Collaborative Center Programs
Advancing Community Development
The Advancing Community Development (ACD) Program is a one-semester, community-based learning program administered by Rutgers Collaborative Center for Community Engagement and a gift to the Rutgers Foundation by Johnson & Johnson (J&J). Participating students learn about community health and wellness interventions, non-profit management, and the role of anchor institutions in their communities. Working in project teams guided by J&J skill-based volunteers and non-profit professionals, students execute community-based projects for local New Brunswick organizations so they can better serve the health-related needs of residents. The program fosters a community of practice where individuals from multiple sectors collaborate and learn from one another to improve health outcomes in our host communities. Participants will have some time devotion to the project, which will be a few hours a week to ensure a successful project.
Participating students gain:
- Leadership skills
- Network Opportunities
- Mentorship from professionals from nonprofit organizations
- Professional Development
- Project Management Skills
- Team Building Skills
Projects
ACD is constantly seeking projects from local non-profit organizations within the New Brunswick community. If you have a project that you would like to consider, please submit the project on our ACD Project Interest Form.
Some of our past projects include:
- A social media outreach marketing campaign for the new family planning clinic for RWJ's Community Health Promotions Program
- Expungement project in partnership with New Jersey Courts, and Legal Services of New Jersey, organized an informational seminar to inform the New Brunswick and Rutgers Community how to expunge personal records.
- The Medical Issues team, in partnership with RWJBH Community Health Promotion, designed informational material to promote the use of Federal Qualified Health Centers in New Brunswick.
- Housing/Renters informational session with Unity Square and Central Jersey Legal Services.
To participate in the program, students must have 30 credits and a minimum GPA of a 2.5. All applicants meeting the requirements will be interviewed for possible inclusion in the ACD program.
Rutgers Bonner Leaders
Rutgers Bonner Leaders at Rutgers–New Brunswick are part of the national Bonner Foundation Network of college students who are committed to community engagement and aiding in finding solutions to societal issues. At Rutgers, Bonner Leaders are involved in every major community (New Brunswick and Piscataway) event as they learn to serve with an orientation to eliciting societal transformation.
What do Rutgers Bonner Leaders do?
- Attend an Orientation during the Fall semester and biweekly meetings on Fridays from 3:30–5 p.m., during the academic year
- Serve at organizations in the areas of food access, health equity, college access, youth development, senior citizen well-being, among other possibilities
- Participate in community engagement initiatives throughout the New Brunswick and Piscataway communities
- Join a network of over 70 institutions with over 400 other Bonner Leaders and over 15,000 Bonner Alumni
- Ability to participate in state and national leadership conferences and trainings
Students must receive Federal Work Study to be eligible to apply
To apply for the Fall 2026 semester, please visit: go.rutgers.edu/rutgersbonnerapplication
If you have any questions, please reach out to nb.rutgersbonner@rutgers.edu
FAQs
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Students must be eligible for Federal Work Study in order to apply. Check the student’s Financial Aid Award Letter to determine their eligibility.
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Bonner Leaders are expected to work with their assigned site for approximately 6 hours per week and attend biweekly Bonner Meetings for 1.5 hours, among additional opportunities.
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We currently work with non-profit and community organizations that address food insecurity, education, public health, animal rescue, language translation, and on-campus Centers that do community-facing work. After being accepted, students will complete a site preference survey, and we will do our best to accommodate one of their top choices.
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Though this is not guaranteed, we strive to make alignments between students’ academic majors or career goals and their Bonner placement, when possible. For example, a Marketing major may help with social media for their site, or an Education major may work with an after-school program.
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In addition to receiving hourly pay for all of their work through Federal Work Study, students get to connect socially with a group of like-minded students, are assigned a mentor within the program, become part of the national Bonner Network, become eligible for scholarships, may receive recommendation letters or job references from their site supervisor or the Bonner Coordinators, and have the opportunity to attend national conferences and other professional development opportunities.
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During the New Bonner Orientation, there will be time dedicated to learning more about the organizations that we work with, and students will fill out a placement survey.
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Many placements are located on one of the New Brunswick campuses or are walkable from campus. In addition, some placements may be fully remote as well.
- Some placements are fully remote
- For further placements, special circumstances may allow the center to reimburse for travel costs
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Yes, you can visit rcommunity.rutgers.edu and log in with your NetID to find opportunities on campus and the surrounding community.
