Enrolled student information for BELL: Rhode Island.
Enrolled student information for BELL: Rhode Island.
We are thrilled you will be attending Brown Pre-College BELL: Rhode Island and joining the Brown community! Please review this web pages 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 your email 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:
Students who enroll after these deadlines are expected to complete form requirements and make payment within 48 hours of enrollment.
As stated above under Important Dates, there will be a required online program orientation for you and your parent(s)/guardian(s) on Sunday, April 12 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 course time. 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 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 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 BELL 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 by the April 8 deadline. Read more about the Brown University Dining Halls in the Dining Services Information section below. Please email accessibility@brown.edu if you have any questions or concerns.
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:
You will reside in a Brown University residence hall room. These rooms will include typical college furniture: a bed (extra-long twin size bed: 36 by 80 inches), desk and chair, dresser, trash can and access to wireless internet. Residence hall rooms are equipped with a portable air conditioning unit or will have central air conditioning.
*There will be a very limited number of linen sets, blankets, towels and pillows available for purchase in the Brown Bookstore upon arrival. You are encouraged to bring your own linens because we cannot guarantee the availability of these items.
All program activities, excursions, housing and meals while both on and off campus are included in the program fee so the need for spending money will be minimal. You will have access to the all-you-care-to-eat Brown University dining hall(s), and we encourage you to eat meals there. However, if you want to make purchases at the Brown Bookstore or local shops, or dine at local restaurants during your free time, those can be purchased with cash or, in most cases, credit or debit cards.
Students and their parent(s)/guardian(s) are required to coordinate transportation to and from Brown’s campus. Brown Pre-College is unable to provide transportation or coordinate travel assistance. Please consider purchasing travel insurance if you are flying to campus and please check in with your airline well in advance to confirm that you have the proper documentation and identification necessary to travel.
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.
The closest airport is T.F. Green International Airport in Providence and Boston’s Logan Airport is also accessible by bus or train from Providence.
Many bus, train and airline carriers have instituted a range of policies related to unaccompanied minors traveling. We encourage parent(s)/guardian(s) to review their likely carrier’s policies early and make decisions about travel based on the assumption that students must arrive on campus for orientation and depart campus at the end of their program without assistance.
Check-In Location: TBD (check back here two weeks prior to your arrival)
Check-In Time: 9 a.m. to Noon (12 p.m.). ET
Check-In Dates: Vary based on your enrollment. Please review your course carefully to ensure you are arriving on the correct date.
2AL: Sunday, June 21, 2026
2BL: Sunday, July 6, 2026
Noon (12 p.m.): Brief orientation for BELL Rhode Island students and their parents/guardians.
12:30 p.m. :Parents/guardians depart; students and BELL staff walk to lunch at a dining hall
Program staff will be available to direct you as you navigate the campus and answer any questions you may have.
Upon check-in, you will receive:
We are not able to accommodate students arriving to campus outside of the check in window on the Sunday prior to the start of your course from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
If you have any questions about your particular travel details or if you experience travel delays en route, please email precollege@brown.edu.
If you experience a delay while traveling, please call or text the BELL: Rhode Island On-Site with your new arrival time. Please note: This number will be shared during the pre-departure orientation session and will be sent to students and their parents/guardians but will not be active until a few days before the program starts.
While we make every effort to limit the amount of change in housing for students who are participating in consecutive programs or courses, students attending BELL: Rhode Island stay in a separate space from students in other on-campus programs. If you are attending another program before or after BELL: Rhode Island, you will need to move residence halls. If you are attending another program before BELL: Rhode Island, you are required to check in for BELL: Rhode Island on the Saturday before the program begins. If you are attending another program after BELL: Rhode Island, you are required to check in for that session on the Saturday before your next course begins and you must move all belongings on that day to your new room. This is another reason to make certain you pack for the program in a way that allows you to move without assistance.
Despite many students being experienced and competent travelers, the BELL staff expects you to stay with the group during all lessons and community activities. Staff will inform you in advance about when you can expect free time at BELL. For example, you may get free time between some lessons and community activities, at which time you are able to explore campus before rejoining your cohort for the remainder of the day.
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.
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.
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.
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. You will be asked to complete the Housing Agreement and Preference Form to indicate your preference for your housing location.
Students who need to request housing accommodations based on a learning, psychological and/or physical disability should indicate they may require an accommodation when completing the Medical Authorization and Health History Form which must be submitted by April 8. If you have questions about your specific situation and whether it can be accommodated prior to enrollment, please email accessibility@brown.edu. We strongly encourage students to contact us as early as possible, and no later than three weeks before the start of the program.
For the security of our students, visitors (including parent(s)/guardian(s) and family members) are not permitted to enter residence halls when the program is in session except to bring students to their room at the start of their program.
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. Brown University students have many of the same dietary restrictions as Pre-College students, so the Dining Halls are well prepared to support most needs. 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 beyond the support available through the above websites, please indicate this on your Medical Authorization and Health History Form and BELL Dietary Support Form by the April 9 deadline. The University’s Dietician or a program director will reach out to you directly to offer to discuss your dining options, including but may not be limited to using an online special meal request system, accessing 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.
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.
