Bonner Scholar Program

Bonner Scholars devote 8-10 hours per week to local and national partners (140 hrs per semester) and complete two 280 hour summer internships

Through cohort meetings, guided reflections, annual cornerstone activities, and trainings via the Bonner network, scholars develop practical leadership, teamwork, and project management skills

Scholars gain a deeper understanding of social and systemic issues, learn to connect their experiences to their academic work, and cultivate clarity, confidence and purpose

Through internships, projects, reflections, and leadership development, Bonner Scholars build key career competencies including critical thinking, teamwork, professionalism, communication, leadership, and global / intercultural fluency that equips them for success in a diverse range of professions.

Students build lasting relationships with peers, mentors, community partners, and the bonner network will preparing for professional and civic life beyond DePauw

Students may reach out to their Admissions Counselor to confirm financial eligibility and learn more about next steps.

Commitment to Community Engagement: Bonner Scholars complete approximately 8–10 hours per week of community-based work during the academic year, totaling 140 hours each semester.

Summer Internships: Scholars complete two full-time summer internships with nonprofit or government organizations. Each internship includes at least 280 hours over 7+ weeks and can take place locally, nationally, or internationally.

Weekly Meetings & Training: Bonners participate in required weekly Bonner meetings, leadership trainings, workshops, and one-on-one advising meetings designed to support personal, professional, and civic development.

Cornerstone Experiences: Students participate in key developmental experiences throughout college, including Early Orientation and Winter Term (first year), Service Exchange (sophomore year), Recommitment and Capstone Project (junior year), and a senior Presentation of Learning.

The Hartman Center partners with more than 30 nonprofit organizations in Greencastle and Putnam County. Our community partners include K-12 schools, the Humane Society, the Putnam County Museum, Beyond Homeless shelter, and the Putnam County Hospital to name a few. Bonner staff work closely with students and community partners to identify opportunities that align with both community-identified needs and each student’s interests, strengths, and goals.

Mr. & Mrs. Bonner established the Bonner Foundation with the hope and, indeed, the expectation, that the impact of their support would be far-reaching in the areas of hunger and education. 

Both Bertram and Corella Bonner’s personal journeys played a significant role in the development and direction of the Foundation. Bertram Bonner, born “without a dime” in Brooklyn in 1899, worked his way through college at night before becoming Head Treasurer for Hetty Green Banks at age 22. After losing everything in the stock market crash of 1929, he rebuilt his fortune and spent six decades building more than 30,000 homes and apartments. Corella Bonner, born into poverty in Eagan, Tennessee, moved to Detroit as a teenager, where she worked as a cashier, attended Wayne State University at night, and helped support her younger siblings.

The Bonners’ commitment to community service began with providing food for destitute families in Fort Lauderdale and later expanded into a broad-based crisis ministry program in Princeton, New Jersey. In 1989, Mr. Bonner hired Wayne Meisel as the founding president of the Bonner Foundation, and in 1990, alongside Berea College President John B. Stephenson, the Bonners established the first Bonner Scholars Program at Berea College to provide students with “access to higher education and an opportunity to serve.” During this same period, they also launched the Crisis Ministry Program to, in Mr. Bonner’s words, “help the person who is hurting.”

To read more, check out the full history here.

The Bonner Foundation’s Network is made up of 75+ participating colleges and universities, local and national non-profit organizations, and a thriving Alumni network. Collectively, we work towards transforming students, communities, and campuses through service. 

To see all schools that are participating, visit: https://www.bonner.org/bonnernetwork 

International students are eligible for the Bonner Scholar Program under the same criteria and selection process as domestic students. Prospective international students who are interested in being considered for the program should express their interest to their Admissions Counselor during the admissions process.

The Bonner Scholar Program relies on our Admissions counselors to identify and recommend eligible students to begin the selection process for the Bonner Program. Please reach out to the counselor that you've been working with to express your interest in Bonner. 

If you are eligible to apply, and your application is accepted, Bonner staff will guide you through the next steps and you may be invited for an interview.

If your application is accepted, Bonner Scholar Staff will reach out to you via email and invite you to an interview. Acceptance into the program is offered on a rolling basis in the spring term, until we meet quota.

Applications for lateral entry into the Bonner Scholar Program are considered on a space-available basis within the first-year and sophomore cohorts. Eligible students are identified through faculty and staff recommendations and are invited to complete an application and interview process. Selection is based on demonstrated commitment to community engagement, leadership potential, and alignment with the values and mission of the Bonner Program.