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| Making Good on Its Goals |
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by Anne C. Paine
March 14, 2003 |
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The stated goal of the Bonner Scholars
Program is to transform the lives of students as well
as their campuses and local communities by providing access
to education and opportunities to serve.
A survey of all Bonner scholars who graduated in 2002
from the 25 schools that participate in the program provides
strong evidence that the values inherent in the program
become strong personal values for participants.
The survey, titled the Graduating Senior Impact Survey
(GSIS), was conducted by James Keen, professor of social
and global studies at Antioch College, and Cheryl Keen,
director of the Office of Community Learning at Antioch,
and is part of a series of longitudinal surveys. Antioch
is one of the 25 Bonner schools. The 2002 GSIS had a response
rate of 90 percent.
Among the results: more than 97 percent of respondents
said they expected to be at least somewhat active in community
service after graduation. More than 96 percent said the
most important aspect of the Bonner Program was the opportunity
to serve, and 90 percent said they'd gained skills
in listening and in understanding people of different
backgrounds.
And, in a traditional measure of citizenship, nearly 66
percent said they had voted. This figure is at least double
the figure for people in their age cohort nationally,
according to the study's authors. |
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