Point Park University's Department of Community Engagement and Leadership Announces First Bonner Leaders Group Tuesday, November 29, 2022
“Bonner students emerge from their college experience with a greater understanding of communities and the problems that exist within them, as well as the skills and commitment to be effective in community problem-solving efforts."
Point Park University’s Department of Community Engagement & Leadership is proud to announce its inaugural cohort of the Bonner Leaders Program, a national program that seeks to transform students, communities and campuses through service. The program launched this fall at the University and provides up to 10 incoming students an opportunity for service, scholarship and professional development through community-based work.
“Bonner students emerge from their college experience with a greater understanding of communities and the problems that exist within them, as well as the skills and commitment to be effective in community problem-solving efforts,” said Heather Starr Fiedler, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Community Engagement & Leadership.
Each Bonner Leader student is granted a $3,000 annual award, as well as paid travel opportunities for service learning and conference attendance intended to provide access to education and the opportunity to serve. Through federal work study funding, students in the program are assigned to a local nonprofit organization rather than an on-campus job. Throughout their four years at the University, their relationship and role with their nonprofit partner will grow.
In addition to their service, Bonner students engage in weekly trainings on leadership development and social justice topics to encourage students to become aware of how the problems and issues of their communities influence their service work and public policy.
The inaugural cohort includes:
- Sarah Barrett, biological sciences major with an organismal concentration, Hagerstown, Maryland
Community partner placement: Pittsburgh Cultural Trust
- Jade Bowen-Jean, dance major with a modern concentration, Queens, New York
Community partner placement: Hugh Lane Wellness Foundation
- Rachel Brown, dance major, Chesapeake, Virginia
Community partner placement: August Wilson African American Cultural Center
- Madyson Christie, history major, Chambersburg, Pennsylvania
Community partner placement: August Wilson African American Cultural Center
- Terry Craig Jr., accounting major, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Community partner placement: Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership
- Jordan Haikey, undecided major interested in intelligence and national security, Hagerstown, Maryland
Community partner placement: Dress for Success Pittsburgh
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Grace Schmader, dance major with a concentration in jazz, Clarion, Pennsylvania
Community partner placement: Pittsburgh CLO - Gianna Talento, marketing and sales major, Cranberry, Pennsylvania
Community partner placement: Foundation of Hope
Learn more about the students on Point Park's Bonner Leaders webpage.
The flagship Bonner Leaders Program was established at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill and is part of a nationwide network of more than 80 colleges and universities that provide service-based scholarships and leverage federal community service work-study funds to support intensive undergraduate community service and social justice activities throughout students’ college careers.
Story provided by Barbara Vilanova
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