Partnership Possibilities
This report is to identify the available partnership possibilities between The Campus Kitchens Project and the Bonner Scholar Program. Over the course of the summer I communicated through phone, in person and email with Bonner coordinators, students and some CKP faculty to get a better idea at what possibilities would work for staff, students and CKP. As a result I found that many Bonner programs are excited at the possibility to work with The Campus Kitchens Project even if it is just through a summer internship possibility. In conclusion, this report will show you a variety of possibilities and what the next step is to achieve them.
Introduction -
The purpose of the Bonner program is not only to provide students with financial support to attend college but to teach students to remain active in their communities. The Bonner program hopes to teach students the importance of civic engagement and how to use their talents to uplift the communities they are serving.
The Campus Kitchen Projects purpose is similar to that of the Bonner program, with a focus on the issue of hunger. Campus Kitchens is giving college students the opportunity to use service to empower not only themselves but the community.
Both the Bonner Foundation and The Campus Kitchens Project work to provide college students with the opportunity to gain experience, knowledge, and self understanding. If Bonner schools and Campus Kitchens were to work together it would only enhance both programs. Students in the Bonner program focus on a diverse number of issues and organize creative ways to bring awareness to issues the surrounding communities face. Working together would only bring a new creative way that students can talk about hunger issues, healthy eating habits and new solutions to help combat the larger issues of poverty.
In this report I will break down the different ways that are possible for Bonner and CKP to partner. There are unlimited possibilities to what both organizations can do together. By starting with these partnerships you open the door for even more possibilities to be found.
Summer Internships –
The Bonner Foundation has two types of Bonner Schools, a Leader and Scholar. The Scholar students must do summer service for the first two summers they are in college. A great way for CKP to partner with the Bonner program is to work with the 27 Bonner Scholar programs and offer summer internships to their first and second year students. Through the Bonner foundation these students receive summer funding. So if CKP were to offer funding for the internship it would not need to be an excessive amount, just enough to help them with transportation, housing or small expenses. This would allow the Bonner student to gain great work experience in the work world and CKP to get help over the summer.
Currently, there are two Bonners serving as CKP interns at Washington and Lee University. I spoke with Stephanie, an AmeriCorps VISTA, who works with both CKP and Bonner at Washington and Lee. She noted that Bonners were a big part of CKWLU and that many of them are on the leadership team. But it is working at CKWLU over the summer that allows them to see the bigger picture of the kitchen. After talking to Stephanie the summer internship seemed like one of the most effective ways that Bonner and CKP can work together.
The Bonner Foundation sends out weekly newsletters to schools, which is a great way to get the word out to Bonner schools that there are internship opportunities available. You can even focus on a select number of schools if the internship opportunities are slim.
Scholar Schools
Allegheny College / DePauw University / Oberlin CollegeBerea College / Earlham College / Rhodes College
Berry College / Emory & Henry College / Spelman College
Carson-Newman College / Guilford College / Stetson University
Concord University / Mars Hill College / University of Richmond
Centre College / Maryville College / Waynesburg University
Davidson College / Morehouse College / Wofford College
Highlighted schools are the schools that are in the close proximity with a school that already has a Campus Kitchen on site. It may be easier to place them with summer programs at schools close by to them.
Contact Information for each school-
Allegheny College – Jamie Williams,No one responded when tried to contact Allegheny. / DePauw University – Jessie Scott,
765.658.4617,
No one responded when tried to contact DePauw. / Oberlin College – Trecia Pottinger, Program Director, 440-775-5387,
Berea College – Heather M. Schill, Bonner Coordinator, 859-985-3804, / Earlham College – Jana Schroeder, Bonner Coordinator, (765) 983-1276, / Rhodes College – Anthony Siracusa, Community Service Coordinator, 901-843-3401,
Berry College – Ryan M. James, Program Assistant, 706-238-7885, / Emory & Henry College – Shannon Hoffman, Bonner Coordinator, 276-944-6250, / Spelman College – Kiesha Cooper, Bonner Program Assistant, , 404-270-5316
Carson-Newman College – Patrick Guber, Bonner Coordinator, 865-471-4315, / Guilford College – T. Elizabeth Balof – “Bird”, Bonner Coordinator, 336-316-2452, / Stetson University – Savannah-Jane Griffin, 386-822-8706,
Concord University – Sharde’ Hardy, Bonner Coordinator, / Mars Hill College – Cindy Frost, Bonner Coordinator, 828-689-1162, / University of Richmond – Blake Stack, Bonner Coordinator, , 804-484-1632
Centre College – Patrick Noltemeyer, Bonner Director, ,
No One responded when I tried to contact Centre. / Maryville College – Preston Fields, Director of Community Engagement, 865.981.8122,
No One responded when I tried to contact Maryville. / Waynesburg University – Sarah Brandstetter, Bonner Coordinator, 724-852-3460,
Davidson College – Kristin Booher, Director of Community Service and Bonner Scholars, (704) 894-2298, / Morehouse College – Jaquenetta Dugger, Administrative Assistant, 404-681-7575, / Wofford College - Jessalyn Wynn Story
Director of the Bonner Scholars Program and Service Learning
(864) 597-4403
No One responded when I tried to contact Wofford.
I have stated which schools did not respond to my email or call. That could be for a number of reasons; the summer is when most Bonner staff goes through transitions. Therefore it could just be a transitioning happening and the Bonner contact has changed.
