TCNJ Bonner Center promotes "green" initiatives; institution recognized at national level

The Bonner Center at the College of New Jersey was an integral presence during this year’s National Green Week. Responsible for organizing and promoting several events, the Bonner Center helped promote green and sustainable living on the campus from April 16 to April 20. The Bonner Center also worked extensively with TCNJ’s Water Watch and students from Janet Gray’s Ecofeminism Class on events as varied as water testing to cleaning up the campus and interactive panels dedicated to environmentalism. Students were even asked to wear green on April 20 to symbolize their dedication to living green. The College’s dedication to sustainability has not gone unnoticed, as evidenced by the fact that the institution was recently included in the “Princeton Review’s Guide to 322 Green Colleges.” “College-bound students are increasingly interested in sustainability issues,” said Robert Franek, Senior VP/Publisher, The Princeton Review. “Among 7,445 college applicants who participated in our 2012 ‘College Hopes & Worries Survey,’ nearly 7 out of 10 (68 percent) told us that having information about a school’s commitment to the environment would influence their decision to apply to or attend the school,” he added. The Princeton Review chose the 322 schools based on a survey it conducted in 2011 of hundreds of colleges across the U.S. and in Canada to tally its annual “Green Rating” scores (scaled from 60 to 99) of colleges for its school profiles in its college guidebooks and website. The survey asks administrators more than 50 questions about their institution’s sustainability-related policies, practices and programs. The Company tallied Green Ratings for 768 institutions in summer 2011. The 322 schools in this guide received scores of 83 or above in that assessment, according to the Princeton Review. Along with their efforts during National Green Week, the Bonner Center will also be hosting the 2nd annual Reduce for Good Use event in May. TCNJ on-campus students can donate unwanted, gently used clothing and household items, including shoes, bedding items, house wares, books, storage bins, furniture and electronics/appliances in any specially marked collection box in dorm lounges or call 609-771-2548 to schedule pick-ups.

Bonner Community Scholars Corps

The Bonner Community Scholars are a diverse group of 70 students who share a common desire and commitment—to spend four years working together with faculty, staff and non profit partners to address the unmet needs of the local community. The students in this scholarship-based leadership program are currently organized into 11 different issue-based teams.

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Community Engaged Learning

TCNJ's Community Engaged Learning (CEL) Program requires each first-year student to participate in at least one meaningful experience that blends learning and service during their initial fall or spring semester. This initial exerience includes a curricular and co-curricular track and paves the way for students to stay engaged throughout their undergraduate years.

Class-Based Projects

The Bonner Center works directly with professors to shape and support courses that encourage community engagement along with academic rigor. Dozens of First Seminar Program (FSP) classes and upper level courses enrich the learning experience while building the capacity of grass roots organizations to improve the quality of life in the region.