Communication During the Program
To contact us in an emergency, parents/guardians may call the BELL: Rhode Island 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 out an email to confirm that all students have arrived safely in Providence and have started to build community together at BELL.
At the end of the program, after students have departed, the program staff will send out another email to confirm that students have started their journeys home.
Please note that these emails will be sent out to the parent/guardian email address that we have on file. If you have an alternative email address that you would like included in this list, please contact the On-Site Director to share an additional email address.
Safety and Supervision
You will have clear guidelines regarding where you can go alone or with a peer. Staff are available for support and assistance 24 hours a day. Despite many students being experienced and competent travelers, the 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.
Cell Phone Policy
Each year, the BELL staff revisits the cell phone policy to ensure that it aligns with best practices in both safety and community engagement. The main goal of the BELL cell phone policy is to allow you to stay tuned into each other, the program and your natural surroundings. You may experience a lot of benefits from letting go of the frequent connection to technology, as it often helps BELL students adjust to a new environment more quickly and form a stronger community. While some spaces or parts of the day at BELL will be entirely cell phone free, you will still have opportunities to keep in touch with friends and family at home who you lean on for support. You will learn about the BELL cell phone policy during on-site program orientation.
Swimming During BELL
BELL: Rhode Island does not allow swimming outside of supervised lessons or without the use of a life vest. You may choose to swim at the Nelson Fitness Center, where there is a lifeguard, during your designated free time. You should feel comfortable on a boat and near bodies of water. For example, if you are attending a field trip on Block Island, you will be participating in water-based environmental science lab work that may have you wading in water up to your waist. For students who will be staying at a campground for a two-night retreat, you will not be allowed to swim.
Community Living
You are encouraged to come to BELL with an open mind to meeting new people with diverse and varied perspectives. Each student admitted to BELL brings with them their own experiences and the cohort comes together to create a fascinating community.
At BELL, each student also contributes to day to day community life by assisting with tasks like keeping the living and learning spaces clean and taking on leadership roles among the group. BELL Staff will expect you to step up as leaders, take good care of your physical spaces, take good care of yourself and respect others.
Photos
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.
Housing
The BELL: Rhode Island program is located at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. You will be staying in one of the residence halls at Brown University. You will be assigned up to two roommates, though many students will be staying in a single dorm space. You will share private bathrooms located in the hallway of the dorm.
For students in BELL Rhode Island: Marine Ecosystems, Coastal Communities and Climate Resilience and BELL Rhode Island: Geological, Recent and Modern Climate Change, you will spend two nights in an individual tent at Round the Bend Farm in Massachusetts. You will have access to running water and bathrooms near the campsite. You will be preparing and cooking some of your own meals with the help of the Round the Bend Farm staff (no previous cooking experience needed).
Dining Services Information
There are resources to help you with food-related allergies, dietary restrictions and other needs for accommodations to navigate the options in the dining halls. Prior to arrival, you should familiarize yourself with Brown’s dining website which provides information about the various dietary options available. This site also includes icons for specific food types (e.g. gluten-free) that are consistent with those found in the on-campus dining locations. Brown offers a variety of options and signage that allow many students to manage without additional accommodations. Students with any food restrictions are encouraged to utilize the Brown Dining My Meal site while on-campus. This tool is designed to help you make educated food choices in Brown’s dining halls and includes specific ingredients used in all available dishes.
If you have a food allergy, dietary restriction or a need for another accommodation please indicate this on your Medical Authorization and Health History Form and BELL Dietary Support Form by the March 29 deadline. The University’s Dietician or a program director will reach out to you directly to offer to discuss your dining options. Options could include using an online special meal request system, access to the Allergen Friendly Pantry and guidance navigating the online information and dining halls. In addition, temporary dining accommodations can be provided using a Chef's card that is available on request when you swipe into the main dining hall, the Sharpe Refectory (Ratty). These cards can be used to request a special meal if you arrive on a weekend and have not yet formally arranged accommodations. These cards will enable you to request a meal that is gluten-free or free of the following allergens: shellfish, soy, dairy, nuts, peanuts, eggs, wheat, alcohol and fish.