Community Walking Tours
Rutgers Collaborative Center’s Community Tours are an informative and fun way to familiarize the Rutgers Community with its surrounding city neighborhoods. The tours are approximately 90 minutes and are designed for students, faculty, staff, and the community at large to gain an understanding of the city’s history, cultural assets, and major institutions. We walk through historical neighborhoods around College Avenue, Douglass campus, and downtown New Brunswick. Frequent stops are made in front of city murals, parks, local institutions, and restaurants. The tours dates are announced at the beginning of the fall and spring semester.
If you need a tour for your class or student organization, please contact Claudio Mir.
Tours Available
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This tour covers the RWJ Hospital and the impact from the waves of immigration of people from Hungary, Poland and Mexico as seen from the city’s neighborhoods, restaurants, houses of worships, murals, and cultural institutions.
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This tour covers the major institutions that serve the health, cultural, and social needs of city residents including NBPAC, the New Brunswick Public Library, Chandler Community Health Center, Mt. Zion A.M.E. Church, Elijah’s Promise Garden, The Congregation Poile Zedek Orthodox Ashkenazic Synagogue, First Reformed and Christ Church, J&J, George Street.
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Covers Paul Robeson Boulevard, Elijah’s Promise, the Promise Garden, the Remsen Avenue neighborhood, Civic League, Unity Square, Paul Robeson School, NB Community Farmer’s Market, Recreation Park.
Partnership
Rutgers Collaborative Center brings together community and government leaders, professionals, faculty, staff, and students sharing experience, expertise, and energy to achieve shared goals for our community through education and action.
Rutgers Collaborative Center represents a history of community engagement at Rutgers–New Brunswick that includes partnerships spanning more than 20 years as well as innovations that respond to emerging social issues, including:
- Partnering to empower youth ages 10-16 through AMARD&V (Artists Mentoring Against Racism, Drugs and Violence) arts and culture summer program.
- Addressing food insecurity through organizations such as the New Brunswick Community Food Alliance and the Feeding New Brunswick Network that promote access to healthy, culturally appropriate food.
If you have a long-term project or a community event in mind, contact the Rutgers Collaborative Center to explore how we can work together.
New Brunswick Campus Support
The Collaborative Center supports the Rutgers–New Brunswick campus through co-curricular engagement that aids students and community partners.
- Provides opportunities for roundtable discussions and conferences that offer opportunities for engagement with community and government leaders, students, and professionals.
- Opportunities for mutually beneficial partnerships and student placements. View an example.
- Assistance in connecting students with community partners to work on projects that aid the New Brunswick/Piscataway communities.
Our support extends to student orientations to community engagement, connecting students with community partners, and annual celebration and awards recognizing student achievement.
We will gladly meet with students or community partners to familiarize them with the New Brunswick/Piscataway community.
2026 RVSA Deadline
Submissions for the 2026 service period are due June 30, 2026. Once awards are reviewed and verified, certificates will be sent in early July.
Rutgers Volunteer Service Award (RVSA)
The Rutgers Volunteer Service Award was created to recognize dedicated members of the Rutgers Community for their contributions to civic participation and community engagement. The Award honors individuals who volunteer their time and talents to solve tough challenges, positively impact communities and inspire those around them to take action too.
Administered by the Collaborative Center for Community Engagement, those who submit by the annual deadline and have completed the minimum requirement of 100 service hours within the RCommunity system (within a 1-year service period) will receive a certificate of achievement from Rutgers University.
Current submission deadline: June 30, 2026
Current service period: July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026
Requirements
Requirements:
- Be a student, staff or faculty member at any of the four Rutgers campuses
- Complete the eligible service within a 12-month period (academic year) for annual Bronze, Silver, and Gold Awards
- Hours must be entered and verified within the RCommunity platform
Eligible Service includes:
- Unpaid acts of engagement benefiting others, including unpaid internships and co-ops
- Non-partisan civic engagement
- Engagement done through a class by either the student or faculty member
- Service done either on or off-campus by an individual, including if done with a group
Non-Eligible Service includes:
- Teaching or doing research associated with a position at the institution
- Donating funds
- Political lobbying
- Religious instruction
- Conducting worship services
- Proselytizing
- Volunteer service performed as part of court-ordered community service
- Serving only family members
Award Levels
Hours Requirements for the Bronze, Silver and Gold Award levels:
| Age Group | Bronze | Silver | Gold |
| Young Adult (16-25 yo) | 100-174 hours | 175-249 hours | 250+ hours |
| Adult (26+ yo) | 100-249 hours | 250-499 hours | 500+ hours |
For more information, please email collaborative@rutgers.edu