The Brown Environmental Leadership Lab (BELL) combines concepts in environmental studies, ecology and leadership, with a mission of developing socially responsible leaders. At BELL, you’ll embark on a journey of learning and reflection while building community with the fellow student environmentalists in your program.

Non-credit

Residential

Accepts International Students

Financial Aid

Final project

Application fee waiver

The Brown Environmental Leadership Lab (BELL) combines concepts in environmental studies and leadership, with a mission of developing socially responsible leaders. At BELL, you’ll embark on a journey of learning and reflection while building community with the fellow student environmentalists in your program.

This two-week program will be based on the Brown University campus, with site visits throughout Rhode Island. In the classroom and during outdoor experiential learning, you’ll work to better understand the causes and impacts of climate change, identify examples of environmental resilience and participate in science communication skill building. You’ll also dig into resources about environmental advocacy and environmental justice literacy while learning about socially responsible leadership. We will use the Brown campus as a site to explore the research that drives decisions in sustainability and the connections between people and the environment in the context of an urban setting, while you get to know your peers and instructional staff. During your time in the Ocean State, you will learn about the history of the land from members of the Narragansett Tribe and journey around the state to explore some of the ecosystems or communities discussed in the classroom.

After spending time at Brown University, you will embark on an overnight camping retreat. Not only will you get to connect directly with your natural surroundings, you will also practice building a strong community with your other BELL Rhode Island participants, as you all navigate the challenge of living and learning outdoors.

Over the course of your BELL experience, you will identify a pressing issue that you’re passionate about. With support from instructors and peers, you’ll develop an Action Plan to apply your new leadership knowledge to this issue when you return home.

BELL students are expected to reduce their cell phone use, allowing them to fully engage with the community and beautiful surroundings. By breaking ties to these technologies, you will be able to be more mindful of the natural environment and build more intentional friendships. On-site staff will collect students’ phones and return them during specific parts of the program, including off-site field trips. While this may be an unfamiliar experience for many students, it is often an aspect of the trip students appreciate most. We expect students to plan ahead to be without their cell phones during most of the program, however the group will always be reachable via the program cell phone, which will be held by the on-site staff. The phone number to the program cell phone will be provided to families of accepted students prior to the program.

Some site visits listed are weather-dependent and subject to change. You can expect a moderate level of physical activity every day; be ready to get dirty as you’ll be out and about — rain or shine. A specific packing list will be provided for accepted students.

Residential and Student Life
Throughout the program, including during your time on the Brown University campus, residential and student life activities will be provided by the BELL: Rhode Island staff and will be limited to students in the BELL: Rhode Island program only.
During overnight camping, you will sleep in your own single-person tent in a primitive campsite. During this portion of the trip, you will not have access to showers.
You can expect three meals each day, primarily served in a Brown University dining hall. Note: All food is ordered in advance, so program staff must be notified of any dietary restrictions or allergies by April 12. Students can notify program staff by filling out the medical health history form, which accepted students receive in their student portals.
Program staff live on site and are available 24 hours a day to provide support and supervision.

BELL: Rhode Island Session 1

Jun 25 - Jul 07

2 weeks

Residential

5444 USD

BELL: Rhode Island Session 2

Jul 09 - Jul 21

2 weeks

Residential

5444 USD

If you are an international student or a U.S. student without health insurance, you will automatically be enrolled in Brown’s limited coverage accident insurance plan for the duration of your program. An additional fee of $80 for this coverage will be added to your account. This plan has limited coverage in the event of an accident or emergency illness while on campus or during program-sponsored activities and is subject to a deductible.

NOT INCLUDED IN PROGRAM FEES:
Travel to and from Brown’s campus or a BELL or BEE program site.
Pre/post-program accommodations.
Course materials and textbooks (if required).
Additional spending money (for shopping, off-campus snacks, purchases of a personal nature, etc.).
Costs associated with potential public health guidelines, which may include, but are not limited to, travel interruption and quarantine. We recommend families consider purchasing travel/trip insurance.

Financial Aid

You may request an application fee waiver for one of the following reasons:
- You are approved for a free or reduced school lunch program in the U.S. for the current year, including need-based school-wide free lunch programs under the Community Eligibility Provision. (If you attend a private school where meals are included in the tuition fee, you may qualify for a free/reduced lunch waiver if you receive a significant need-based scholarship in order to attend your school.)
You are enrolled in a school in the Providence Public School District (PPSD) in Rhode Island.
- You are associated with an official Brown Pre-College partner organization and have been named a Partner Scholar Nominee by that organization. (You will need to select your partner organization from a drop-down list when requesting a partner fee waiver. Only listed partner organizations are eligible.)
- You are the dependent of a benefits-eligible Brown University employee who has been employed by the University for at least six months.

Brown Pre-College offers a variety of scholarship opportunities. Each scholarship type has eligibility requirements.

Sibley Scholarships are need-based awards limited to students who are U.S. Citizens or U.S. Permanent Residents, or hold undocumented or DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) status and are enrolled in a U.S. high school. Scholarship funds are limited and disbursed on a first-applied-first-awarded basis until the funds are exhausted, which could happen before the scholarship deadline. If eligible, we encourage you to apply as soon as you complete your admission application. We cannot guarantee that all applicants who apply for aid will receive scholarship assistance.
PPSD Scholarships are limited to students attending a school in the Providence Public School District, in Providence, RI.
Partner Scholarships are limited to students who are identified and nominated by partnering organizations.
Brown Employee Dependent Scholarships are limited to dependents of Brown University benefits-eligible staff and faculty who have been employed by the university for at least six months.
We do not have any scholarship opportunities available to international students for summer 2023.

Brown Pre-College does not provide merit scholarships.