Programs: Outdoor Leadership and Environmental Education Project (OLEEP)

programs for adolescents programs for children related courses other programs at Brown local agencies career resources youth opportunities guide other youth resources

OLEEP (Outdoor Leadership and Environmental Education Project) is a partnership between Brown University's Swearer Center and the MET School, an alternative charter school in South Providence. MET students apply to this competitive program in which they are paired with a volunteer from Brown in a mentor-mentee relationship.

Volunteers and student participants attend weekly afterschool workshops organized by the Brown volunteers that introduce topics in envrionmental science, leadership practice and outdoor education. In addition, OLEEP takes students on several weekend trips throughout the school year to experience first hand the beauty of natural New England environments and to see what efforts are being made currently to help preserve the environmental quality of our world.

OLEEP's Mission

Although OLEEP's structure is dynamic and changes to fit the needs of the participants, there are a few tenets to which we adhere.

1. One on one mentoring realtionships between college student volunteers and students at the MET build long-term, meaningful relationships, from which both mentors and mentees learn invaluable lessons and become invested in the program personally.

2. Experientially-based learning exposes students to real-world problems and solutions regarding leadership and natural science

3. OLEEP challenges both volunteers and student participants by exposing them to new and uncomfortable situations. By providing the structure to reflect on these situations, both mentors and mentees grow as individuals.

By exposing students to the environmental challenges facing our society and helping them to develop the skills to lead and communicate effectively, OLEEP is creating future environmental leaders for the urban communities that most need them.

What is the Met School?
The Metropolitan Regional Career and Technical Center (MET) is an alternative charter school located in South Providence, about a mile from Brown campus on the East Side. Each student at the MET each tailors his own education through the creation of an individualized learning plan. At the heart of the learning plan is the LTI (Learning Through Internships), a hands-on learning opportunity that students attend on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The LTI is loosely defined and allows students to explore a wide range of interests in a real world setting. LTI experiences range from interning at a local business or non-profit to remodeling one's basement to traveling to foreign countries. Students then craft their learning plan around their LTI's and ensure that they will cover the fundamentals of their education, including social reasoning, quantitative reasoning, empirical reasoning, communication and personal qualities. This comprehensive list reflects the wholistic approach to education at the MET that builds communities one student at a time.

OLEEP subscribes to many of the same philosophies as those of the MET, which allows students to incorporate experiences from our trips and workshops seamlessly into their learning plans. By encouraging student participants to help shape our curriculum and the focus of our workshops, OLEEP remains dynamic, current and relevant to students' interests.

Questions?
Please contact Brian Yellen with any further questions.