Personal Health and Medical Emergencies
Students with minor health concerns can be seen at Brown University’s Health Services Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET. Should you need to visit Health Services, you are encouraged to schedule an appointment by calling 401-863-3953. Nursing advice is available 24/7 at 401-863-1330, and certified first aid staff are also available to assist on evenings or weekends. If you require non-emergency care from a healthcare professional you may also be taken to a local Urgent Care outside of Brown University Health Services hours. In the event of a medical emergency, you will generally be transported to Hasbro Children’s Hospital in Providence.
Prescription Medications
You are responsible for safely storing and taking your own prescription medication. If you are not accustomed to managing your own medication, you should work with your parents/guardians 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 (which can be an electronic copy). 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.
Tick Awareness
As with most outdoor locations in the Northeast, deer ticks that sometimes carry Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses, may be present at sites where BELL: Rhode Island field trips are held. Should you be from a region that does not have ticks, we want you to know about deer ticks and tick-bite prevention.
To reduce your risk of a tick bite you are
- Going to be reminded to do tick checks three times per day
- Asked to check yourself carefully for ticks at the end of the day
- Encouraged to wear long-pants, mid-calf socks, and close-toed shoes during some site visits
Should you find a tick on yourself, BELL Staff or Brown Health Services will implement a protocol that may include tick removal and/or a preventative course of antibiotics. Some parents/guardians may be interested in purchasing tick-repellent clothing or permethrin to treat clothes and shoes prior to the course. Information can be found here. (https://web.uri.edu/tickencounter/ticksmart/)
If you experience any flu-like symptoms, joint aches or a bulls-eye rash, upon your return home, you should contact your medical provider and inform them that you have been in an area where there are deer ticks that sometimes carry Lyme disease.
Illness
You should inform program staff as soon as you are not feeling well, and will be asked to self-administer a COVID test 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. University information specific to COVID-19 can be found here. Please note that pre-college policies and protocols may not align exactly with the University’s, and 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.
BELL Action Plans
With support from instructors and peers at BELL, you will create an Action Plan to apply your new leadership knowledge to an issue in your home community. Creating an Action Plan is an opportunity for you to reflect critically on what you’ve learned and to delve deeper into issues that you find particularly compelling. There are many types of Action Plans, but what is most important is that you identify a project that: addresses a need, interests you and seems feasible given your personal circumstances. While you do not need to prepare anything prior to arriving at BELL, you may want to think about some issues related to your community and come to BELL with some ideas for Action Plan topics. At BELL, you will participate in Action Plan workshops that guide you through a step by step approach to developing your project. See examples of Action Plans from previous years here.
Itinerary
You will receive a detailed schedule upon arrival, including classroom locations. You must attend all days of the program in order to qualify for the Course Performance Report. In addition to three meals per day, some free time and transportation to and from site visits, this schedule provides an idea of what the program will entail. Please note: this schedule is subject to change.
