Preparing to Serve
By James Shields, director of the Bonner Center
for Community Learning, Guilford College
Guilford College has an enduring tradition of service
to the wider community. Quaker ideals of peace, justice,
and community building continue to be the foundation
of our efforts to serve and learn ideals compatible
with the goals and principles of the bonner scholars
program. It is with these principles in mind that we
nurture community partnerships to help bring about positive
social change.
But lofty ideals and good intentions are not enough.
Well-meaning students can do more harm than good if
they are not properly trained or do not develop the
necessary interpersonal and professional skills. We
realize that no good purpose is served if our students
bring in preconceived notions and paternalistic attitudes
when they volunteer. Our staff design
programs that strengthen civic involvement, improve
student motivation for service, and bring excitement
and depth to academics, while also creating a cadre
of student leaders who are well trained and ready to
work effectively with a diverse community to address
its problems.
Guilford College’s community service focuses
on twelve “committed sites.” Each committed
site has a student project coordinator who supports
and supervises Guilford volunteers working on issues
such as HIV/AIDS and adult literacy. Project coordinators
work with the volunteer training coordinator to train
volunteers at their particular site and to design programs
for the entire campus. The capstone for their training
is coordinating one of three community service–oriented
programs for first-year students, as well as the volunteer
fair and the volunteer retreat.
Guilford aspires to develop a new generation of socially
responsive servant-leaders. Leadership skills are consciously
taught and practiced with ongoing opportunities for
reflection and feedback. Workshops offered range from
substantive subjects like anti-racism and conflict resolution
to more process-oriented ones such as event planning
and time management. Nearly all of the students in the
Bonner class of 2006 have gone on to careers in which
they use skills acquired as project coordinators. Infused
by Guilford College’s Quaker ideals, the Bonner
Scholars Program prepares our graduates to be effective
leaders who are committed to making the world a better
place.
