This presentation—Integrating Social Media Into Community Partnerships and Institutsion—was given at the 2011 IARSLCE Conference in Chicago, IL. Presenters Ariane Hoy (Bonner Foundation) and Abby Kiesa (CIRCLE) described how the national network of campus programs have experimented with using social media to broaden and deepen civic engagement. In addition, learning and results from three year's of research and assessment—which sought to explore the impact on students, campuses, and partners—was provided. For info, contact ahoy@bonner.org and akiesa@circle.edu.

1. Integrating Social Media into
Community Partnerships & Institutions
Abby Kiesa, CIRCLE and Ariane Hoy, Bonner Foundation
www.civicyouth.org and www.bonner.org

2. What We’ll Cover
•Getting to know the
terrain and you
•Presentation
•Dialogue and
opportunity to apply this
learning

3. The Bonner Network
Students
•3,200 students at 80 institutions
•Access to education, opportunity
to serve
•Four-year developmental journey
•Co-curricular and curricular
•Six Common Commitments
•20-year history
•5,000 alumni
•

4. The Bonner Network
Campuses
•Create a culture and
infrastructure for service
•Integrate teaching, research
and service mission
•Public, private, community
colleges and HBCUs
•Two and four year
•Community colleges
Sustained relationships (20+
years)

5. The Bonner Network
Community
•Non-profit community
partners in every place
•Local, national, international
organizations
•Multi-year developmental
partnerships
•“Issues to impact”
• Poverty & human need
• Education & youth development
• Community development &
environment

6. The Bonner Network
Higher Education
•Commitment to access
•Service-based scholarships;
service as merit
•Civic mission of higher
education
•Key assets in broader work to
build a more equitable society
and be a key resource in
solving community problems

7. The National Network

8. The National Network
• Emporia State University • Somerset Christian College
• Allegheny College
• Ferrum College • Sonoma State University
• Amherst College
• Glenville State College • Spelman College
• Augsburg College • Guilford College • St Marys College of California
• Bates College • Jackson State University • Stetson University
• Berea College • Juniata College • The College of New Jersey
• Berry College • Laughlin Memorial Chapel • Tougaloo College
• • Tusculum College
• Bluefield College Lees-McRae College
• Lindsey Wilson College • Union College
• Brigham Young University-Idaho
• University of Alaska Anchorage
• Burlington County College • Lynchburg College
• Macalester College • University of California-Berkeley
• California State University - LA • University of Dayton
• Carson-Newman College • Mars Hill College
• Maryville College • University of Illinois - Springfield
• Central Washington University
• Mercer County Community College • University of Louisville
• Centre College
• Middlesex County College • University of New Mexico
• Christopher Newport University • Montclair State University • University of Richmond
• College of Charleston • Morehouse College • Ursinus College
• College of Saint Benedict • Notre Dame de Namur • Warren Wilson College
• Concord University • Oberlin College • Washburn University
• Converse College • Oxford College of Emory University • Washington and Lee University
• • Waynesburg University
• Davidson College Pfeiffer University
• West Chester University
• DePauw University • Rhodes College
• Rider University • West Virginia Wesleyan College
• Dickinson College • Wheeling Jesuit University
• Earlham College • Rutgers University
• Siena College • Widener University
• Edgewood College • Wofford College
• Emory & Henry College • Young Harris College

9. The Center for Information and Research on
Civic Learning and Engagement
• The nation’s premier institution devoted to studying what
makes young people into active and responsible citizens.
• Doing Research
• Making Connections…Connecting the research world and
policy and practice
• Supporting a Research Field…
CIRCLE is based at the Jonathan M. Tisch College of
Citizenship and Public Service at Tufts University.
Serving every student at Tufts University, Tisch College
prepares young people to be lifelong active citizens
and creates an enduring culture of active citizenship.

10. Purpose
• Why we did this
•What we did
•Research questions
•Learning
+ service = ?

11. Why?
Network Capability
•small staff (9)
•lots of schools (80)
•lots of campus staff (150)
•lots of students (3200)
•working on similar issues
and challenges

12. Why?
“From Best
Practice to
Common
Practice”
•reach
•depth
•impact

13. Why?
Momentum /
The Movement
•stories are powerful
and inspiring
•friendships and
relationships—
Bonner Love!
•strategic social change

14. What Literature Suggests
• Online tools and social media part of many
questions being asked about civic life
• Research has shown that online tools and
social media can promote engagement
(Kahne, 2011) and potentially reduce the
gap in civic engagement by education
(NCOC, 2008)
• Much experimentation with online tools
happening outside of institutions

15. What we did...
Training & Education
•Staff and student meetings
•Social Media Platforms
•Best Uses & Purposes
•Surveys
•New Organizing Institute (NOI)
•CIRCLE

16. Serve 2.0 Resource Wiki
serve.pbworks.com

17. What we did...
Subgrants to 15 Institutions
•Pick a partner
•Pick an issue
•Build capacity
•Go deeper

18. serve.pbworks.com
tools, profiles, reports

19. Serve 2.0 Resource Wiki

20. What we did...
Model It!
•Bonner Network Wiki
•Facebook
•Blog
•Video Contest / YouTube
•Twitter / Texting
•Slideshare
•Staff and student involvement

21. Wikis - Program Management

22. Stetson Wiki - one of about 45

23. Blog - News & Reflections

24. Twitter - Field Building

25. Mash Up: UC Berkeley

26. Video Project/ You Tube
220+ videos from contests

27. PolicyOptions.org - models

28. Facebook - National Networking

29. Campus Facebook Groups - 50+

30. Our Research Questions
1.How social media and online technology
would allow for innovative work with
partners and how partners responded,
2.How social media and online technology
influences students' participation,
3.What impact this intensive effort has on
campus programs and the national
network's capacity.

