Programs

Educational Equity

The Swearer Center is building an approach to educational equity and opportunity that works with students and families across a continuum of time and through a combination of research, direct service, policy work, and advocacy. Our current programs provide the starting point for this effort:

** Education Equity website

High School

College Guides: The National College Advising Corps at Brown

The National College Advising Corps at Brown seeks to increase the number of low- to moderate-income high school students who enter college and earn bachelor’s degrees, by providing college application and financial aid guidance to those students and their families while fostering a culture of college attendance and higher education in Rhode Island's urban communities.

NCAC College Guides: Twelve full-time College Guides (recent graduates of Brown University and the University of Rhode Island) collaborate with guidance staff, principals, teachers, and others at partner schools across Rhode Island to increase the awareness, preparation, and college-going disposition of underserved students. College Guides work with high school students and their families on early awareness and all aspects of the college admission process. Guides also serve as mentors to the Access Scholars and supervisors to the volunteers.

NCAC Access Scholars: Ten work-study eligible Brown University undergraduate students serve as Access Scholars, minimal-time AmeriCorps Members who support the capacity-building and outreach work of the College Guides, working on individual and group SAT preparation, essay writing, and financial aid programming. The Access Scholars program also involves seminars and group projects on college access in Rhode Island and nationally.

NCAC Volunteers: Brown University and Providence College undergraduate students round out the College Advising Corps initiatives as volunteers providing in-school content support and after-school homework help, essay-writing support, and SAT preparation.

The College Advising Corps is funded by the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation and Serve Rhode Island. Contact: Ralph_Johnson@brown.edu

Dan Rather Reports features the College Advising Corps at
Brown on May 27, 2008. ( View short clip / View entire program )

Rhode Island Urban Debate League (RIUDL)

The Rhode Island Urban Debate League (RIUDL) exists to provide access to the trajectory-changing activity of policy debate to students, teachers, and communities in the urban core of Rhode Island. Part of a national network of Urban Debate Leagues, the League currently supports debate and forensics teams in ten high schools in Providence, Pawtucket, Central Falls, and Woonsocket, with students participating annually in 6 local competitive tournaments, 2-3 travel tournaments, college preparation workshops, and a summer institute. College student volunteers partner with dedicated teachers to coach at after-school practices and Saturday workshops, developing mentorship relationships with high school students along the way. The RIUDL also supports debate-across-the-curriculum professional development for teachers statewide, at least two Public Debates each year, and a public speaking class at the Rhode Island Training School. Director: Will Tucker. Coordinators: Zachary Beauchamp, Michael Ewart, Matthew Grimes, Morgan Whitworth
Contact: Zachary_Beauchamp@brown.edu; Michael_Ewart@brown.edu; Matthew_Grimes@brown.edu; Morgan_Whitworth@brown.edu

Brown Science Prep

http://brownscienceprep.brown.edu

Brown Science Prep's mission is to show Providence public high school students (grades 9-12) the excitement of science through lessons geared toward real world phenomena, applicable learning, and hands-on demonstrations. We integrate many activities and visuals into our lessons and teach them in small groups to maximize individual attention. The program is structured so that Brown undergraduates teach and mentor several students over the course of the semester to encourage the formation of strong bonds. Additionally, we aim to encourage our students to begin thinking about college and the college application process through workshops and campus tours.
Contact: Jennifer_Park@brown.edu and Lauren_Huckaby@brown.edu

Algebra in Motion

The goal of Algebra in Motion is to provide Hope High School students with guidance and support in their academic needs. There are five parts to the program. Volunteers serve in classrooms as teaching assistants; volunteers serve as mentors, one-on-one, meeting with assigned mentees; volunteers staff the afterschool program where all Hope students can go (room 212) for homework help everyday from 3-5pm, except Wednesdays; volunteers teach workshops for the students in remedial math and ESL; finally, volunteers help run an enrichment program every Wednesday in which the Hope High mentees are taken out into the community to learn about a variety of topics, such as college admissions.
Coordinators: Mandeep_Gill@brown.edu; Aditya_Voleti@brown.edu

Listen to: Bob Moses, Founder of The Algebra Project

College Guidance Project

The College Guidance Project works with Hope High School seniors to build one-on-one relationships, as well as preparation and guidance through the college admissions process.
As mentors our goal is to work with each student in completing the following:

a list of colleges to which each student will apply
a finished college application packet for each college on the list
registration and completion of the SAT or ACT
facilitate access to financial aid and scholarships

Coordinators: Andrew Kim.
Contact: Andrew_Kim_1@brown.edu

Brown SAT/College Prep

Brown SAT/College Prep offers free SAT preparation and access to information on the college application process to Hope juniors and seniors primarily. The program aims to instill the experience and confidence needed to better master the test. Furthermore, through interaction with the mentors in a low student:teacher ratio, a sense of community is fostered that will offer students a source of support and guidance on their path to college. Coordinators: Kenji Taylor and Sejal Jhaveri.
Contact: Nicholas_Taylor@brown.edu; Sejal_Jhaveri@brown.edu

OLEEP

OLEEP (Outdoor Leadership Environmental Education Project) is a mentoring program for Met High School students of all grade levels. Brown volunteers engage with the Met students in one-on-one mentoring relationships, weekly environmental education/science workshops, and camping or backpacking trips. OLEEP strives to foster individual awareness, personal challenge, and leadership skills in Brown and Met students as they learn from each other. Coordinators: Kevin O'Brien and Rebecca de Sa.
Contact: Kevin_K_OBrien@brown.edu; Rebecca_deSa@brown.edu

OTHER PROGRAMS

Many programs recruit new volunteers at the start of each semester. Contact the student coordinator to find out more.

We know that our programs will not meet the interests of all individuals looking for community work opportunities, nor do they address the full range of issues in the community. The Resources section of our site may be helpful in identifying other campus and community opportunities.