

4th Year Students
The fourth year focuses on evolving into vocation. Since seniors are making decisions about their post-college careers, the fourth year monthly meetings will cover topics such as creating service resumes, integrating life and service and developing advanced personal problem solving skills.
 

SERVICE

During the school year, Bonner Scholars are asked to complete ten hours per week (140 hours of service per semester) at various sites of their choice in the local community. Activities range from tutoring/mentoring children to preserving the environment. Bonners also commit to completing 280 hours of community service during each of the 2 summers for which they receive a housing and living stipend.

Bonner Scholars complete their summer service locally, nationally and even internationally. In the past students have traveled to Africa to work with AIDS service organizations, gone to Costa Rica to work with an animal preservation society, worked at the Crisis Assistance Ministries shelter in Charlotte, worked at a camp for disadvantaged children, and remained on campus to create and run an educational summer program for middle school students.