Enrolled student information for Brown Experiential Education: Oxford.
Enrolled student information for Brown Experiential Education: Oxford.
We are thrilled you will be attending Brown Pre-College’s BEE: Oxford and joining the Brown community!. Please review this web page carefully with your parent(s)/guardian(s) and don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions. You and your parent(s)/guardian(s) can speak with a Program Advisor by calling 401-863-7900 during business hours (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET) or by email at precollege@brown.edu.
Please check the email address that you used to apply and your student portal periodically as these are the places where you will be notified when required forms are available for you to complete. Additional requirements may be added throughout the cycle.
Be sure all of your forms and payment are completed by their assigned deadline:
As stated above under Important Dates, there will be a required online program orientation for you and your parent(s)/guardian(s) Sunday, April 12, 2026 at 1 p.m. ET, so please plan accordingly to be able to attend. Register here for this required session. To participate in this orientation, you will need access to a computer or smartphone. While a webcam is not required, it is preferred that you and your parent(s)/guardian(s) be on camera if possible, as we start to build our community for this program.
Please log in to your student portal to complete your pre-program requirements.
Parent(s)/guardian(s) also receive a checklist of items to complete, sent via email, so please remind them to check their email accounts for this important information that requires action.
The usernames and passwords associated with your Brown email address will be needed prior to and during your program. Please be sure to document all usernames and passwords.
Forms are available through your student portal and are submitted electronically through DocuSign, an electronic signature provider where you can digitally complete and sign your required forms and waivers, as well as upload your required physical and immunization records. Most forms include sections for both students and their parent(s)/guardian(s) to complete. Please note that additional requirements may be added throughout the cycle. Check your student portal periodically for new requirements.
If applicable, you may request accommodations based on a learning, psychological and/or physical disability, including medical conditions, temporary injuries and significant food allergies. Please be aware that all accommodation requests will be considered; however, there may be limits as to what can be provided without sufficient notice. Be sure to submit your requests using the required Medical Authorization and Health History Form and BEE Dietary Support Form by Wednesday, April 8. Please also indicate dietary preferences, including vegetarians and vegans, to allow us to plan accordingly. We will work with the staff to make accommodations for dietary restrictions and food allergies if we are notified before the April 8 deadline. Please email accessibility@brown.edu if you have any questions or concerns.
As part of this program you are enrolled in one course; Basics in Biotech: From Genes to Innovation. Two weeks prior to your course start date, log onto Canvas to complete your course orientation and pre-work prior to arriving on site.
Directions:
Access to Canvas will be available two weeks prior to program start date
You will reside at St. Edmund Hall, a college within Oxford University, in a double room. Bathrooms are shared. The rooms include typical college furniture: a bed, desk and chair, dresser, trash can and access to wireless internet. You are also provided with the following:
You may NOT bring pets, alcohol or weapons of any sort, including pocket or Swiss army knives.
All program activities, excursions, housing and meals are already included in your program fee so the need for spending money will be minimal. You will only need money while you are traveling to and from the United Kingdom. You will have one or two occasions to purchase souvenirs if you so choose, and those can be purchased with cash or, in most cases, credit or debit cards.
The most convenient way to access funds is to acquire a prepaid credit card that can be used as a credit or ATM card. Visa or Mastercard are the most widely accepted. Another alternative is to use your bank ATM card; be sure to have your bank activate your card for overseas use before your departure. Cash can also be easily exchanged at the airport or at several locations in the city, but there is usually an additional exchange fee for this service. You will have an opportunity to withdraw cash from your account during the program but having British pound sterling upon arrival is recommended.
Please consider purchasing travel insurance along with your flight. Please check in with your airline well in advance to confirm that you have the proper documentation and identification necessary to travel.
London Heathrow Airport (Airport Code: LHR)
Many bus, train and airline carriers have instituted a range of policies related to unaccompanied minors traveling. Program staff cannot serve as the designated adult for unaccompanied minors. We encourage parent(s)/guardian(s) to review their likely carrier’s policies early and make decisions about travel. Program staff will be at the airport to support students upon arrival after clearing customs and at departure upon reaching security.
You will meet BEE: Oxford staff at the London Heathrow Airport just outside of the Baggage Claim area between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. British Summer Time (BST) on Monday, July 6, 2026.
BEE staff will only be at the airport to meet you during the scheduled arrival window. Staff will be wearing red “Brown University Pre-College” t-shirts. The group will depart from the airport shortly after the arrival window of 11 a.m., once students have cleared customs and collected their baggage.
BEE staff will only be at the airport to meet you during the scheduled arrival window. This program has strict arrival and departure windows for airport pick-up and drop-off. Please keep in mind that our staffing model does not accommodate student travel outside of our arrival and departure windows. If you are on a flight outside of the provided time windows, you will need to arrange for your own transportation to meet up with the group upon arrival or to depart for your flight at the conclusion of the program. Students who arrange travel within the provided time windows will be included in all group transportation to and from the program site. As you make travel arrangements, please note the following two important requirements;
If you experience a delay while traveling to London Heathrow Airport call or text the BEE: Oxford On-Site Director with your new arrival time. Please note: This number will be shared during the pre-departure orientation session and will be sent to you and your parent(s)/guardian(s) but will not be active until a few days before the program starts.
You are encouraged to come to the BEE with an open mind to meeting new people with diverse and varied perspectives. Each student brings with them their own experiences and the cohort comes together to create a cohesive and supportive community. There will be approximately 24 students from all over the United States and the world in the program.