After communicating with different Bonner staff members through phone and email I have learned that it is best to send out information by the beginning of January. A lot of them begin sending out information during November and December so that over the break students can apply to summer internships and research programs. Since it is a requirement for first and second year students to complete summer service hours, the staff begins working with them early. The focus of the summer internship program would need to be on first and second year Bonners because those are the ones that receive summer funding because summer requirements are only given to first and second year students.
Any financial questions would have to be answered by the school because each school gives out summer funding differently. But each scholar school does have a certain amount they are allowed to give to a student. Depending on where the opportunity is the most expensive thing would be housing. So if the internship is with a CKP school then maybe a partnership can be worked out with the school to offer the student discount housing to stay on campus. Or if a student that works with CKP at that school needs a summer roommate or subleasing a room for the summer that information can go to the student. But in a situation like this the most important thing Bonner and CKP would need to work out is housing.
It would be most efficient for CKP to partner these students with one of the schools that host a CKP and possibly working out housing with that school. And the Bonner Fellowship could be responsible for getting an intern for the DC offices, like they have done this summer. Coordinators are excited about the possible opportunities this partnership may give their students.
And during a Bonner training this summer with other Bonner Fellows in DC, they are also excited about the opportunity. They feel that this is a great way to get students involved with CKP, especially students who take an interest in hunger and poverty issues.
Next Steps:
The next steps would need to be to work out with the CKP network schools and see who needs help over the summer. It makes sense to start with the CKP National schools, since they all have summer interns that CKP currently pays for. Next, The Campus Kitchens Project needs to work out is the logistics of if they are helping the intern financially, with housing etc... An application and application process needs to be put together. Then you can put together a flyer or information sheet regarding what you are looking for in an intern and what the internship offers the student. And finally you can send the application and flyer out to the schools and Bonner foundation.
Alternative Spring Break –
Both scholar and leader schools usually take a first year service trip. Most of these trips occur during the school years spring break trip. The schools go to another city or state to do different types of volunteer service than they do at their normal service site. This would be an opportunity for CKP to enlist the help of the Bonner schools that come to DC for their trip to work with the new Campus Kitchens Washington DC (CKWDC). Listed are Bonner schools that have taken their first year trip to Washington DC. Many schools change where they go for their first year trip every year so these schools are not the only option, these are the ones that have came to DC multiple times or every year.
Concord University / Maryville College / Rutgers University / Wofford CollegeAnother option would be to connect the Bonner program with a Campus Kitchens at an actual university that could use their help. In order to help jumpstart the Spring Break partnership, CKP can send out a notice to Bonner coordinators or program assistants, so that when they are planning the trip they can have CKP in mind.
I spoke with Blake Stack from the University of Richmond Bonner program and they are coming to DC, May 2013, and would like to work with The Campus Kitchens Project then. So Bonner programs would definitely take advantage of the opportunity to work with the program over their spring break or any trips they have.
Contact Info – Blake Stack, Bonner Coordinator University of Richmond, 804.484.1632,
This is an easy way to get CKP schools help during their spring break or even just to allow to take pressure off of students once, knowing that they will have a Bonner program coming to help them. It also then allows the Bonner program to experience a kitchen first hand and even inspire them to start their own Campus Kitchen.
Next Steps:
For this partnership a lot of it will be on the Bonner school to reach out to see when a CKP is available. Now CKP can send out a list to Bonner schools letting them know when spring breaks are and if a kitchen needs help. On this list would just need to be dates schools are available to host Bonner program and the contact person for that school. And from there it is up to the Bonner School and CKP School to work it out. Many schools begin planning their spring break trips first semester, so the sooner that you can get it out the better. It is best to send this information to the same person that you send the internship information.
Campus Kitchens on site –
After much research on what CKP does and what it takes to put CKP on a university campus. I have found six Bonner schools that meet preliminary requirements to host a CKP. In order to completely know would be for them to go through the same process every school that wants to start a CKP has to go through.
Augsburg College currently has a Campus Kitchen on campus, in which they are a community partner of the Bonner program. Many of there Bonner’s work with CKAC in leadership positions on the CKAC leadership team and management team. Augsburg is a great example of a Bonner and CKP connection. CKAC allows Bonners to take on leadership roles and CKAC gets the benefits of being a community partner with the Bonner program.
With two Bonner schools already working with a CKP we know the partnership can work. This would just be taking it a step further because it would be the actual Bonner program that starts the CKP and not anyone else at the school.
Funding regarding the CKP on campuses may vary between schools and can be talked about between CKP staff and Bonner staff at that school.
Schools-
College of Saint BenedictDePauw University
Edgewood College
Oberlin College
Rider University
University of Louisville
Possible Atlanta Chapter (6 major colleges and univ. within 5-10 miles of each other in metro Atlanta. 2 Bonner Schools.)?
West Coast Site Possibly?
College of Saint Benedict –
The College of Saint Benedict stood out because not only for the initiatives they’ve done in the past two years, but the years before, the events have dealt with hunger and other poverty related issues. In 2009, they began a partnership with Place of Hope, to help fight hunger and homelessness. The school also hosted 2 Oxfam Hunger Banquets. The banquet was free and open to the public, its purpose was to educate the community about hunger and homelessness locally and globally. College of Saint Benedict is dedicated to service. With the passion to help the community and the interest in helping solve the issue of hunger I felt that a Campus Kitchen would be a great fit at this school.
· Hosted 2 Oxfam America Hunger Banquets
· Place of Hope (POH) – Fights hunger and homelessness in St. Cloud
· In the fall they partnered with Salvation Army to prepare evening meals during their orientation week.