Day |
BELL Rhode Island: Digging Into Rhode Island's Food System |
BELL Rhode Island: Marine Ecosystems, Coastal Communities and Climate Resilience |
BELL Rhode Island: Geological, Recent and Modern Climate Change |
---|
1 |
Arrival Day and Orientation |
2 |
Orientation continued; community building; lessons at Brown University |
3 |
Gather Farm Field Trip; Intro to Action Plan |
Tomaquag Museum Field Trip; Lessons at Brown University |
4 |
Cooking class and visit from Harvest Kitchen |
Camping Retreat Day 1 |
Intro to Action Plan; lessons at Brown University |
5 |
Lessons at Brown University (American dairies); Wright's Dairy site visit |
Camping Retreat Day 2 |
State Park site visit |
6 |
Action Plan work; local food bank site visit |
Camping Retreat Day 3 |
Lessons at Brown University; Action Plan work |
7 |
Lessons at Brown University; Action Plan work |
8 |
Lessons at Brown University; Action Plan work |
Block Island site visit |
9 |
Matunuck Oyster Farm tour; Matunuck Oyster Bar group meal; evening lesson at Brown University |
Lessons at Brown University |
Camping Retreat Day 1 |
10 |
Glean site visit; lessons at Brown University |
Walking site visit to Port of Providence; Action Plan work |
Camping Retreat Day 2 |
11 |
Community Compost Depot site visit; wrap-up lesson at Brown University |
Action Plan work; Lessons at Brown University |
Camping Retreat Day 3 |
12 |
Action Plan presentation preparation; BELL Closing Traditions |
Stakeholder Negotiation; BELL Closing Traditions |
13 |
BELL Closing Traditions; Action Plan Presentations; students depart |
Curfew
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. EST and remain on your floor until 6 a.m. EST the following morning. The residential staff will place a call to the parents/guardians of any student who is late for curfew. The Department of Public Safety 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 safety of the student.
Adhering to the curfew policy is your responsibility. While residential staff will take reasonable measures to ensure that you adhere to the curfew, once you have been verified as being within the residence halls at the designated time, you will be in violation of policies should you choose to leave your residence hall area. If we become aware of a curfew violation, you will be referred to our student conduct process. Repeated and/or serious violations of the curfew could result in dismissal from the program.
For more details, please read the Residential Policies on our website.
This is an example of a typical day at BELL
Curfew Ends |
6 a.m. |
Breakfast |
8:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. |
Community Tasks |
9 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. |
Morning Session |
9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. |
Free Time |
11:30 a.m. to Noon (12 p.m.) |
Lunch |
Noon (12 p.m.) to 1 p.m. |
Solo Time |
1 p.m. to 2 p.m. |
Afternoon Session |
2 p.m. to 5 p.m. |
Free Time |
5 p.m. to 6 p.m. |
Supper |
6 p.m. to 7 p.m. |
Recreation Time |
7 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. |
Evening Program |
7:45 p.m. to 9 p.m. |
Free Time |
9 p.m. to 10 p.m. |
Curfew |
10 p.m. |
Hall Time (hang out in your building) |
10 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. |
In Rooms |
10 p.m. |
Laundry
There are laundry facilities in all residence halls. You will need to supply your own detergent. All washers and dryers operate by swiping a Bear Bucks Guest Card (see information below). It costs $1.75 to wash and $1.75 to dry a load of laundry.
Bear Bucks
Bear Bucks Guest Cards allow you to use laundry machines and vending machines. You must purchase a Bear Bucks Guest Card for $1.00 at a Bear Bucks Kiosk. Money should be added to your Bear Bucks Guest Card as needed and in small increments as the unused balance is non-refundable. Please DO NOT add funds/Bear Bucks directly to your Brown ID card.
Bear Bucks Kiosks to purchase Bear Bucks Guest Cards are available to you at the following locations on campus.
- Sharpe Refectory
- Page-Robinson Hall
- Brown Bookstore
- Emery Woolley Hall
Mail Services
Mail may be sent to you during the program. Please do not send packages of bedding or clothing needed on move-in day in advance of your arrival, since the University’s mailroom is not open for package pick-up on Sundays.
Please note that mail sent to college campuses requires additional processing time for sorting and distribution, and any standard mailing or shipping delays may result in the mail or packages not reaching you prior to your campus departure. For those reasons, any mail/packages should be coordinated to arrive no later than one week prior to your departure. Mail should be sent to:
Student Name
Brown Pre-College Student
69 Brown Street
Providence, RI 02912
Lost and Found
The lost and found is located at the Department of Public Safety (DPS) 401-863-1663. Items of value left behind in residence halls, such as jewelry, money and laptop computers will be turned in and students should call the DPS office to retrieve lost items.