N is for New; My trip to the Bonner High Impact Conference

Cornfields in the middle of campus!
Just like in Indiana?

This week was packed full of "new" experiences.  It just so happens that I was also in the state of "New" York at the Bonner Foundation's High Impact Initiative.  Hosted at Siena College, the Bonner High Impact Conference brought together three cohorts of schools working towards civic engagement and with plans for community change.  I went to a new place.  I met new people.  And I got to experience a new aspect of DePauw life that I have not been exposed to before: Civic Engagement and Community Program Planning.

Our planning board!

Walking the campus at Siena, we were inspired to think bigger about community and civic engagement at DePauw.  Working with civic engagement staff for the past two years, I thought I had seen, heard, and brainstormed it all.  My passion for DePauw Community Service has been one of the most amazing parts about my college experience, but meeting with people who have dedicated their lives to the Bonner program and civic engagement programs around the country shed a new light on everything I had ever learned about service.

DePauw's presentation board!

Grateful that my supervisors at the Department of Education allowed me to work remotely and attend the conference for a week, I was more than ready to construct a plan for DePauw's civic engagement staff for 2014-15.  Our team consisted of a faculty member, a staff member, a community member and a student (that's me!).  We were presented with a week full of meetings, workshops, and presentations in the hopes that we would be able to construct the second-year plan for DePauw's Bonner High Impact commitment.

After a week at the conference (and a ton of fun), I had been able to network with some of the most amazing and inspirational individuals I have ever met.  It was so rewarding to be able to hear what was going on in other college communities.  We realized that many of the problems, issues and setbacks that we face on a daily basis at DePauw were very similar to those at other universities.  We were also able to get valuable critiques and feedback about our plan, which we presented "poster-session" style (just like we do at DePauw!).  My experience with presenting and networking with others really came in handy this week!

DePauw Professor, Doug Harms presents our High Impact
Plan to other interested members of the conference.

Impressed with our work, as well as the connections we had made, the DePauw Bonner High Impact team headed back to Indiana...except for me that is! I am on my way back to D.C. for my final two weeks at the Department of Education.  It was so nice to get away for a while, but I am definitely ready to get back to work!

Listening to other groups present was so inspiring!