Capstones & Signature Work
The Bonner Program: Proven Impact Findings from the 2019 Bonner Student Impact Survey
Culminating Integrative Experiences for Students As described here, the Bonner Program involves a series of scaffolded, developmental activities that can contribute positively to students’ retention, learning, and post-graduate preparation. Many programs involve a sequence of courses (Hoy & Meisel, 2008). In the senior year, students create a reflective presentation of their four-year experience, itself an exercise that can be a high-impact educational opportunity (Brownell & Swaner, 2010; Kuh, 2008). Building on progress across the Bonner Network to link community engagement with coursework and curriculum, the Bonner Program began working in 2015 to integrate a formal community-engaged capstone project as a core expectation for all Bonners. According to NSSE, students with culminating experience were more engaged in purposeful activities and more likely to report gains in job- or work-related knowledge (Hoy, 2016; Kinzie, 2013). Capstones involving a field placement or experience were associated with the greatest number of educational gains, including working effectively with others, acquiring job- or work-related skills, solving complex, real world problems, applying theory, and synthesizing and organizing ideas. The Bonner Capstone Project is defined as a community-engaged project completed by either an individual or team in their junior and/or senior year. Furthermore, it is an opportunity for students to engage in building the capacity of a nonprofit or government partner or group while also applying their own academic and broader college learning. Students also work with a faculty or staff mentor on these projects, which may be connected with multi-year courses, community-engaged research, and teaching. Common projects completed by Bonners include: •
Program, organizational, and curriculum development
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Community-based humanities and oral history projects
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Needs assessment and data analysis
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Policy briefs
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Communications and technology projects (including marketing)
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Research projects
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Social action campaign to change a policy 20
Through integrative capstones, students like this senior at Siena College apply their college learning to build the capacity of community partners.