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 and Certificate of Completion. In addition to three meals per day, some free time and transportation to and from site visits, the schedule below provides an idea of what the program will entail. Please note: this schedule is subject to change.
| Climate, Conservation, and Community | Digging Into RI’s Food Systems | Geological, Recent and Modern Climate Change | |
| Day 1 | Arrival Day & BELL Orientation | ||
| Day 2 | Course Overview & Introduction to Action Plan | ||
| Day 3 | Guest speaker from the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society | Big Train Farm | Walking Tour of Providence Hurricane Barrier |
| Day 4 | Block Island | Wright’s Dairy | Round the Bend Farm Site Visit |
| Day 5 | Lessons at Brown University | Brown Dining Services Tour | Peckham Farm, East Matunuck Beach, and Succotash Salt Marsh Site Visits |
| Day 6 | Tomaquag Museum Site Visit & Lessons at Brown University | ||
| Day 7 | Lessons at Brown University | West Passage Oyster Farm | Lessons at Brown University |
| Day 8 | Lessons at Brown University | Southside Walking Tour | Lessons at Brown University |
| Day 9 | Roger Williams Park Zoo Conservation Program | Lessons at Brown University | Net Zero Tour Day |
| Day 10 | Group Hike on DEM or Audubon Land | Lessons at Brown University | Block Island |
| Day 11 | Action Plan Preparation Day & Course Wrap Up RI Community Food Bank Service | ||
| Day 12 | Action Plan Presentations & Departure Day | ||
Please note that you are expected to prioritize the experience for the benefit of yourself and your peers. You will have one or two hours of free time dispersed throughout each day at BELL, 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.
This is an example of a typical day at BELL:
| Curfew Ends | 6 a.m. |
| Breakfast | 7:30 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. |
There are laundry facilities in all residence halls. You will need to supply your own detergent. Students will swipe their ID card to operate machines. There is no additional fee for this service.
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
The lost and found is located at Brown Public Safety & Emergency Management at 75 Charlesfield Street (401-863-1663). Items of value found in residence halls, such as jewelry, money and laptop computers will be turned in and students should call the Brown Public Safety & Emergency Management office to retrieve lost items.
We are committed to the security of all our students at all times. 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 you to stay with the group during all lessons and community activities. Staff will inform you in advance about when you can expect free time at BELL. For example, you may get free time between some lessons and community activities, at which time you are able to explore campus before rejoining your cohort for the remainder of the day.
Please take a moment to read a message from our Dean, Adrienne Marcus and the FAQ document related to how the Brown community is moving forward after the tragedy on December 13, 2025.
You and your parent(s)/guardian(s) may find that cell phones are the most convenient option for keeping in touch. Except in emergency situations, Brown University staff cannot honor requests to locate a student; hence, our request is 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.
For students experiencing individual emergencies while participating in a Brown University Pre-College Program, you can do one of the following, depending on your needs:
If you have any non-emergency questions or concerns, please contact our office at 401-863-7900 Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET.
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.
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 (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.
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
Should you find a tick on yourself, BELL Staff 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.
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.
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. ET and remain on your floor until 6 a.m. ET 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 and Emergency Management 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.
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.
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.
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 Student Life staff and instructors. Please also review the financial policies, including payment and refund information.
In addition to Brown University’s pre-college policies, you will also be required to follow guidelines and policies of all of the BELL partner sites, including lodging facilities, museums, transportation companies and other venues hosting your BELL cohort.
You will be asked to leave your cell phones in a secure location (e.g., your dorm space or a bag that you can carry with you) for many parts of the BELL program. Unless a phone is used for a part of a lesson or field trip, we expect you to have the phones secured and away during all program lessons and activities. This will include field trips where you might want to take photos, so it’s important to prepare in advance and bring a camera that is separate from a cell phone. 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. BELL students benefit from letting go of the frequent connection to technology, as it often helps to 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. Continued violation of the BELL cell phone policy will result in a call to your parent/guardian.
We strongly encourage parents/guardians and families to come to our closing day program on Brown University’s campus. This will be an opportunity for them to see the program housing, hear Action Plan presentations from the students and meet the staff. Parent(s)/guardian(s) are welcome to arrive at Machado House (87 Prospect St) between 10 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. on Departure Day. Detailed information about Departure Day will be provided via email to all parents/guardians on our email list (i.e., the one parent/guardian contact information from each student application).
(Thursday, July 2, 2026 & Thursday, July 16, 2026)
10 a.m. Enjoy the grounds, meet staff and students
10:30 a.m. Closing Reception (location TBD)
11 a.m. Action Plan presentations
Noon (12 p.m.) Depart from Brown University
Since Brown University's campus is populated with many programs across the summer months, you should plan to leave campus after the BELL Closing Reception and check out of your residence hall no later than Thursday at 1 p.m.
If travel plans necessitate staying over the night of your last class and presentation, Thursday night, you may request approval to remain until the next day (Friday) at 9 a.m. Extensions beyond this time cannot be accommodated. Students should not plan to depart campus during curfew hours (10 p.m. to 6 a.m.).
You will receive a Course Performance Report from your instructor and you in turn will be asked to complete a course evaluation upon completion of the course. If you successfully complete your program you will also 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 you 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.