Our Mission
The Bonner Leadership Program at George Mason University is a four-year service-based work-study program that emphasizes the exploration of citizenship and democracy through civic engagement with community partners across the D.C. Metro area. Our program empowers students to become engaged citizens who generate social change to address the most pressing contemporary community concerns, both locally and globally, with a shared focus on leadership through service.
Experiential Learning Curriculum
This program challenges and supports students to gain the knowledge, skills, and confidence to become leaders in their communities through a four-year experiential learning model. Starting their first year at Mason, Bonner Leaders explore personal and interpersonal identity, the concept of community, and the Bonner program’s structure and expectations through a fall-semester seminar and community site partnership. Through a combination of coursework and direct community engagement each year, students evaluate the relationship between identity and place, learn how to critically examine social problems, and apply their education to local and global issues across changing sociopolitical landscapes. The program builds upon itself, allowing students to gradually acquire more responsibility and leadership roles to develop into well-rounded scholars.
Community-Based Work-Study
George Mason University's main campus, located in the bustling city of Fairfax, provides access to a broad range of community agencies entrenched in a rich history of social justice movements. During their four years, Bonner Leaders immerse themselves in this vibrant community by partnering with organizations across the D.C. Metro region for 8-10 hours per week during the school year, earning a $4,500 stipend over the course of the semester. The Bonner Leadership Program's scaffolded approach to community engagement with local agencies helps students further their educational and career goals, empowering the next generation of socially responsible leaders.