Are you an advocate? A curious citizen? Ready to make an impact?
At Wilkes, you will be a changemaker and a leader when you join the Bonner Leader program!
If you have a passion for public service and a desire to be a positive force in your community, Wilkes University’s Bonner Leader program can help you build the skills you need to lead the charge for change. Inspired by the motto "Access to Education, Opportunity to Serve," Bonner alumni share their talents on a local, national, and global level.
This unique work-study experience blends community service with enrichment and development activities. The program provides financial support for your undergraduate education and promotes:
- Leadership
- Self-awareness
- Professional skills
You’ll join a nationally acclaimed, service-based initiative. From its introduction by the Bonner Foundation in 1990, the Bonner Leader Program has grown to a multi-faceted civic engagement and leadership program hosted by a network of more than 70 colleges and universities. Wilkes University is the only school in NEPA to provide this opportunity.
Year-by-Year Overview

First year Bonners spend six to eight hours a week serving at a community agency that matches their interests and passion for making a difference. They also spend time each week in formal education, training, and reflection sessions with other students in their cohort.
Leaders participate in an alternative spring break service trip in Washington, D.C. as their first-year cornerstone activity.

In addition to direct service work and cohort sessions, second year Bonners begin to assume more expanded leadership roles on campus, within the Bonner program, and at their service sites.
They also participate in the "second-year exchange" cornerstone activity with sophomore Bonners from other schools, sharing ideas, building community, and providing service outside our region.
While continuing participation in the periodic cohort educational sessions and trainings, juniors and seniors take on more significant capacity-building projects within their service sites. Third year Bonners have the opportunity to travel to places like Hawai’i to engage with other Bonner schools and conduct service work that is quite different from the typical sites in NEPA.
As a fourth-year Bonner, leaders complete a capstone project that connects knowledge from their academic studies and Bonner sessions to their direct service experiences. This cornerstone activity celebrates the commitment and successes over four years; community partners, faculty and staff, and friends and family are invited to the seniors’ presentations of learning as we celebrate the completion of their capstone and official graduation from the Bonner Leader program.
Meet Our Bonner Leaders
Senior Bonner Leaders
Junior Bonner Leaders
Sophomore Bonner Leaders
First-Year Bonner Leaders
Universities in PA, and the only university in Northeast PA, to offer Bonner Leader
Paid workstudy hours each week for program service, training, and reflection
Years gaining valuable work experience, leadership skills and career insight within the program
Year in Review: 2023-2024
Additional Opportunities


