Bonner Network Comes to Richmond

This June, more than 450 students, staff, faculty, and partners from across the country gathered for the Bonner Foundation’s 2025 Bonner Summer Leadership Institute and four days of shared dialogue and civic learning on campus and in the Richmond community.

"Hosting a conference for so many Bonner Scholars and national leaders in civic engagement was incredibly exciting for us," said Blake Stack, senior associate director of student engagement with the University of Richmond’s Bonner Center for Civic Engagement (CCE).

This year also marked the 35th Anniversary of the Bonner Program. Since its founding in 1990, the Bonner Program has grown from a visionary idea into a vibrant, nationwide movement committed to access to education and the opportunity to serve.

President Kevin F. Hallock spoke at the conference about the University’s strategic commitment to community engagement and experiential learning. He noted how important it is for universities to support the public good by making discoveries that expand human understanding, cultivating informed citizens, and leveraging programs, resources, and talent – like those advanced by the Bonner Network – to enrich and strengthen local communities. He specifically noted how powerful the Bonner Program has been for Richmond students.

"Our university is honored to be part of the Bonner Network," said President Hallock. "Throughout the year, our 100 Bonner Scholars have transformative, community-engaged experiences, which prepare them for lives of purpose, thoughtful inquiry, and responsible leadership."

Organized by a planning team that included UR Bonner Scholars and CCE and Bonner Foundation staff, the conference featured 57 sessions and 29 special speakers.

Multiple place-based excursions – opportunities to learn from community partners – were among the highlights. Conference participants engaged with the City of Richmond’s Office of Community Wealth Building, Health Brigade, PlanRVA, and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts; experienced tours of Richmond’s monuments and historic Jackson Ward; and attended a screening of “Daughters,” the award-winning documentary co-directed by Angela Patton, executive director of Girls for a Change. The conference also included a track for faculty and other educators to learn about deep University-community partnerships.

"Faculty, administrators, and student leaders visited sites in Richmond where University of Richmond faculty, regional faculty, and local community leaders are working to address historical and current inequities through sophisticated community engagement projects and coursework," said Arianne Hoy, Vice President for Program and Resource Development at the Bonner Foundation. "They took away motivation and best practices for their work at home."

The stage for these excursions was set by an all-group session, “People, Power, and Place: Braiding Narratives in Richmond, VA,” which featured remarks from public historian Dr. Lauranett Lee, Peabody Award-winning journalist Brian Palmer, and dancer and UR alum Kevin Lamar Jones.

"In Richmond, we are grappling with our past together and stewarding sites across our city with intention and care," Dean-Anderson said. "I’m thrilled that we were able to share some of these stories and exchange narratives with so many visitors."