As part of the Center’s plan to help build the capacity of its community partners, an increasing number of upper level classes are completing projects at Bonner and other sites. A sample of some recent and current projects appears below:

Cost Accounting-Section I-Homelessness Newspaper Project – Professor Bea Chiang, Business

Business students are currently conducting research to clarify the true cost of running a newspaper for and with the homeless population in Trenton – an new initiative started by the Mercer Alliance to End Homelessness, the Rescue Mission, the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen and the Bonner Center.

Cost Accounting-Section II-Habitat Re-Use Store Project – Professor Bea Chiang, Business

As the East Trenton Habitat tries to diversify its revenue streams, it needs to analyze the feasibility of operating a store that could receive donated items – such as power tools or furniture – and selling them in their own retail store for a profit. Teams of students have toured the store as well as the constuction sites and will deliver a final report in December.

Service Marketing Management–Social Media and Non Profits Workshop – Professor Karen Becker, Business

Non profit organizations – not just individuals or corporations – could use the new social media tools to further advance their goals and objectives, including those pertaining to their resource development needs. Three teams of students prepared and delivered a workshop for three anti-poverty community organizations. All participants received their own training manual to bring back to their agency.

Mental Health and Poverty-Food Stamp Registration and Prisoner Education Projects Professor He-Len Chung, Psychology

Students from this upper level psychology class are plugging into a variety of Bonner Scholar service sites, including the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen. They are helping enroll impoverished individuals who are not in the Food Stamp system. This is part of a statewide campaign focused on the fact that New Jersey has one of the worst participation rates in the country. Other students are helping Bonners and student inmates create a prison magazine.

Applied Sociology–TCNJ Community Partnership Project Professor Elizabeth Borland

In addition to 4 teams working on non profit projects, one research group from this class is focusing on the impact of community engaged learning on the teaching/learning process–as well as the community itself. Students will interview FSP faculty members who have shaped CEL projects with the Center as well as non profit leaders who are working with Bonner on a regular basis.

Introduction to Urban Education – Professor Tabitha D’Angelo, Education

Students in this Spring class build upon the work of a Fall FSP-CEL class called Applied Theatre. Together, they take ownership of a weekly programming block at the Academic Sports Academy after-school program; they create and deliver enrichment lessons that utilize the arts to develop the skills of the kids in 5th-8th grades.