You are encouraged to upload photos to a shared Google folder once the program begins. You will gain access to this folder closer to the program start date.
Itineraries are reviewed at the mandatory pre-departure orientation session. You will also receive a detailed itinerary upon arrival at the program site. Please note: schedules are subject to change.
This is an example of a typical day at BEE
| Breakfast | 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. |
| Morning Site Visit or Lesson | 9 a.m. to Noon (12 p.m.) |
| Lunch/Free Time | Noon (12 p.m.) to 2 p.m. |
| Afternoon Site Visit, Lab or Lesson | 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. |
| Free Time and/or Dinner Prep | 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. |
| Dinner | 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. |
| Evening Activities | 7 p.m to 9 p.m. |
| Free Time | 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. |
| Curfew | 10 p.m. |
You will have one or two hours of free time dispersed throughout each day at BEE, but the free time is not always predictable and does not occur at the same time each day. Additional coursework, including online courses for Brown or other programs, is not feasible.
Staff are available for support and assistance 24 hours a day. You will have clear guidelines regarding where you can go alone or with a peer. Despite many students being experienced and competent travelers, the BEE/BELL staff expects all students to stay with the group at all times and provide notice if you need to separate from the group for any reason.
St. Edmund College has a Porter Lodge at the main entrance. The Porter Lodge is staffed 24 hours per day, 7 days a week. Campus facilities are only accessible by access cards and keys.
You and your parent(s)/guardian(s) may find that cell phones are the most convenient option for keeping in touch. We suggest that prior to the start of the program, you and your parent(s)/guardian(s) agree on the frequency and methods for keeping in touch while you are attending. For example, you could decide together that you will text your parent(s)/guardian(s) every evening at a certain hour or that you will call them every other day at a certain time.
To contact us in an emergency, parent(s)/guardian(s) may call the BEE: Oxford On-Site Director. At certain times during the program, students and/or staff may experience lapses in cell phone service. Staff will be checking the program phone often to return missed phone calls or text messages as soon as they are able.
At the beginning of the program, staff will send an email to confirm that all students have arrived safely in Oxford.
At the end of the program, after students have passed through the security gates (or have met with their parent(s)/guardian(s)) at London’s Heathrow Airport, the program staff will send out another email to confirm that students have started their journeys home.
Please note: these emails will be sent out to the parent(s)/guardian(s) email addresses that we have on file.
The program is experiential in nature, so students spend minimal time in a traditional classroom setting. The program can be physically challenging as you will walk several miles each day. You should monitor your water intake to avoid dehydration due to warm and humid temperatures. You are also encouraged to wear sunscreen and a hat.
For your safety and comfort during the program, we expect participants to fully disclose any and all pre-existing medical conditions on the required medical forms. Program staff maintains a list of local medical facilities and providers. In the event of a medical emergency, students will be transported to a nearby hospital.
You are responsible for safely storing and taking your own prescription and over-the-counter medication. If you are not accustomed to managing your own medication, you should work with your parent(s)/guardian(s) to determine the best approach to do so during the program. All students who are taking prescription medications should bring their prescribed medication in its original container and a copy of their prescription. Having a copy of the original prescription will enable us to replace medication if needed. Students with life-saving asthma and anaphylaxis medications (e.g., inhalers and epi-pens) must keep them on their person at all times. If your medication requires refrigeration, we will provide access to a refrigerator for the duration of the program.
You should inform program staff as soon as you are not feeling well and may be asked to self-administer tests for specific infectious illnesses and/or take your temperature, among other actions. If you are ill, you will need to be separated from others in the program to lower the possibility of any illness spreading and it is possible you may be asked to make plans to depart the program. Please note: there may be additional or different protocols implemented by a partner lodging site, field trip or local airport and are dependent on public health guidelines at the time of the program.
You will be automatically enrolled in Brown’s International SOS insurance for the duration of the program, which includes medical coverage. Additional information about International SOS insurance will be shared during the required pre-departure orientation.
Our days are busy, requiring a lot of your energy and attention throughout the day. You are required to check in with residential staff every evening at 10 p.m. The residential staff will place a call to the parent(s)/guardian(s) of any student who is late for curfew. Local authorities will be informed after an appropriate interval of time if a student has not checked in, and a protocol will be initiated to ensure the security of the student.
You are responsible for abiding by all pre-college policies and guidelines while participating in the program. These include policies listed on the policy page as well as any policies shared with you by program staff and instructors, and guidelines and policies of all of the BEE partner sites, including lodging facilities, museums, transportation companies and other venues hosting your BEE cohort. Please review our financial policies, including payment and refund information.
For departure, staff will accompany and help students check in to their departing flights at the London Heathrow Airport between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. British Summer Time (BST) on Friday, July 17, 2026.
Staff will help you find the security checkpoint. Once you are through security, you are responsible for communicating with your parent(s)/guardian(s) and managing your flight home.
At the end of your course, you will be asked to complete a course evaluation reflecting on your experience in the course. If your course is two weeks or longer, you will receive a Course Performance Report from your instructor. If you successfully complete your program, you will receive a digital CeCertificate of Completion. The Course Performance Report and CeCertificate will be sent out in September. The CeCertificate will be sent via a secure link to the email address you have on file and the Course Performance Report will be made available in your Student Portal.
Access to the Student Portal will remain available to you. Please be sure to keep your username and login. All Pre-College students' access to the Brown University Google Drive and Canvas accounts will be removed at the end of August. You will receive an email after your course with the exact date. Please be sure to transfer any important files and documents to a personal account and/or device. After this date, you will no longer have access and we will NOT be able to retrieve your account.