The Swearer Center at Brown University offers a semester-long part-time residency program for leading community engagement practitioners who live in the Greater Providence area. This program is intended for distinguished and emerging leaders who are looking for room to reflect, build deeper connections with Brown University, explore academic and research insights, and pursue new ideas in their areas of interest. The program is grounded in the Swearer Center’s belief that practitioners are co-creators of knowledge and offers an opportunity to share knowledge while developing new networks of local community leaders and thinkers. 

Practitioner in Residence Role

The Practitioner in Residence will serve as a mentor, advisor, and connector within the Swearer Center community at Brown. We are particularly interested in candidates whose experiences and work position them to contribute to ongoing conversations at Swearer aimed at enhancing our engagement programs to respond to evolving community priorities in the midst of the global health crisis and ongoing conversations about racial justice.

Practitioners in this role: 

• Develop a project of personal interest leveraging the resources and expertise at Brown for community impact. 

• Provide programming and consultation to staff and students focused on deepening understanding of Providence communities and building community relationships.

• Offer development based on the practitioner’s areas of expertise and interest to students, staff, and/or community partners.

• Advise students through individual mentorship and by holding regular virtual office hours (four to six hours per week between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.).

• Serve as a Swearer Center liaison to the Providence community for external community workshops, talks, and events. 

• Participate in Swearer Center’s Community Advisory Board and Community Partner Network activities. 

• Convene at least one campus-based and one community-based presentation about their project. Virtual presentations are acceptable/preferred. 

Benefits 

In addition to an opportunity to be a part of an extraordinary campus community, the Practitioner in Residence will have access to Brown’s libraries and faculty members; and a stipend of $5,000 to support scholarly and community work. This is a non-teaching appointment. 

Why Brown?

Brown provides a vibrant, diverse research university with a particular commitment to exceptional undergraduate instruction. A hallmark of Brown’s education model is the open curriculum, which puts students in charge of their learning.  Brown students are eager for advice, mentorship, and guidance from seasoned professionals who have experience in managing nonprofit organizations, addressing social justice challenges, and building just, equitable, and peaceful communities. 

To Apply

Upload a cover letter, a résumé, and a vision statement for your project of personal interest. Your vision statement should address the following:

1. Relevance of your project to the Swearer Center Strategic Plan.

2. If/how your project addresses or impacts community priorities related to COVID-19 and/or racial justice.

3. Your plan to leverage the resources at Brown and the Swearer Center to advance your project.

4. Your connection(s) to and/or understanding of the greater Providence community, how your community-based relationships have/will inform your project.

5. What, if any, experience you have with advising and mentoring (especially college-aged students/youth).

6. Your experience moving a project from concept to reality.