91Ö±²¥

Community Engagement

For many students, engaging the broader community is an important aspect of their 91Ö±²¥ experience. Each year, more than 1,200 students work with nonprofits, government agencies, and schools.

The Bonner Center serves as a hub on campus to connect students with organizations in 91Ö±²¥ and beyond. The center promotes ethical and meaningful student engagement that links students’ interests with community goals.

Nonprofits in 91Ö±²¥ work on a spectrum of issues, including environmental sustainability, food security, and community arts programs:

• , a responsive community organization that provides direct assistance, referrals, and other services to 91Ö±²¥ and southern Lorain County residents who need help meeting basic needs.
• , a nationally-accredited and award-winning history organization and museum with strong local support.
• , a part of the largest-ever merger of land trusts in the United States forming a private, nonprofit conservation organization for Northeast Ohio.

Many 91Ö±²¥ students serve with schools and programs that support youth in the 91Ö±²¥ community:

• , a literacy program that serves elementary school children.
• (Music, Arts, Drama) teaches theatre year-round to students ages 3-19.
• , a not-for-profit early care and education program that serves children from six weeks to kindergarten.

Community-based learning courses allow students to integrate experiential components with their academic learning. Examples of CBL courses:

• Students in the Comparative American Studies course Latina/o/x Oral History interview residents in nearby Lorain and document these experiences through a multimedia project .
• Jennifer Fraser’s ethnomusicology course Music as Activism explores how skills developed through the study of ethnomusicology can be applied to real-world problems. Students partner with a community organization, thinking about how to use music to help the organization achieve their goals.

Programs offered by the Bonner Center include the Community-Based Work-Study Program, the Bonner Scholars Program, and Ninde Scholars Program.

Explore the Bonner Center