Bonner Service Leaders

Access to Education. Opportunity to Serve.

The Bonner Foundation has a twenty year history as a leader of national academic community engagement driving best practices and research in areas including access to education, community partnerships, academic connections, policy options, training curriculum and more. As a network of over 87 colleges and universities around the country, they are dedicated to building student leaders committed to working to solve systemic issues in our communities today.

While serving at a soup kitchen is a valuable service to the community, it is not the answer to ending poverty. By combining one's academic journey to address the root cause of the issue, students can learn how to take action and find solutions to issues of their passion. All students are required to partake in a 4-year academic track that includes:

First Year Seminar geared towards preparing students to serve in a communities of need
National/international service interships
Academic advising to link course work with service site experience and needs
Integration of academics and service throughout college career

All Siena Bonners are placed in a community placement for four years which give them real world, developmental experience in the field. Weekly trainings provide them a toolbox of over 24 identified personal and professional skills that will enhance their capabilities as leaders and catalysts for building a campus-wide culture of community engagement.

Siena Bonners are placed in teams at sites allowing for greater sustainability and long term impact at partners. Additionally the teams can support one another and act as a collaborative support system for non-Bonner volunteers.

The Siena Bonner Service Leaders Program requires students to make a long-term commitment to 8-10 hours a week in one site for the duration of their journey at Siena. They are the NCAA Division 1, varsity community service team. Students are recruited in their freshmen year through the admissions process, and also as "walk-on" upperclassmen in the fall semester. Placements are made with their academic and professional aspirations in mind, developmentally challenging them to make a lasting impact in our community.

Siena Bonner Service Leaders are passionate about changing the world. As a national network of 75 colleges and universities, Bonners are part of a national service movement. Bonners are commited to the following: