UH Hilo Center for Community Engagement - CCE

Join us for our fourth "Connections Beyond Campus" fair to talk with amazing community organizations & see how you can get involved!

Looking for a fun, supportive paddling experience? Recreational Paddling noncredit classes are open for registration! Classes start next week.

Hilo.hawaii.edu/cce/classes

TODAY is the DAY!
Reason #1 - Bonner leaders are gaining the knowledge, skills, dispositions and networks to act with courage in service of our communities. Your donation goes directly to building this program so that more students can benefit from it!

“I know I have the basic skills to work with community organizations and make a difference. I used to have somewhat of a fixed mindset about what I was capable of or not; now I trust myself to learn new things and just do it rather than thinking I canʻt.”
Fund #130-2850-4

Reason #2 - Our students shouldn’t have to choose between earning much-needed money and taking advantage of work-based learning opportunities. Bonner leaders are paid for their work to increase access and equity.
“Being paid as a Bonner Leader is one of the many beneficial aspects of the Bonner Program, as it makes the role more sustainable, providing me with financial aid to cover educational and personal expenses that support me as a college student. The program enables me to focus on the growth in the present for better opportunities in the future.” (Bonner Leader Shanai Koli, pictured far right)
Your donation helps students who need to work while attending college have jobs that will help them reach their goals!
Fund #130-2850-4

The countdown continues!
Reason #3 - Bonners enter our community with an asset-based, rather than deficit-based, mindset and work to build on the amazing assets our island has.
“Community partners have provided me the opportunity to inherit collective goals, ideas, and initiatives. I am grateful for every partner who took the time to talk to us, invite us into their space, and share their cause with us. We are lucky enough to be able to work with so many causes and people which allow us to learn how we can cultivate and sustain our local populations together.”
(Bonners with Charlene Iboshi & Alan Okinaka)
Your donation helps us build an asset-based culture!
Fund #130-2850-4

Reason #4 - Bonners have opportunities to connect with students across the country through an annual Bonner Congress and Summer Leadership Institute, have access to graduate school scholarships and become part of an active alumni network of over 15,000 Bonner alumni.
“This experience was one of a kind and I’m so grateful to have attended. I can’t wait to share more with everyone and start working on some projects for our own Bonner program!” Bonner Leader Misty Cruden (pictured here at Bonner Congress 2024 in Chicago)
Your donation enables more students to connect with opportunities like these!
Fund #130-2850-4

Reason #5 - Students Build the Confidence Needed to Stretch Outside of their Comfort Zones!
Bonner Leader Lei Torrano shares how Bonner prepared her to study abroad:
“Studying abroad exposed me to diverse cultures, teaching me to respect their values while staying true to my own. The Bonner Program further enhanced my ability to navigate these cultural differences, helping me gain the confidence to acknowledge my position as an outsider. It taught me that through our ability to contribute to addressing community issues, we can learn from one another’s differences to solve common challenges.”
Your donation helps students to build their confidence to try more and more new things!
Fund #130-2850-4

The reasons just keep going!
Reason #6 - Work-based learning is closely tied to post graduation success!
Bonner leaders complete projects with community partners that build both community capacity and the skills and aptitudes that employers need.
“The hydroponic work I do with Food Basket has allowed me to give back to the community while also expanding my skills. Someday, I believe this work will lead to a future where I can give back even more, and that day is what I work towards every day. “
Bonner Leader Hayden Niles (pictured)
Your donation contributes to opportunities for our UH Hilo students to engage in work-based learning!
Fund #130-2850-4

Reason #7 - Fostering a sense of belonging is critical for student success!
The Bonner Program uses a cohort model to create a safe space and build supportive connections from day one.
“Being in a cohort helped me, especially as a first year college student, to already have a group of supportive people surrounding me, which helped me improve my performance in school. When I feel safe and have people I can be vulnerable with, I tend to feel more confident in my abilities because we are all in this together.”
Your donation helps us to build safe & supportive spaces for students to thrive!
Fund #130-2850-4

#8 - Bonners know that creating change has to begin with learning about place.
Learning about our Hawai‘i Island community from our community members creates the foundation needed for students to enter into thoughtful conversations about issues of public consequence.
Your donation moves the needle on UH Hilo students developing essential understanding of place before trying to solve problems!
“One of the most memorable trips was with Kamuela [Plunkett]...where he showed us this ancient Hawaiian fishing trail with a modern golf course right on top of it, highlighting the disparity and the access to this land now. These are the kinds of things you just canʻt learn in the classroom or without a kumu that really knows Hawai‘i and its roots.” Bonner Leader Devin Brown
Fund #130-2850-4

Reason #9 to give to the Bonner program at UH Hilo on UH Giving Day?
Bonners are Changemakers!
Bonner Leaders are going out into our community and making a difference! Each Bonner Leader works directly with our community for over 200 hours each year, connecting their academics and passions with real world learning.
Your donation will help us to expand this program to serve even more students in 2025-2026!
"They are incredible examples of young people engaged in not only their education, but actively wanting to make a difference in their community."
Susan McGovern, National Alliance on Mental Illness - Big Island
Fund #130-2850-4

Mahalo to Kaleo Pilago, Justin Yeh, and Doug Simons for sharing your knowledge & inspiring curiosity for our UH Hilo Bonner Leaders about the culture, plant life, and observatories on Maunakea!

Bonner Group planting māmane, puakala, na’ena’e (Dubautia arborea), and pawale.