Skip over navigation

Jobs and Careers

 

Full-time Staff Jobs at the Swearer Center

The Swearer Center is currently seeking candidates for the following staff position(s). Please review the job description of interest for details on the position and specific instructions on how to apply through the online Brown employment system. Please do not submit applications directly to the Swearer Center.

- PROGRAM AND COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR - The Program and Communications Coordinator will have primary responsibility for the Center's event planning and public communications, and provide logistical support to the Swearer Center's fellowships, which provide funding for 55-60 students per year to pursue research and community-based work. See the whole job description here. Apply on the Brown Human Resources site here.

- COLLEGE GUIDES - Help open doors to opportunity for RI youth! The Swearer Center for Public Service at Brown is seeking to hire a recent college graduate of URI or Brown to become a part of our chapter of the National College Advising Corps. The "College Guides" will be working full-time in urban RI high schools and/or nearby community agencies to increase college opportunities for first generation and under-represented students. See the whole job description here. Apply on the Brown Human Resources site here.

Student Jobs at the Swearer Center

School-Year Jobs

Please search for Swearer Center Student Positions on the Student Employment website.

Student positions at the Swearer Center must be applied for through the Student Employment website, however, you must also complete a Swearer Center Application.

Off-Campus Federal Work Study

The Off-Campus Federal Work Study program, administered by the Swearer Center and the Student Employment Office , a division of the Office of Financial Aid, enables sophomores, juniors, and seniors who are federal work-study eligible to hold paid community service jobs. The program allows community agencies to hire students at a reduced cost by cost-sharing the position with Brown University. Off-Campus Work Study supports two cycles of funding: year-long positions during the academic year and positions during the summer. Funds for this program are limited, and applications for off-campus work study will be selected by a committee through a competitive process. Not all proposals will be approved for off-campus work.

The Federal Work Study Program was established by the Higher Education Act of 1965 to encourage and promote the employment of students to help them meet their educational costs. To the maximum extent possible, work study jobs are expected to complement the educational and professional goals of participating students.

Who is eligible for these jobs?
Students must have a Federal Work Study grant to participate in this program and must be a sophomore, junior or senior. The summer program is open to rising sophomores, rising juniors, and rising seniors. If you have questions about your eligibility, please contact the Student Employment Office, a division of the Office of Financial Aid.

What kinds of jobs are eligible?
Appropriate placements include those in community-based agencies, government agencies, hospitals, grassroots organizations, and schools. The work may include direct service, administrative tasks, and program development. A limited number of positions are available for policy and laboratory research. All positions must reflect consideration of the educational goals of students. Funded work study participants will be required to meet all program expectations, including completing periodic writing assignments and participating in group discussions held by the Swearer Center. Failure to meet these expectations will disqualify students from continuing in the program.

The Federal Work Study regulations authorize a 100% federal share of work-study wages for students who are employed as:

  • reading tutors for preschool-age children or elementary school children
  • mathematics tutors for children in elementary school through ninth grade
  • providers of family literacy services to families with preschool-age children or elementary school children

The work must be for a school itself, for a federal, state, or local agency, or for a private nonprofit organization.

Developing a Position

Interested students are encouraged to think creatively about developing positions that support the mission of the community agency, while strengthening their own educational experiences. Applicants are encouraged to carefully consider how the proposed position fits their academic, professional, and service goals.

Each proposal must be developed collaboratively with an interested community agency. Many local agencies have worked with Federal Work Study students from Brown, but each applicant should establish common interests and goals for their individual proposal. Agencies are advised to work closely with individual students to develop proposals. Students are encouraged to approach agencies directly to discuss how their ideas and the agency's needs might be integrated in a position.

This is a cost-share program, so it is also important to establish that the agency is able to contribute funding toward the proposal. Awards vary from fall to summer.

Local community agencies can also list existing positions through the work study program. While these positions are eligible for funding, creativity and originality in proposals is considered favorably by the selection committee. To find potential partner agencies consult the list of agencies who have previously funded students through this program, the Swearer Center's Providence Community Agency Directory and listings in a binder in the first floor resource area at the Swearer Center.

Program Dates

The summer program begins July 1st and ends August 31st . The academic year program starts in mid-October and ends May 31st.

Earnings Limit

The summer Off-Campus work-study award is $3,000.00. The academic year Off-campus work-study award is based on the amount of Federal Work Study awarded to the student by the Office of Financial Aid. This amount is shared on a 50/50 basis with your employer. Students may contact the SEO to confirm the amount of their academic year Federal Work Study award.

Information Session

An information session is held in early April for the summer program and early September for the academic year program. However, the SEO is available to answer any questions about the administrative details of the program. Students may contact Claudia DeCesare at 863-3676 at the Swearer Center for assistance in developing their proposals. Other Swearer Center full-time staff members are also available for advice.

Please review the application process below for full details regarding employer participation before initiating your job search.

For Community Agencies

Community agencies wishing to develop a proposal with a work study student, may submit a job description to be posted in the Federal Off-Campus Work Study Employment Resource Guide binder available to students in the resource library of the Swearer Center for Public Service. In order to allow for time to interview and discuss the position with students who wish to apply, please submit the description to Claudia DeCesare 2 to 3 weeks before the beginning of each semester, including the summer session:

  • Fall Semester: 2nd to 3rd week of August
  • Spring Semester: 2nd or 3rd week of January
  • Summer Session: 2nd or 3rd week of April

Please review the application process, which applies to both the summer and academic year programs, unless otherwise noted.

Criteria for Funding

  • Applications must be tailored for work in a government or non-profit organization;
  • Jobs must meet the needs of the community organization and educational goals of the student;
  • Students should include information regarding past community-based experience (not required) and must display a basic understanding of the community issues they will encounter in their placement (required);
  • Agencies should be able to demonstrate that the work being completed is necessary and will make a real contribution to a high-need community;
  • Innovative proposals and direct service to communities with the greatest needs will be prioritized over administrative work and/or research; and
  • The content and quality of the written application will be considered.

The Application

For students new to Off-Campus Federal Work Study or who are creating a new position, the application has two parts -- a student application and an agency application. Both parts must be completed and submitted together.

Click here to download the application.

Click here to download the application for continuance.

Other Jobs

Local, national, and international service jobs are posted on ricommunityjobs.org as well as in the Swearer Bulletin, a weekly electronic newsletter of events and resources related to community work and activism at Brown and in Providence. Sign up here.

Resources for Careers in the Common Good

In collaboration with the Career Development Center at Brown, the Careers in the Common Good program seeks to support Brown students and alumni in their exploration of socially responsible careers.

Volunteer Opportunities: Fall, Spring, Summer

There are many non-profit organizations in and around Providence who are actively seeking volunteers to become involved in their work, in the areas of health, education, literacy, art, and many others. Volunteering is also a good way to gain new skills, while exploring a particular career or personal interest. There are opportunities for the fall, spring and summer semesters. Email Claudia_DeCesare@brown.edu for more information.

Internships and Institutes

Making Connections Leadership Institute

The People's School Project Student Internship