Why do Bonners get paid for their service?

Community Engaged Learning is well documented as a transformational experience where students develop professional competencies, mentorship and support from their non-profit partner, and an opportunity to integrate their academic experience into real world scenarios – true experiential learning. However, community engagement and service are often exclusive to students who do not have work to put themselves through school. By paying Bonner Leaders for their internship with a non-profit partner, we are creating access for students who may not otherwise have this experience.

With the goal of providing access to education with an opportunity to serve their community, the Bonner Leader Program stipend of $3,000 plus an annual scholarship of $1,000 helps students pay for college by working in the community.

Bonner Leaders are paid through federal work-study or campus work-study funding. The University of Lynchburg Bonner Leader Program aims to have 75% of participating students qualify for federal work-study funding.