The end of the Atlanta Trip came quicker than expected. I learned a lot and was inspired to take back to my highschoolers at BTE some of the things I learned about in Atlanta. The Bonners at Moorehouse has a tradition where they mentor highschoolers and groom them to become the next Bonners. I think this was a great model and one that could be implemented at Trenton High West. In the BTE program, we mentor and tutor a class of all sophomores. This creates a special bond with us Sophmore Bonners and BTE students because they will graduate high school when we graduate from TCNJ.
For next year it's my goal to create a calendar that equips the students with knowledge on which non-profits in their community are having volunteer opportunities. There should be a focus on volunteerism and civic engagement in addition to the academics in the BTE program. I know first hand how life changing volunteering can be and how many doors can open through making connections in the community. Colleges want a well-rounded student who is passionate and involved. This can also help students have references for the Bonner applications they might want to fill out when choosing which college to attend.
In addition to this push on volunteer opportunities and community engagement, I think students could benefit from more experiential learning. One way we can get students gardening and learn about civil rights is having them do field trips that include those topics. Students from the Highschool could help in the TCNJ garden or we could visit museums. Right now at BTE the majority of our trips are to colleges and of course I believe this is very important for students but I also believe many of them need to continue exploring careers they might want to pursue and a good way to do this is through volunteering, experiential learning trips, and discovering what they are passionate about.
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