31. Methods (online & interviews)
1.Pre- and Post- survey of whole Bonner
Network about Usage
2.Survey of Bonner Students on subgrantee
campuses every semester (random sample)
3.Survey of Community Partners of
subgrantee campuses every semester (once
during project, all at end)
4.Qualitative feedback from subgrantee
campus staff leads every semester (via
surveys and interviews)

32. Analysis
Analysis focused on the impact of using online tools
and social media in 7 areas:
• Planning service event
• Planning campus-wide event
• Recruitment
• Collaborating on events/projects with other
student groups
• Collaborating on events/projects with faculty or
other campus departments
• Working on projects to benefit service site
• Communication or other work with community
partners

33. Staff

34. Staff Perceptions
Staff Perception of Potential Helpfulness by Area at Beginning of Effort
100%
High Potential
Moderate Potential
75%
39%
80% 29%
50%
20%
25%
41% 41%
33%
14%
0%
Advising and personal development Training Recruitment Communication w/Partners

35. Staff on Facebook
Facebook in 2011 Level of Staff Usage and Understanding of Facebook by Year
Facebook in 2008
51%
Use Daily
44%
19%
Use weekly
11%
28%
Used a few times or Use Monthly
22%
2%
Not Used or Checked Out Once
22%
0%
I have no idea what this is
2%
0% 15% 30% 45% 60%

36. Staff on Google Docs
Google Docs in 2011
Google Docs in 2008 Level of Staff Usage and Understanding of Google Docs by Year
28%
Use Daily
9%
14%
Use weekly
17%
40%
Used a few times or Use Monthly
15%
19%
Not Used or Checked Out Once
48%
0%
I have no idea what this is
11%
0% 13% 25% 38% 50%

37. 2011 Overall Usage
2011 Campus Use of Tools for One of Seven Reasons
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
Facebook Twitter Photo Sharing Blog(s) Wiki(s) Google Tools Video Texting Bonner Network Wiki

38. Staff Use of Tools
Use of Online Tools & Social Media for Bonner Service by Subgrantee Status - Spring 2011
Bonner Network
Subgrantee Campuses
No
Yes
0% 23% 45% 68% 90%

39. Staff Lessons
• The tool’s effectiveness depends immensely on the need or
purpose.
• It is crucial to not use too many tools and confuse people.
• Since each campus has communication norms, which tools work
most effectively differs.
• “The main challenge in digital communication is that our
campus is so inundated with digital and social media that it
takes a lot to get their attention.”
• “We use texting all the time with our students. We find that
they have their phones with them and it is must fast to get a
response then email. Our campus email system is very
cumbersome and not many students use it on a regular
basis.“

40. Comments on Use
• About a third of responding campuses reported that texting and
Google tools are crucial to running their programs.
• The most campuses use online tools and social media for
communicating with Bonners, recruiting new Bonners and recruiting
other students for service projects. Facebook is the most highly used
tool.
• “I think social media tools have helped us become more organized,
market to a wider audience, and saved a significant amount of time
with systems and reporting.“
• “Videos provide a simple emotional response. Our campus utilizes
and creates videos to communicate support for our non-profits, social
justice issues, and awareness at large.”
• “Our wiki has helped create a sense of student power in the program
as it is largely managed and run by them - its a fun space where they
can check out what each other is doing.”

41. Helpful Factors
What was most HELPFUL in the process of experimenting with what online tools or social media?
3%
6% 9%
9%
11%
46%
17%
Ease of Use
Experimentation
Planning and Thinking Strategically about What's the Right Fit
Training
Student Leadership and/or Time
Existence of Bonner Network Wiki
Campus Staff Time

42. Students

43. Impact: Coordination
Students in the broader Bonner network agreed with this as 70% of student
respondents said that social media tools being used by their Bonner program
are increasing their coordination with other offices/programs on campus.
No Did you use any online/internet programs or social media tools in connection to your Bonner work?
Yes
Are social media tools increasing coordination?
No, not at all
No, but I think it will soon
Yes, a little
Yes, a good bit
0% 23% 45% 68% 90%

44. What are students doing?
Students have used Facebook extensively for a variety to
purposes, particularly for:
• Planning a service event,
• Planning a campus-wide event,
• Recruitment and collaboration with other student
groups.
• Likely to use Google Documents and text messaging for
a variety of purposes.*
• Those students who think that social media and online
tools are increasing coordination also are more likely to
say that they themselves have done additional and
better service because of these tools, and have
engaged someone else with these tools.*

45. Leveraging Social Media
When asked “To the best of your knowledge, how has
your Bonner program’s use of online tools or social
media changed your service work or relationship to the
community partner(s) that you worked with this year?”
• 58% answered ‘Very positively’ or ‘Positively’.
• NO students reported a negative impact, the
remaining students said ‘No Impact’.
• For the most part, the students who have used online
tools and social media as a part of Bonner also are
more likely to engage in the online political activities.

46. Community Partners

47. Community Partners’ Views
•Sub-sample of partners surveyed each
semester.
•All partners surveyed at end of project.
•Partners represented diverse
organizations: youth centers, schools,
immigrant centers, museum, arts coop
•93% of community partners agreed that
their “organization is better able to meet
its mission because of the college student
service related to this project.”

48. Community Partners’ Views
•When the grant launched 67% of
community partners said that the tools
being used were “increasing your access
to other students, staff/faculty, offices or
programs on this particular campus.”
•The online tools also increased partners’
access to those they did not already
know off-campus by an average of 27%
saying they agreed or strongly agreed
that it did this.

49. bonnernetwork.pbworks.com