• Bonner Leader Program
• Celebrating Scholarship & Creativity Day
• College of Saint Benedict Marie and Robert Jackson Fellows Program
• ELCE Staff
• Internship Program
• Service-Learning Program
• Undergraduate Research
• ELCE Scholarships & Fellowships

Bonner Leader Program

Our Mission

Through sustained partnerships with colleges and congregations, the Corella and Bertram F. Bonner Foundation seeks to improve the lives of individuals and communities by helping meet the basic needs of nutrition and educational opportunity.

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The History of The Bonner Leader Program

The Bonner Foundation was started by Corella and Bertram Bonner in 1989. The Bonners devoted their lives to philanthropic causes, carrying a special place in their hearts for college students. They shared a passion for aiding students in their college career by providing an opportunity to go to school to those who otherwise would not have the means to do so. Through the prestigious programs that have been established (The Bonner Scholars Program, National Bonner Leader Program, and Bonner AmeriCorps), there have been more than 80 colleges and institutions and thousands of college students have participated in one or more of these programs, all of which are centered on serving communities.

The History of The Bonner Leader Program on CSB/SJU

Since the Spring of 2007, the College of St. Benedict and the Bonner Foundation have developed a relationship, which has resulted in CSB/SJU forming a Bonner Program. With the first official team of Bonner Leaders being formed in Fall 2008, the CSB/SJU Bonner Leader Program has only recently started. However, the program has already accomplished many great things. In the 2008-2009 school year, the Bonners presented two workshops at the Summer Leadership Institute in DeLand, Fl in June 2009, won an award for a video, held a campus-wide event featuring the talents of CSB/SJU students, and welcomed their first class of new Bonners in the Fall of 2009 (among other things). The current Bonner program consists of 30 students of all ages and interest areas.

The Bonner Scholarship provides financial support for those students who demonstrate financial need and commitment to service. College of St. Benedict / St. John's University is one in about 80 colleges and universities nation-wide honored to host a Bonner Program. Each year, 10 first-year students are selected to participate in the four-year scholarship program. Bonner Leaders commit to an average of 8-10 hours of service each week, typically at an off-campus nonprofit agency. These hours are made up mainly of time spent serving at a community agency where you will earn your student employment award, and also from activities such as in-service workshops, training sessions, and retreats that address pertinent issues and teach valuable, transferable skills. Bonner Leaders will receive a total of $2,500 during each academic year which goes directly towards tuition reduction. Bonner Leaders also have numerous opportunities presented them each year, including: summer service placements at nonprofit organizations, Alternative Break Experiences, and conferences.