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One recent weekend in October, more than 200 student leaders from across the country gathered on С����Ƶ’s Lawrenceville campus in order to talk about change and ways to make a bigger impact on their campuses and in their communities.

It was all part of the fall 2011 Bonner Congress Meeting, held from October 7 through 9. The Rider Bonner Community Scholars program was selected to host the annual event, which featured workshops, planning sessions, social activities and networking opportunities.

“The weekend was a huge success,” said Annie Pasqua, assistant director of Campus Life for Service Learning. “Participants left inspired to return to their campus to spread what we like to call Bonner Love and deepen the impact on their campus and in the communities in which they serve.”

In addition to hosting the event, Rider Bonner Community Scholars assisted with the planning of the program, and several Rider students and staff members made presentations and facilitated workshops geared toward the program’s theme, “The Change Exchange.”

Out of the 24 elective workshops, members of the Rider community and Bonner students facilitated eight workshops: Laura Seplaki (“Aligning Your Values in Service”); Tara Taylor (“Working to End Homelessness: A Problem Solving Approach”); Joe Landolfi and Adam Rebhun (“Bonner Team: I.T.C.H”); Amanda Pinto (“Campus Sustainability”); Karen Ortman (“Hate Crime Awareness”); Elizabeth Newman (“Reading Social Justice into Reality: Using Creative Works to Inspire Change”); Sarah Perez-Klausner (“Breaking the Language Barrier to Build Community”); Tommy Saladino, Victor Barton and Kelly Bernard (“Food Stamp Outreach”).

Additional speakers, facilitators and volunteers from Rider included Tony Campbell, dean of students, and Jane Sanchez, coordinator of Community Service, and students Loni Chasar, Lonz Fields-Choice and Ashley Pichardo.

“The Rider Bonner Community Scholars did an incredible job of hosting and welcoming student leaders from across the country,” Pasqua said. “I am extremely proud of our students and their engagement and support of the event. This was my eighth Fall Bonner Congress Meeting that I have participated in, but I believe it was one of the strongest.”

The Corella and Bertram F. Bonner Foundation’s Bonner Program aims to partner with campuses in order to catalyze campus-wide engagement in community service, build a culture and infrastructure for sustained campus-community partnerships, and to promote students’ leadership and development through civic engagement. Currently, there are 50 students in the Rider Bonner Community Scholars Program. To learn more about the program, please contact Annie Pasqua, assistant director of Campus Life for Service Learning, at apasqua@rider.edu.