The City Manager’s Office has partnered with Christopher Newport University’s Center for Community Engagement to provide several first-year
students with a unique orientation to Newport News. In a pilot project called “Newport News 101,” ten Bonner Service Scholars have met on Monday evenings throughout the fall semester to learn about the city’s history, demographics, and local government structure in an effort to build a small bridge between these millennials and the city they will call home for the next four years. Bonner Scholars are committed to serving more than 300 hours in place-based settings through the local community during their four years in college. Each of the students in the Fall 2016 class are from outside of the Peninsula.
Newport News 101 is also helping create connections and giving students an opportunity to better understand the City’s assets as well as discuss many of the dynamics of public budgeting and priority-setting to improve the quality of life for over 180,000 residents. “The goal of the fifteen-week course was to provide students with a foundation of knowledge related to our city's history, culture, strengths, and challenges,” said Brad Brewer, Director of the Center and CNU’s Bonner program. “The course was also developed as a space for students to dream together about how they might advance the vision of our city leaders; to help make Newport News a great place to live, work, and play.”
To date, students have met with City leaders such as Councilman Bert Bateman, Vice Mayor Tina Vick, and City Manager Jim Bourey. Students have also toured different parts of the community. According to Brewer, “It is our hope that this course (not for academic credit) might be taught annually, and offered to many more students."
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here for information on the Christopher Newport University Center for Community Engagement.