At the The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) Bonner Program, the campus garden, thrift shop, and streetlight homelessness newspaper are established, long-standing partnerships. But did you know that these initiatives began as student-led capacity-building projects? Meet the creative and innovative TCNJ Bonner Alum who began these initiatives over 10 years ago, and hear how they took these projects from vision to reality.

1. Bonner SLI 2022
Student Leadership
Success:
Impactful Capacity-
Building Projects
Katie Kahn and Tiffany Teng
The College of New Jersey
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2. Table of
contents
05 06
03 04
01 02
Brainstorming Reflection
The Thrift Project The Campus Garden
Introductions Ice Breaker
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The College of New Jersey
Bonner SLI 2022

3. Hello!
The College of New Jersey
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Katie Kahn
● TCNJ Bonner class of 2015
● Fine Arts and Anthropology
● Program Manager
● Passion for sustainability
Tiffany Teng
● TCNJ Bonner class of 2013
● Business and English
● Strategic Content Writer
● Passion for migration and labor
Bonner SLI 2022
YOUR
COMPANY

4. Please share with the group
these three things:
Ice Breaker
The College of New Jersey
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Name (& optional
pronouns)
Area of passion
Major or role
Bonner SLI 2022

5. — Thomas Edison
“The value of an idea lies in
the using of it.“
The College of New Jersey
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Bonner SLI 2022

6. 01
The Thrift
Project
The College of New Jersey
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Bonner SLI 2022

7. Fast Fashion
According to the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA), 84
percent of unwanted clothes in
the United States in 2012 went
into either a landfill or an
incinerator.
2010’s Context
The College of New Jersey
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Housing Insecurity
In 2012, 969,659 individuals used a
shelter program in the United
States.
Bonner SLI 2022
Photo of a family shopping at the Rescue Mission
of Trenton Thrift Shop.
Rescue Mission Partnership
TCNJ Bonner and RM already had a
strong, direct service partnership
beginning in 2004.

8. Examples/Inspiration from Other Institutions
… …
GWU:
https://calendar.gwu.edu/thrift-store-pop also
featured here:
https://www.hercampus.com/school/gwu/i-we
nt-to-gwus-first-ever-student-organized-thrift-
shop/
At Bard College:
https://thephiladelphiacitizen.org/ideas-we-sh
ould-steal-campus-thrift-stores/
The College of New Jersey
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Bonner SLI 2022

9. Getting It Started
Proposal
Bonner students drafted
a proposal to the TCNJ
Bonner staff and the
Rescue Mission.
Logistics
Location, supplies,
advertising and
money-handling.
Success
The first pop-up shop was
hosted on March 19,
2013 in Brower Student
Center and raised a few
hundred dollars
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The College of New Jersey
Bonner SLI 2022

10. 02
What
Worked?
And what didn’t?
The College of New Jersey
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Bonner SLI 2022

11. Then vs. Now
Then Now
● $1,000-$3000 raised per event
● Primary site with budget
● Advertising through Instagram
● $200-$500 raised per event
● Secondary site project status
● Advertising through flyers and Facebook
The College of New Jersey
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Bonner SLI 2022

12. Capacity:
Built.
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The College of New Jersey
Bonner SLI 2022

13. Creative, entrepreneurial
students continue to
innovate and dream.
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The College of New Jersey
Bonner SLI 2022

14. TCNJ Campus Garden
Student project turned community staple!
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The College of New Jersey
Bonner SLI 2022

15. 15
The College of New Jersey
Campus Garden Timeline
Idea turned into a reality -
students and staff work
with TCNJ administration
to break ground for the
first growing season!
Garden relocates to
larger site with
improved soil and
water access!
Largest annual
harvest to date -
over 700 lbs of
produce donated.
2010
2014
2016
Implementation of drip
irrigation system, three
sisters farming, and
prioritizing native plants.
2022
Bonner SLI 2022

16. Brainstorming
What is the “recipe” for success
with student-led projects?
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The College of New Jersey
Bonner SLI 2022

17. Vision Persistence Flexibility
Some Key Ingredients
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THE COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY
Bonner SLI 2022

18. Final
Reflections
What would you do if you
knew you could not fail?
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THE COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY
Bonner SLI 2022

19. Thank You!
THE COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY
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Bonner SLI 2022