"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 
When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 
When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'  And the Lord will reply,
'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers & sisters, you did for me.'”  --Matthew 25:37-40

Mission: Our mission is to build a strong culture of community service and participation across campus and the academic disciplines; to strengthen engaged scholarship by faculty and students; to foster collaborative and sustained partnerships between the College and the community; and to be a positive resource for the community and region especially in addressing needs related to increasing access to education, reducing poverty, and protecting the natural environment.

History: The Bonner program at Carson-Newman began in 1991 as a scholarship program for service-minded college students demonstrating financial need.  We are funded in part by the Corella and Bertram F. Bonner Foundation (www.bonner.org) and work closely with the Foundation in its national network of colleges and universities.  For our first 16 years, we were referred to as the Bonner Scholars Program and concentrated primarily on mentoring students in a year-round program of community service and leadership training.  In 2007, we began a substantial expansion of the program and became the Bonner Center for Service Learning & Civic Engagement.

Programs of the Bonner Center:

1. Bonner Scholars—40+ students with financial need who earn a scholarship package in return for providing substantial community service and participating in an intensive program of citizenship and leadership training
2. Community Connections—student-led office in the Bonner Center that serves as a liaison between Carson-Newman College and non-profit organizations in the community addressing the needs of at-risk youth by promoting student participation in volunteer opportunities and assisting faculty in implementing academic service-learning projects
3. Bonner Leaders—25-30 students receiving a Bonner Americorps Educational Award who provide community service in one of our service sites meeting Americorps eligibility requirements
4. C-N Service Corps—non-scholarship students who volunteer for special service events and on-going projects during the academic year
5. Community Service/Service Learning Committee—representatives of academic departments, administrative offices, and Student Affairs who promote community service and academic service-learning across campus, facilitate faculty development in academic service-learning, and communicate with the faculty and administration on matters of community service and service-learning
6. Social Entrepreneurship & Nonprofit Leadership Studies—curricula from across the disciplines that help students apply their major and career interests to helping others, building powerful community organizations, and effecting social change that address community-defined needs
7. Bonner Fellows—Faculty with professional expertise and interests who serve as mentors for student volunteer teams and as allies for our community partners